Today we’d like to introduce you to Rian-Louis.
Hi Rian-Louis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey has really been about finding my voice and then using it to create space for other people to find theirs.
I started RIANOUTLOUD! in 2020 because I wanted to create a platform where Black LGBTQ+ creatives could have honest conversations, share their stories, and feel seen. What began as an independent podcast grew into something much bigger. Over the years, I’ve interviewed incredible creatives and artists, produced live podcast experiences, hosted and moderated events, and continued building my voice as a media personality and storyteller.
At the same time, my professional and community work has allowed me to stay connected to something that has always mattered to me: people. I’ve had opportunities to support young people, develop programming, build partnerships, and help create experiences centered on connection and community.
That same passion eventually led me to create GOOD KMPNY, a social and community platform that centers Black LGBTQ+ people and creates intentional spaces for joy, culture, connection, and belonging.
Along the way, I’ve also continued investing in myself creatively through digital marketing, creative direction, hosting, storytelling, and other opportunities that have challenged me to think bigger about what I can build.
Today, I see myself as someone who works at the intersection of media, creativity, culture, and community. Whether I’m behind a microphone, developing an event, creating a campaign, interviewing an artist, or bringing people together in a room, the purpose is pretty consistent.
I want people to feel seen, connected, and like there is space for them.
I’m still building, still learning, and still figuring out where all of this can go, but I’m proud that so much of what I’m doing today started with simply deciding to create the spaces I wanted to see.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I think that is part of what has made the journey meaningful.
One of my biggest struggles has been learning how to keep believing in myself when the opportunities, recognition, or resources did not always match the amount of work I was putting in. A lot of what I have built has been independent, which means learning as I go, funding ideas myself, wearing multiple hats, hearing no, and sometimes creating opportunities because the ones I wanted simply were not available to me.
I have also struggled with imposter syndrome. There have been moments when I questioned whether I belonged in certain rooms or whether I was doing enough, especially while watching other people seemingly move faster. I have had to learn that everybody’s timeline is different and that success does not always happen loudly.
There have also been personal seasons where I was trying to create, work, and show up for my community while navigating my own life behind the scenes. Those experiences taught me the importance of boundaries, rest, asking for help, and understanding that I do not have to have everything figured out to keep moving forward.
Being a Black queer creative has also made me very aware of how important access and representation are. Sometimes you walk into a room and realize the space was never necessarily created with you in mind. Instead of allowing that to discourage me, it became part of the motivation behind RIANOUTLOUD! and GOOD KMPNY.
The road has included rejection, uncertainty, financial challenges, self doubt, and plenty of trial and error. But every part of it has helped me become more intentional about what I create and why I create it.
I am learning that the goal was never to have a perfectly smooth journey. It was to keep growing through it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work lives at the intersection of media, culture, creativity, and community. I am a host, podcaster, moderator, creative, and community builder, and while those roles may look different on paper, they all come back to the same thing: creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and connected.
I am probably best known for RIANOUTLOUD!, my podcast and media platform that amplifies Black LGBTQ+ creatives, artists, and stories. Since launching it in 2020, I have grown the platform independently through interviews, digital content, and live experiences. What I specialize in most is conversation. I have always had a natural curiosity about people, and I love creating an environment where someone feels comfortable enough to move beyond the rehearsed answer and share something real.
That ability to connect with people has also become a major part of my work as a host and moderator. Whether I am hosting an event, facilitating a panel, interviewing an artist, or engaging a crowd, I want people to feel like they are part of the experience rather than simply watching it.
More recently, I created GOOD KMPNY, a social and community platform centered on Black LGBTQ+ joy, culture, connection, and belonging. It represents another evolution of the work I have been doing for years. Instead of only creating space through media, I am creating physical spaces where people can meet, celebrate, build relationships, and simply enjoy being in community with one another.
One of the milestones I am especially proud of is being recognized as one of the **New Pittsburgh Courier’s FAB 40 Under 40 in 2026**. Receiving that recognition meant a lot because it acknowledged not just one project, but the years of work I have poured into media, creativity, community, and creating opportunities for others.
At the same time, some of my proudest moments cannot be measured by an award. They happen when someone tells me that a conversation resonated with them, they discovered a new artist or creative through my platform, or they walked into one of my events and felt like they belonged.
What sets me apart is that I genuinely care about the experience people have with the things I create. I pay attention to how something looks and sounds, but I care just as much about how it feels.
I am not interested in simply creating content or throwing events. I want to create moments, conversations, and spaces that mean something.
At the heart of my work is connection. That has always been the thread, and I think that is what people have come to know me for.
What’s next?
I think the biggest thing I am looking forward to is expansion. I have spent the last several years building, experimenting, learning, and figuring out what feels authentic to me. Now I am at a point where I want to take what I have created and give it room to grow.
With RIANOUTLOUD!, I want to continue expanding beyond a traditional podcast. I see more live experiences, bigger conversations, partnerships, travel, and opportunities to introduce the platform to audiences outside of Pittsburgh. I want it to continue being a place where Black LGBTQ+ creatives can tell their stories while also growing into a larger media and cultural platform.
I am also excited about the future of GOOD KMPNY. My vision is for it to become more than an event series. I want to build programming around social connection, wellness, networking, culture, and community while continuing to create fun experiences where Black LGBTQ+ people can simply experience joy together. Eventually, I would love to see GOOD KMPNY grow beyond Pittsburgh and create experiences in other cities.
Personally, I am continuing to grow as a host, moderator, creative director, and storyteller. I want to host larger stages, work with more artists and brands, develop original creative projects, and continue putting myself in rooms that challenge me to grow.
I am also becoming more open to change. Pittsburgh will always be an important part of my story, but I am interested in seeing where my work can take me and what opportunities may exist beyond what is familiar.
More than anything, I am looking forward to building with greater intention. I do not necessarily want to do more just for the sake of doing more. I want to create bigger opportunities, stronger partnerships, and work that has longevity.
The next chapter feels less like proving that I can create something and more like seeing just how far the things I have already created can go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/rianlouismcneil?lt_utm_source=lt_admin_share_link
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ratedrian/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmcneil1024/
- Other: https://tr.ee/HPU9BewnRi
Image Credits
JVisionary
