About Us
Leanne Erdberg Steadman
LPE co-owner Leanne Erdberg Steadman has taken a greater role in LPE since 2022, providing consulting and strategic advice to new clients, drawing on over a dozen years of public policy making in international affairs and national security.
Most recently, Leanne Erdberg Steadman was the senior director for strategy and impact at the Open Society Foundations. Prior to that, she was a senior expert and director at the U.S. Institute of Peace, including overseeing the RESOLVE Network—a global research consortium.
Prior to USIP, Steadman served in several positions in the federal government, including on the National Security Council staff at the White House as a senior advisor on homeland security, as well as director of African affairs. She worked at the Department of State as a counterterrorism advisor for both the Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, as well as for the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Her federal career started at the Department of Homeland Security as a presidential management fellow.
Steadman has also worked in the private sector with Accenture Federal Services and she began her public service career with positions at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the World Health Organization, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and on a U.S. congressional campaign.
Before her work in foreign and public policy, Steadman co-founded an independent record label. She holds a Juris Doctor with honors in international law and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in mass communication studies, both from Boston University.
Leanne lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and dog, and enjoys baking, hiking, and live music.
Ryan M. Steadman
LPE founder and co-owner Ryan Steadman is a U.S. Army veteran of 12 years, serving as a senior non-commissioned officer, Arabic linguist and campaign planner in Iraq and East Africa. Overseas, Ryan specialized in working with civilian populations, community building, and communications at the village, city, and country levels. Ryan developed a passion for planning through the strong mentorship and the time-tested curriculum of the military’s training on strategic planning, risk management and design thinking. Throughout multiple assignments leading teams overseas, Ryan honed a concentration on asymmetric thinking, risk management, leadership and professional development which he brings into the private sector. Ryan transitioned from the military to consulting in 2009 and has since overseen strategic security programs with national-level oversight and has advised on organizational development and strategic planning projects for federal agencies and business organizations. Ryan has worked with teams at all levels, including organizations with over 1000 workers.
Ryan is an avid cyclist and tree climber, and lives in Colorado with his wife and dog. Since 2021, Ryan is pursuing a new career in clinical psychology studying at the University of Denver.