Ryel Kestano is the co-founder of Closer, a membership community for singles who value authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling dating experiences. Based on the practice of Authentic Relating, Closer offers live events, weekly online sessions, practical education, and matchmaking to help people develop the relational skills that make genuine connection possible. Ryel is also the designer of The Authentic Dating Course, and is an active dating and relationship coach.
Ryel co-founded ART International, where he previously served as CEO and Senior Course Leader and led the design of the organization’s courses and programs. Ryel has been at the forefront of the authentic relating movement for over 15 years, and has delivered over a thousand training sessions in dozens of countries to diverse audiences. He led ART to become the world’s largest authentic relating training organization. He regularly teaches at conferences and festivals and appears as a guest on podcasts.
Ryel is also the co-founder of The Realness Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing authentic relating practices to prison inmates. He is the author of Authentic Relating: A Guide to Rich, Meaningful, Nourishing Relationships. Across all of his work, Ryel is devoted to helping people develop the skills to create richer relationships, more honest conversations, and more deeply connected lives.