Ryan Kopf's Blog

It’s almost time for Anime Midwest — and this year’s convention is shaping up to be our best yet. We’ve packed the weekend with everything you love: incredible guests, two massive stages of music, an ocean of Japanese culture, and nonstop games, panels, and events.

We’re often told that unemployment is low — maybe 3.9% if you trust the U-3 number, or 7.8% if you prefer the broader U-6. But both of these are built on a narrow and outdated definition of what “unemployment” means.

What If You Could Learn Anything—Faster Than Ever Before. Imagine an app that doesn’t just help you study—it teaches you everything you’ve ever wanted to know. Not just Spanish vocabulary.Not just math formulas.

I organize some of the most fun anime conventions in the world through my company AnimeCon.org. Let's talk about anime conventions and nonprofit organizations.The History of Nonprofit Anime ConventionsWhen anime conventions first started, most were organized by colleges.

When I was 18 years old I had an idea for a website that would allow anime fans from around the world to connect and meet each other. And so, soon after, MaiOtaku was born.The Birth of MaiOtakuLet me introduce you to MaiOtaku.

Let me introduce you to WebRaven. It's a tool for building websites easily and efficiently.WebRaven.com is a free website host that allows you to build a website instantly. So whatever it is that you're interested in building a website for, just go to WebRaven.

Let me introduce you to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Japan. This is one of the largest and most famous temples in the country, as well as the oldest temple in Tokyo. Founded in 628 A.D., Sensoji Temple is a must-visit historical and cultural site, drawing millions of visitors every year.

Autographs are one of the biggest reasons people attend anime conventions. Fans love anime, cosplay, and for many, a huge part of that experience is meeting the voice actors behind their favorite characters.

Hi, I'm Ryan, president of AnimeCon.org, and part of my job is making sure our conventions bring real Japanese culture and community experiences to anime fans. One of the coolest things we offer at our conventions is the Con "Sweet"—a place where attendees can recharge with unlimited free rice, instant ramen, and soda.

I want to share something exciting that I absolutely love about Japan. Unlike in the U.S., where gaming has become mostly a home-based activity, Japan still has thriving spaces dedicated to bringing gamers together.