Janesville, WI, June 28, 2025 — With camera crews rolling, the pressure on, and dozens of entrepreneurs in the same room, Ryan Rydell knew he wasn’t just there to compete. He was there to lead. As the founder of My City Guide, a fast-growing community-based business platform, Ryan enters Season 17 of The Blox not only as a contestant but as the face of a movement to transform how small businesses thrive in the digital age.
“Most of the people on this show came to launch something. I came to scale a revolution,” Rydell said.
That revolution is already in motion. My City Guide just launched in four new cities — Denver, Colorado, Schaumburg, Illinois, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Boone County, Illinois — bringing the total to eight live cities across four states. The team is currently negotiating seven more licenses in five additional states, all while supporting local entrepreneurs who are passionate about building up their own communities.
The Power of Showing Up
In a world flooded with viral hacks and overnight success stories, The Blox offers something different: real people building real businesses. For Ryan, the show wasn’t about flash or fame. It was about focus, clarity, and being surrounded by a room full of people bold enough to chase something bigger than themselves.
“The experience cracked something open in me,” Rydell said. “Being around founders who are raw, driven, and deeply committed reminded me that entrepreneurship is not about being perfect. It’s about showing up for what you believe in, every single day.”
The Blox, created by serial entrepreneur Wes Bergmann, features 60 hand-selected business owners who live and learn together for one intense week. The result is something closer to an entrepreneurial boot camp than a traditional reality show. Contestants dive deep into strategy, storytelling, and identity while forming the kind of connections that don’t fade after filming wraps.
Rydell admits the pressure was real, but so was the purpose. “This was about legacy. About using my story and my platform to show others what’s possible when you stop waiting and start building.”
A Platform with Purpose
My City Guide started as one local site in Rockford, Illinois. It’s now a customizable, turnkey solution for entrepreneurs who want to run their own local business directory, event calendar, and marketing platform. The brand provides every licensee with the tools they need to own and operate a hyper-local site that promotes small businesses, drives visibility, and builds community pride.
It’s more than a directory. It’s a platform for local entrepreneurship.
“This isn’t about tech,” Rydell said. “It’s about people. We’re giving real humans in real cities a chance to build something that matters, something that helps their neighbors, their economy, and their legacy.”
Each new My City Guide city is led by a licensee – a local business owner or startup founder who takes the reins in their own market. They receive a full website, CRM, automation tools, and a proven blueprint. What they do with it? That’s up to them.
Ryan’s appearance on The Blox spotlighted the entire model, showing viewers across the country how accessible entrepreneurship can be when the right systems are in place.
More Than a Founder — A Builder of Businesses and Communities
Before launching My City Guide, Ryan Rydell spent more than two decades helping other entrepreneurs grow their brands from the ground up. Through is multiple businesses, he’s worked with startups, established companies, and national franchises to refine messaging, increase revenue, and create memorable customer experiences.
Ryan’s work goes far beyond business strategy. He’s known for rolling up his sleeves and showing up, whether it’s mentoring students, organizing local events, or serving on nonprofit boards. He’s volunteered thousands of hours with organizations like the American Cancer Society, Stateline Baseball, and local Chambers of Commerce.
“Community isn’t just a buzzword to me. It’s the center of everything I’ve ever built,” Ryan said. “If your business doesn’t lift someone else up, what’s the point?”
That heart for service is what shaped the foundation of My City Guide. It’s not just a tech solution. It’s a human one — a way for locals to support locals, and for entrepreneurs to build something meaningful right where they are.
Growth, Grit, and the Road Ahead
Since filming wrapped, Ryan hasn’t slowed down. In fact, his team just completed another startup accelerator to sharpen the My City Guide expansion strategy and prepare for national scale.
“This is a real company solving a real problem for real people,” he said. “We’ve built a framework for scalable impact. The show helped us get sharper. Now we’re building faster.”
While Ryan remains humble about what’s coming next, momentum is clearly on his side. From local business partnerships to national licensing conversations, the movement is catching fire. And with the premiere of The Blox Season 17 just around the corner, more people are about to meet the man — and the mission — behind it all.
“The show is launching soon. When it airs, you’ll see what we built. But more importantly, you’ll see why we built it,” Rydell said. “My story doesn’t matter unless it empowers someone else to start their own.”