"Coming from Ohio I had never heard of it until I got to college," said Ryan Orabone, an eager entrepreneur, about our lovely Hoboken. "One of my best friends in school was obsessed with it so when I got a job in NYC it was the first place I looked for apartments and haven’t looked back since."

Having lived in town for over three years now, Ryan has made a name for himself. With an entrepreneurial spirit, he has been involved with Hoboken Volunteers and, now, his own company called Ski Till I Die.

“I know, generally when you hear someone is an entrepreneur you automatically assume that they're unemployed and poor - but in my case it’s only half true. I co-founded my own lifestyle brand of ski apparel called Ski Till I Die and I am the marketing director for Hoboken Volunteers.”

If you haven’t heard of them already, Hoboken Volunteers is an organization which aims to bring the community together by offering volunteer opportunities to its members. “Hoboken Volunteers definitely gave me that entrepreneurial twitch,” said Ryan, a founder of the group since the beginning (just a little over a year ago). “To build something from the ground up, be able to stamp your name to it, and help facilitate volunteerism was the most rewarding project I’ve ever worked on.” With a Board of Directors putting in more hours a month beyond their normal 9-5, a monthly newsletter, HV sponsored events and fundraisers, Ryan has worked with the group to promote volunteerism in Hoboken. In fact, their recent Chili Cook-off raised more than $3,000 for Eric LeGrand.

Ryan’s knack for marketing is evident in the Hoboken Volunteers’ growth. “We are stronger than ever and continue to grow and gain recognition on a weekly basis.” With his involvement in marketing since college, urge to start something new, and love of skiing, Ryan’s new company was inevitable.

“We launched Ski Till I Die in October and are already looking towards the 2011-2012 season. In the case of Hoboken Volunteers and Ski Till I Die, the time has flown by and it proves the ideology that if you do something you love it isn't work at all.”

Ryan’s enthusiasm for starting something he himself is the number one fan of is clear. “Success or failure – it comes as a direct result of what I, myself, and my team are able to put together. We ski every weekend, hold our meetings in bars, and get to make all of the decisions. It’s ours and we love what we do.”

Even without the steady cash flow, you won’t hear Ryan complain about his life in Hoboken. From exploring BYO restaurants in town, enjoying Churrito’s sangria and guacamole on summer nights, taking advantage of Cork City’s (previously Duffy’s) darts, $3 PBR, and juke box, or hanging with friends for Zog kickball, Ryan’s lives every day to the fullest. “Hoboken is a tough town not to have a good time in and I’m always on the move.”

So what’s next for Ryan? “My goal for the future is two-fold. First of all, I want Hoboken Volunteers to be a household name around town - and it should be sooner rather than later,” he explains. “Also, I can't wait until I see someone I don’t know wearing one of my Ski Till I Die t-shirts. At that point I'll know I've made it.”

Every week hMAG posts Faces articles featuring someone from the community because, after all, hMAG is all about the community.

Do you know someone we should interview for an upcoming article? Pitch your idea to editorial@hmag.com and we might include you or someone you know on hmag.com or an upcoming issue of the magazine!

All candidates MUST live or work in Hoboken and agree to have their picture posted.