Founder | West Coast Credible Messengers

Credible Messenger | Community Organizer | Public Safety Advocate

Ryan “Flaco” Rising is a formerly incarcerated community leader, credible messenger, and systems-change advocate dedicated to transforming how we define public safety in California and beyond.

Born and raised in Southern California, Ryan experienced firsthand the realities of gang labeling, criminalization, incarceration, and the structural barriers placed on Black and Brown communities. Rather than allowing those experiences to define his future, he transformed them into purpose.

Today, Ryan Flaco Rising is the Founder of West Coast Credible Messengers, a

movement-centered initiative rooted in lived experience, community accountability, and narrative change. His work challenges the social construction of the “gang” label and the policies—such as gang databases, enhancements, and suppression strategies—that have disproportionately targeted communities of color.

From Criminalization to Consciousness

Ryan’s journey from incarceration to higher education and community leadership represents more than personal redemption—it reflects a broader critique of systems that criminalize identity, geography, and association.

As a scholar-practitioner, Ryan bridges lived experience with academic analysis. His work explores:

The racialized construction of gang documentation The impact of sentencing enhancements

The role of credible messengers in violence interruption Transformative mentoring and restorative justice

Decriminalizing neighborhoods and redefining public safety

He believes those closest to the harm must be closest to the solutions.

Movement Leadership

Through West Coast Credible Messengers, Ryan:

Trains and mentors formerly incarcerated leaders Organizes film screenings, panels, and policy discussions

Partners with universities, legal advocates, and community organizations Amplifies impacted voices in media and legislative spaces

Advocates for reinvestment in education, healing, and prevention over punishment

His work has brought together scholars, public defenders, organizers, students, and community members to challenge dominant narratives about gangs and public safety.

Speaker & Educator

Ryan speaks nationally on:

The social construction of gang identity Mass incarceration and racialized policing Credible messenger models

Participatory defense Public safety reinvestment

Narrative change and media accountability

Whether in classrooms, courtrooms, or community spaces, Ryan centers lived experience as expertise and insists that safety cannot be built through surveillance and suppression.

A Vision for Public Safety

Ryan’s work aligns with a growing national movement to:

End discriminatory gang documentation practices Eliminate enhancement laws rooted in guilt by association Invest in credible messengers and peacebuilding

Support healing-centered approaches Redefine belonging beyond criminal labels

He believes public safety is not created by databases or prisons—but by opportunity, dignity, and community power.