Ryan O'Connor pairs his passion for music with the cancer cause
Ryan O'Connor’s love for music goes as far back as his oldest memories. As a child, growing up between Connecticut and Brooklyn, he remembers his dad being on the radio. He loved watching his dad do what he loved but had a special love for watching the audio tech coming in to fix the equipment. He knew then and there that music would be part of his life forever.
Wanting to run his own operation, Ryan started by learning business and honing his investment skills. Fast forward a few years, while working in the financial industry at Bloomberg, Ryan read an article about a brand new tape deck releasing after 40 years. It was the spark he needed to pursue his passion.
Ryan started Reel to Reel Haven and began working with his techs to repair and restore tape recorders. He met his now mentor and business partner, Marco, when he purchased a tape machine and then another upgraded one. They connected over their love for analog audio and they formed a strong bond and unified goal. Ryan built a plan to bring analog audio to more people by restoring and resurrecting old tape recorders, recording new music straight to tape and creating a space for artists to hold private shows, where he raises eradication level funding for cancer research.
After identifying the perfect location for Reel to Reel Haven, he bought a set of plans, found a team to support the vision and got to work building. The 1906 Brooklyn warehouse known as a daylight factory with high ceilings and old wood was set to be transformed into the inspiration to create art. In just two months, the space was ready to open and the first recording and fundraiser by Kishi Bashi put the studio on the map. This is one of Ryan’s most memorable experiences because the dream was now a reality.
An important unifier in Reel to Reel Haven is both Marco and Ryan’s connection to cancer. Marco, a technology professional by day, spent his free time enjoying and creating music in a band. Sadly, Marco lost his bandmate, Matt, to pancreatic cancer after a short battle. Ryan, was diagnosed in 2015 with Langerhans cell histiocytosis at 31 years old after experiencing severe pain in his neck. After the pain got so bad that it affected his ability to move, he got an MRI and had to have surgery to remove a tumor between his C4 and C5 vertebrae. After a long recovery, Ryan had a new lease on life and returned to work 18 months later.
That’s when he came across the article about a tape deck and his life changed again when he found a way to turn his passion for analog audio into a career.
Today, Ryan has built a track record of creating unique experiences for artists and music lovers.
Once Reel to Reel Haven, a company specializing in the restoration, repair, and sale of professional-grade reel-to-reel tape decks and accessories, was established, Ryan set his sights on how to take it to the next level. The company’s space in Brooklyn includes an intimate venue for unique live-music experiences. Ryan saw this as an opportunity for people to connect over music but also a way to raise awareness and critically needed funds for cancer research.
In February 2025, Reel to Reel Haven partnered with KEXP, a famous radio station in Seattle, to bring The Lumineers in for a private show to raise funds for cancer research at Fred Hutch.
Reel to Reel Haven is looking forward to expanding their reach to continue to raise significant funds for cancer research with their partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the nation’s first cancer research facility that is becoming a global destination for cell therapy for cancer treatment. Reel to Reel Haven is supporting many nationally recognized cancer centers who are coming together to tackle to toughest challenges in cancer research under the Cancer AI Alliance (CAIA). To learn more about CAIA, visit www.canceralliance.ai/.
Editor’s Note: Cancer patient outcomes and experiences may vary, even for those with the same type of cancer. An individual patient’s story should not be used as a prediction of how another patient will respond to treatment. Roswell Park is transparent about the survival rates of our patients as compared to national standards, and provides this information, when available, within the cancer type sections of this website.
