Ryan Koontz joined Needham & Company in 2021 as a Senior Research Analyst, where he leads equity research for the Communications and Networking sectors, including Broadband, Optical, Data Center, Enterprise, and Space. With a coverage portfolio of over two dozen companies, Ryan brings a unique “full-stack” perspective to his widely-recognized research and analysis. Prior to joining Needham, he covered networking at Rosenblatt Securities and founded two independent research firms, Woodside Capital and Inflection Point Research. His expertise is rooted in a deep technical background; before entering equity research, Ryan held key leadership roles at Advanced Fibre Communications, Ericsson, and AT&T. During this time, he was instrumental in developing early-generation fiber access products. This rare combination of R&D product development, marketing, and large-scale service provider deployment experience allows him to provide differentiated insights to the tech investment industry. Ryan holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.S. in Engineering Management, and an M.B.A., all from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.