Ryan Kenneth Freeman is a Canadian business leader and youth baseball coach who has spent decades helping both people and institutions grow through consistent innovation and personal commitment. From transforming the family flower business with modern marketing tools to guiding young athletes across Toronto’s baseball fields, his life’s work has remained grounded in purpose and service. Freeman is part of a fifth-generation floral legacy, yet he has added his own chapters through digital strategy, hands-on coaching, and a strong belief in long-term impact through teamwork.
He was born on January 16, 1977, in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in an environment shaped by family business values. He attended Martingrove Collegiate Institute and later Silverthorn Collegiate Institute before enrolling at Sheridan College in Brampton in 1996 to study Business Administration with a focus on accounting. While his formal studies lasted just a year, his early exit was not a step away from education but a shift toward applying what he had learned. Technology was changing quickly, and Freeman was already using it to help small businesses adjust to new ways of working and connecting.
Even before college, Freeman had been working. As a teenager in high school, he took on several roles as a sales representative, but he also began helping people build custom PCs, create websites, and market their services online. From 1994 to 2008, he worked independently with local businesses, offering guidance on how to enter the digital world. He taught clients how to use basic tools, create an online presence, and attract customers with clear and honest communication. He developed a reputation for reliability and for making digital technology easy to understand for small business owners.
One of the most important foundations in Freeman’s life was his connection to the floral industry through his family. Martin’s, the Flower People, was the oldest family-owned florist in Toronto and part of his family history for five generations. Though he was not a floral designer, Freeman became deeply involved in the shop’s operations. He helped improve its marketing, updated its internal systems, and brought modern tools to the business at a time when many florists were struggling to compete with larger online platforms. His work in that space gave him valuable insights into both the challenges and strengths of small family businesses.
That experience led Freeman to launch Strider, a Toronto-based marketing agency created in the late 1990s. The agency quickly developed a strong reputation for serving independent florists, nonprofits, and other small businesses. Strider focused on real results, simple strategies, and respectful partnerships. Freeman’s background in the floral industry made him a trusted advisor to shop owners who were looking for help in reaching online customers without losing their personal brand identity. He designed training programs, helped build websites, and offered ongoing support to those looking to grow in a digital economy.
Over time, Freeman expanded his reach in the floral technology sector by consulting for major industry players. He worked on point-of-sale systems with Teleflora, provided strategic input to FTD, and supported companies like McShan Abner Systems and Meditech with technology and marketing solutions. His ability to bridge traditional business experience with technical knowledge made him a valuable partner in projects that needed both insight and execution.
In 2008, Freeman was recognized with the Bruce Clay International SEO Award for his outstanding contributions to search engine optimization. In 2018, he was honored with special recognition from the Great Lakes Floral Association, reflecting his long-standing support for the industry. These awards marked milestones in a career that has always been rooted in practical guidance, trust-based relationships, and a deep commitment to independent businesses.
Beyond his career in marketing, Freeman has also been a driving force in youth baseball coaching in Toronto. For over twenty years, he has coached teams across many age groups, from T-ball to 18U. Today, he is active with the 15U division at Bloordale Baseball. His coaching style focuses on player development, character building, and mental resilience. He was the first baseball coach in Toronto to receive Driveline Hitting certification and the first to be certified in Driveline Youth Baseball Development, setting a high standard for others in the area. He is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and is certified through Baseball Ontario’s NCCP program. These qualifications reflect not only his love for the game but also his dedication to ongoing learning and doing things the right way.
Freeman’s coaching philosophy is built around long-term growth. He does not measure success through wins and losses alone. Instead, he looks at how players grow in skill, confidence, and maturity over time. He creates an environment where athletes are encouraged to try, to fail, to learn, and to keep going. Many families who have worked with him say that their children not only became better athletes but also better people under his guidance.
His impact extends beyond the ballpark and the office. Freeman was a founding member of Grace Fellowship Church of West Toronto, where he served as a deacon for more than ten years. His role involved community outreach, mentoring, and helping people find support during times of change or challenge. Through Strider, he has provided free or reduced-cost marketing services to churches and nonprofit organizations that need professional help but cannot always afford large agency fees. These efforts reflect his belief that the tools used for business growth can also serve a larger good.
Throughout every chapter of his life, Ryan Freeman has remained committed to using his knowledge, experience, and time in ways that help others move forward. He stands as an example of how tradition and innovation can work together when guided by a sense of purpose. Whether it is teaching a florist how to attract online customers or showing a teenager how to adjust their swing, Freeman’s approach is grounded in clarity, patience, and care.
As someone who came from a fifth-generation family business and carried those lessons into technology, education, and sports development, Freeman has quietly created a meaningful legacy of his own. His work continues to support the people and communities around him, proving that the right mix of teamwork, technology, and heart can lead to real and lasting change.
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