An Interview with Inperium’s Ryan Dewey Smith
By Mick Stahlberg of Behavioral Health Business.
In this Voices interview, Ryan Dewey Smith, Founding Executive Chairman and CEO of Inperium, shares how his life experiences shaped his approach, what sets Inperium apart as a partner, and how their affiliation model supports organizations and the people they serve in 2025 and beyond.
Autism Business News: What life or career experiences have most shaped your approach to the work you’re doing today?
Ryan Dewey Smith: I grew up as the only child of teenage parents, and that shaped a lot of who I am. I learned early to keep myself busy, stay curious, and figure out how to make things happen. Even as a kid, I was always asking questions and stepping in to help people, and that drive to build, improve, and help others has never gone away.
Over the years, I’ve seen incredible nonprofit leaders pour everything into serving others, only to struggle because they didn’t have the resources or infrastructure to handle the business side of running an organization. For decades, I watched good missions get weighed down by administrative costs, regulatory challenges, and financial pressure. I knew there had to be a better way.
Rather than starting another nonprofit, I set out to create something that could help sustain them. The idea was to give nonprofits the services, systems, and support they needed to stay financially strong and operationally sound — while still keeping their autonomy and identity. That model became Inperium. We’ve built a network that helps organizations grow, operate more efficiently, and access the capital they need without losing sight of why they started in the first place.
My own path to Inperium started in 1993, when I joined Supportive Concepts for Families as a Program Coordinator. I moved up to Director of Programs, then COO, and eventually CEO. That experience taught me how to balance mission with business discipline — something I’ve carried into everything since. When I founded Inperium in 2016, I took all those lessons and created a framework to help other organizations grow sustainably and serve more people.
Today, I still lead with the same focus I had on day one: providing the tools, resources, and leadership nonprofits need to thrive. The ultimate goal is simple — more strong, healthy organizations doing more good for more people. And I’m committed to making that happen.
What does Inperium, Inc. do?
At its core, Inperium exists to strengthen mission-driven organizations so they can keep serving their communities without sacrificing their independence. Our mission is to be the most deliberative, scalable, and efficient consolidator of health and human services organizations — but what that really means is we give nonprofits the tools, resources, and structure they need to grow and thrive.
We do this through an affiliation model that allows organizations to maintain their identity and culture while benefiting from the scale, operational efficiency, and capital access of a much larger network. Our affiliates provide a wide range of services — from mental health and intellectual disability supports to addiction treatment, housing, and other essential human services. By handling the business side of things, we free up leaders to focus on their core mission, knowing they have the infrastructure, stability, and support to keep making a real difference
What is the primary benefit of a partnership with Inperium?
When an organization joins the Inperium network, they gain a partner that’s fully invested in their growth, stability, and long-term success. We bring a collaborative model that provides best-in-class, cost-efficient administrative infrastructure — everything from finance and HR to IT, legal, and risk management.
The idea is simple: by handling those complex, resource-heavy functions at scale, our affiliates are free to focus entirely on delivering their mission. They benefit from economies of scale, enhanced access to capital, and strategic guidance from a team that understands both the mission and the business side of service. That combination creates a clear path to financial stability, operational strength, and the ability to expand impact in the communities they serve.
What are the terms of a partnership with Inperium?
An organization that affiliates with Inperium will be able to strengthen what already makes them unique, not erase it. Affiliates keep their name, mission, leadership team, and legacy board. They continue to operate with a high degree of autonomy, but with the understanding that Inperium, as the sole corporate member, holds certain reserved powers.
The scope of those powers depends on the terms of the affiliation and can vary based on factors like our financial investment, the strategic support we’re providing, and the level of infrastructure we deliver. It’s a partnership designed to preserve identity while giving the organization the backing, stability, and resources it needs to keep growing and serving its mission.
Are there success stories from Inperium’s affiliates that show the positive impact Inperium has on the people served?
One example that stands out is our affiliation with the Children’s Home of Reading (CHOR). Before joining Inperium in 2017, CHOR had been struggling financially for years, relying heavily on fundraising just to cover cash shortfalls. They faced a dwindling endowment, outdated facilities, and hadn’t secured rate increases from payers in years.
When they affiliated with us, we stepped in immediately, securing $400,000 in annual insurance savings, providing $450,000 in funding so they could make payroll, and connecting them with resources from our other affiliates to strengthen programs and outreach. We also negotiated long-overdue rate increases and refinanced $2 million of debt at a much lower interest rate.
The results have been dramatic. Since affiliation, CHOR’s revenue has grown from $13.8 million in FY18 to over $37 million in FY24. Their net assets have increased every year, they’ve been able to invest in deferred maintenance projects, and they’ve expanded their programs to serve even more youth and families. It’s a powerful example of how our model can preserve an organization’s mission while giving it the financial stability and operational strength to grow.
What is the process of an affiliation with Inperium?
Our affiliation process is very deliberative because we want to make sure there’s a strong alignment in mission, values, and expectations from the start. It begins with comprehensive due diligence and multiple rounds of conversations with the prospective affiliate’s leadership and board. Those discussions help us understand their needs, their culture, and where we can add the most value.
From there, we work through the negotiation of key agreements like the definitive affiliation agreement, management services agreement, and amended and restated bylaws, always with the goal of building a partnership that’s sustainable for the long term.
Once we’re in the pre-closing and post-closing phases, our integration team works side-by-side with the affiliate’s designated representatives to make sure the transition is seamless. The process is never one-size-fits-all; we tailor it to each organization’s needs so that by the time they’re officially part of the Inperium network, they’re set up for long-term success.
In the behavioral health space, 2025 is being defined by…
In 2025, I see behavioral health moving from the margins to the center of the national conversation — and in many ways, it’s being pushed there by both need and opportunity. Demand for services is higher than ever. Policy changes, including the Big Beautiful Bill, are reshaping Medicaid, and providers are under real pressure to deliver more with fewer resources.
At the same time, consolidation in the sector is picking up speed. More organizations are looking for ways to gain scale, improve efficiency, and ensure long-term sustainability. It’s a challenging environment, but it’s also one where smart, mission-driven partnerships can position providers to meet the demand and build a stronger, more resilient system of care.