Ryan Couto |
Founder of Ryco Homes |
Pro Builder’s Young Guns & Legends
I want to build homes that mean something long after we've handed over the keys.
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If you had told me growing up in New York that one day I’d be building homes in Texas, I probably would’ve told you to get lost—or hit you with a classic, "Hey, I’m walkin’ here!" and kept moving right on. But looking back, every step of my journey has shaped who I am and why I do what I do.
I’m a first-generation American. My mom was a single mother who worked two jobs to make ends meet, and I learned pretty early that nothing in life was going to be handed to me. Portuguese was my first language, and I had a learning disability, so I had to work harder than everyone else just to be average. I had to figure out how I learned best, how to adapt, and how to keep pushing when things didn't come easily. Those experiences taught me a lot about work ethic, never giving up, and true tenacity—a word that pretty much defines how I approach life.
For a long time, I thought I’d end up in law enforcement. I’ve always had a strong desire to help people, especially those who can’t help themselves. In college, I served as president of the Criminal Justice Club and volunteered with Suffolk County’s Sixth Precinct, where I worked my way up to sergeant. We helped our community through fundraising, local events, and training future officers. I loved being part of something bigger than myself.
After college, I was a broke graduate trying to figure out my next move. I called my dad to see if he had any work for me in the family business, and that call eventually brought me to Texas and into homebuilding. When my mom got sick, I moved back to New York to take care of her. Once she was doing better, I realized how much I missed Texas, and just how much I loved this industry. I knew I could make a real difference through the homes we built. I might not be wearing a badge, but I could still make a positive impact in people's lives. So I came back to Texas, and I’ve never looked back.
Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of building more than 600 families' version of the American Dream. Today, Ryco Homes is backed by an incredible team and helps support and feed hundreds of families through the work our homes create for the local community. Being named one of Pro Builder magazine’s 40 Under 40 is an honor I’m incredibly proud of, but what means the most to me has very little to do with awards or numbers.
For me, every house has a story. We get to be part of the most meaningful chapters in a family’s life, and that’s something I never take for granted. Maybe it’s where a couple starts their life together, where a child takes their first steps, where a family gathers for the holidays year after year, or where someone settles into their forever home. We’re not just building walls and putting on roofs. We’re building the places where life happens—because the American Dream lives in every single Ryco Home.
I often think about the fact that a home we build today could still be standing 100 years from now. A family we will never meet could be raising their kids there, watching them grow up, celebrating milestones, and making memories of their own. There is something incredible about knowing that the work my team and I do today will outlive us all, forging a new chapter for every family that steps foot inside the walls we built together.
That’s my why. Building homes that will change lives for the better, whether it’s your first home or your last home. That is why Ryco Homes exists.
Whenever people ask me how I'm doing, I tell them I'm "living the American Dream." But the truth is, I wouldn't be living my version of that dream if it weren't for my mom, my dad, my dedicated team at Ryco, and the handful of people who have supported and believed in me over the years. I am only as good as the people around me, and this recognition isn't for me—it's for all of you. An author may hold the pen and dream up the plot, but without the ink, the ideas remain invisible, trapped in one's mind. I may be the author of my story, but you all are the ink. Thank you.
His influence can be seen not only in the results he achieves but also in the lives he has touched and the relationships he has built.
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