KB Ruleaux
KB Ruleaux

Hey – I’m KB.

 

I help world-class news organizations build smarter, more sustainable futures by giving them what they’ve needed all along: a clear view of their audience and a system to act on it.

I’m a design-thinker-turned-audience futurist who blends strategy, research and cross-team alignment to help companies move faster, grow smarter and stay anchored to the people they serve.

Today, I lead Audience Insights & Research at Axios – building a dynamic insights engine that powers editorial, growth, product, marketing and revenue.

Previously:

  • The Washington Post (built its first audience research + strategy practice)

  • NPR (led mobile + emerging tech UX for >2.5M users)

  • LAist (digital innovation, inclusivity and newsroom collaboration)

I’m also a speaker, mentor and unapologetic hype-person for women in media and tech.

⚡️ I’m known for:

  • Audience clarity – I make the complicated simple. Segmentation, market mapping, trend spotting — all the things that help teams finally agree on who we serve and why it matters.

  • Systems that scale – I build audience-first practices that grow with the org, not around it. Clean frameworks. Clear governance. No BS.

  • Cross-org alignment – I’m the bridge. Product, newsroom, growth, marketing, sales — I help teams focus, prioritize and pull in the same direction.

  • Research you can actually use – No 80-slide decks. Coupling a strong POV with data-backed recommendations you can act on today.

  • Creative problem-solving – Design thinking. Co-creation. Workshops that replace chaos with clarity.

  • Calm in the storm – Ambiguity doesn’t scare me. I organize it.

⭐️ A few wins I’m proud of:

  • Built Axios’ audience first segmentation system + market typing model across 34 cities

  • Created an 5,000-responses-per-quarter insights engine powering editorial + revenue strategy

  • Drove Washington Post Style Section initiative, reaching 7M readers in one week

  • Led Webby-nominated projects driving 5x engagement lifts

  • Modernized NPR’s mobile apps for 2.5M monthly users

  • Coached 100+ designers, researchers and strategists toward sharper, more audience-focused work

  • Built cross-org communities that strengthened collaboration and inclusion

How I work

I bring clarity, structure and a little bit of magic to messy, high-stakes work.

My approach:

  • Learn fast

  • Share early

  • Align people

  • Build the system

  • Scale the system

  • Make it joyful

I help teams work smarter, not louder. Evidence replaces guesswork; shared purposes replace silos.

Check out some of my case studies, or read on to learn more about how I work.

 
 

See around corners

I connect dots early and help teams spot what’s coming next.

Iterate with intention

Quick tests. Tight feedback loops. No preciousness.

Elevate what matters

Prioritization is a leadership skill. Clarity is a gift.

Communicate the hell out of it

If the message isn’t clear, the message won’t matter.

Bring people in

Co-creation makes our work better. And more fun.

Design for everyone

Inclusive, accessible strategy is non-negotiable.

 
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“Consistent feedback from other departments: ‘KB is a treasure.’ ‘KB is speaking truths.’ … She has the rare ability to distill user needs into actionable product solutions.”

— WASHINGTON POST HEAD OF PRODUCT (2023)

Ethos

If we understand people better, we serve them better. Everything else follows.

My work starts from one belief: people deserve to understand the world around them.

  • I center empathy because it keeps us honest.

  • I center accessibility because information isn’t power if people can’t reach it.

  • And I center clarity because teams make better decisions when the path is visible.

I build strategies that help organizations stay human as they grow. That’s the work I care about.

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 “(Insights that are) super-duper interesting”

– AXIOS CO-FOUNDER (2025)

In my toolkit

Audience strategy & insight systems

Segmentation · Market typing · Behavioral analysis · Trend mapping · KPI architecture · Always-on research systems · Insight ops · Mixed-methods design (qual + quant)

Research leadership

Study design · Fieldwork strategy · Analysis frameworks · Synthesis & storytelling · Survey optimization · Participant recruitment · Data quality governance · Decision-ready reporting

Strategic foresight & planning

Signal detection · Scenario mapping · Competitive analysis · Opportunity sizing · Strategic prioritization · Roadmapping · Future-of-news insights

Design thinking

Generative workshops · Journey mapping · Rapid prototyping · Problem framing · Cross-functional facilitation · Creative alignment

Organizational leadership & operations

Team coaching · Change management · Cross-org alignment · Research ops design · Culture building · System workflows · Strategic communication · Mentorship & talent development

Efficiency superchargers

ChatGPT · Claude | Figma · Miro | Dovetail · User Interviews · UserTesting.com · Qualtrics · SurveyMonkey | Looker BI · Segment · Sailthru | Google Workspace · Slack

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 “(An) incredible, collaborative spirit.”

– WASHINGTON POST HEAD OF AUDIENCE (2024)

Public speaking

↪️ Let’s talk if you need a speaker on: future of news · audience strategy · organizational culture · design thinking · innovation

Past appearances: IIEX, UXLx, Qual360, ConveyUX, MidwestUX, VOICE Summit, On Air Fest, PRNDI, PBS TechCon, newsroom hackathons and more.

Leadership, honors & industry roles

Organizational leadership

  • Founder, Insights Engine (Axios)

  • Inaugural Member, AI Champions (Axios)

  • Inaugural Research & Strategy Lead, WP Next Gen Team (The Washington Post)

  • Chair, Tech Mentorship Program (The Washington Post)

  • Committee Member, Compensation, Equity & Transparency Working Group (The Washington Post)

  • Founding Design Lead, Public Radio Incubation Lab (NPR)

  • Facilitator, Code of Conduct Working Group (NPR)

  • Member, Public Speaking Mentorship Program (NPR)

  • Volunteer, Anti-Harassment Working Group (NPR)

Industry leadership

  • Ambassador & Mentor, Public Media Women in Leadership

  • Founder, Public Media Potluck

  • Team Lead, SNDMakes – San Francisco

  • Designer, Come and Play: Audio Storytelling Hackathon (BuzzFeed + AudioSear.ch)

  • Project Manager, Content Department Training Committee (LAist)

Awards & recognition

  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Creative Director, “Officer Involved” series (LAist)

  • Webby Award – UX Lead, “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” Alexa Quiz

  • NPR Excellence & Innovation Award

  • APM Emerging Leaders Graduate

  • Behavioral Economics Bootcamp Certificate

  • Jury Member, Awwwards

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