Ranen is a freshman dual-degree student interested in law and finance at Duke University and Duke Kunshan University near Shanghai, China. A Minnesota native, Ranen spent a considerable amount of time working in the construction industry while in school growing up. His writing on economics and policy has been featured with The Epoch Times, Mises Institute, and ZeroHedge. Ultimately, Ranen hopes to pursue a joint law/business degree after finishing undergrad.