A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Ryan Wright

ryan-wrightMany know the name Wright. Ryan Wright and his father, Don, have been providing entertainment to Northwest Indiana for many years through the popular family park, Zao Island. Ryan has taken on a leadership role at Zao, and is making great strides to make sure that the park continues to provide happy memories for the families of the region.

Ryan was born and raised in Chesterton, IN. He was an active kid who loved to play sports, make friends, and play music. He started playing the guitar when he was 13 and is well versed in the instrument as well as the mandolin. He also had a mind for business.

“I loved computers and business,” Ryan said. “I took that love with me to college.”

IU Bloomington was Ryan’s destination for college. He majored in business and computer science and joined a business fraternity where he connected with like-minded people. Knowing that he needed to figure out his path in life, Ryan put his nose to the grindstone and made the most of his time at IU.

“My dad wanted me to come home and work at Zao, and after some careful consideration I decided that going home to work was the best decision for me,” Ryan said. “I learned how much I loved this business and my dad saw that and handed the reigns over to me. It’s been really fun for me… Valpo is growing and it’s the businesses in it that make it cool. I want Zao to continue to grow with Valpo and be a place that families want to continually come back to.”

Ryan’s main job is to update the business, bringing in new attractions and updating the oldies but goodies. The very first project that he took on was integrating laser tag into the fold at Zao Island, since then he has worked on three or four new projects per year. Another big project that he spearheaded was transitioning from paper tickets and coins to a card system in the arcade. The digital signs, menus, and even a new arcade game are the handiwork of Ryan.

jetpack-penguins“It’s not ready yet, but my friends and I are creating a video game that will probably become an arcade game that can be played at Zao. It’s called Jetpack Penguins and it’s going to be awesome!”

Ryan and the rest of the people who make Zao Island run like clockwork make sure that giving back to the community is a priority. The local fire and police departments benefit as well as other nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Porter County through fundraising events or monetary donations.

“My dad taught me at a young age to treat the people who take care of us with respect,” Ryan said.

In his free time Ryan likes to play hockey, play music, get in some for fantasy football with his dad, and spend as much time as he can with his college sweetheart, Jenna, whom he married in 2014. They currently live in Valpo with their very cute dog.