Ritchie Geisel is a graduate of Princeton University, who then earned an MBA from Stanford Business School. He has served in executive, fundraising, and consulting roles in the education, human services, and animal welfare fields, including 28 years as CEO of 5 nonprofit service organizations. AbilityFirst, which Geisel led from 1998 to 2004, was profiled in a half hour documentary in 2001 as part of the Visionary series, which was shown again in 2003. In 2013, he received one of 4 Nonprofit Leadership Impact awards from the Los Angeles Center for Nonprofit Management.

Geisel also served as volunteer Board Chair and chief executive officer of Heaven on Earth Society for Animals from 2004-2019. Bravo, the feral kitten he and his wife Pam adopted in 2001, and whose rescue after having been set on fire inspired them to become involved in animal rescue, was featured in an Animal Planet documentary in 2002.

Now semi-retired, Geisel currently serves on one nonprofit board, United Planet, as well as an executive partner with the William & Mary Mason School of Business.