“The BlueLena team and tech stack are unparalleled in the industry. Their strategic partnership and proactive customer service makes them the ideal collaborator if you’re looking for systematic testing, learning and growth opportunities.”
Zainab Shah, Vice President, Audience Strategy, American Journalism Project
Meet the team that works for you
Austin Williams | Program Operations Manager
Austin Williams leads professional services support at BlueLena, where he serves as Program Operations Manager, driving exceptional client outcomes through proactive support, seamless onboarding, and strategic systems enablement. Since joining the company in June 2020, Austin has become a trusted partner to BlueLena’s publisher community, ensuring timely resolution of client…
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Daniel Williams | Founder/CEO
Daniel Williams is the Founder and CEO of BlueLena, a full-service technology and marketing solutions provider helping media and nonprofit organizations achieve sustainability by growing audiences and diversifying revenue streams. With more than two decades of leadership experience in the media and publishing industry, Daniel is known for driving digital…
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Dustin Block | Director, Portfolio Growth
Dustin Block is the Director of Portfolio Growth at BlueLena, where he leads the development and execution of high-impact audience and revenue strategies for nonprofit news organizations, including partners within the American Journalism Project. With more than 25 years of experience across journalism, digital strategy, and audience development, Dustin is…
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Judi Kamien | Director, Publisher Success
Judi Kamien is the Director, Publisher Success at BlueLena, bringing 30+ years of leadership in organizational development, fundraising strategy, and mission-aligned growth for nonprofit and mission-driven institutions. At BlueLena, Judi partners with independent newsrooms and nonprofit organizations to design and implement high-impact business strategies that unlock sustainable revenue, deepen community…
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Kai Crutchfield | Operations & Marketing Coordinator
Kai Crutchfield is the Operations & Marketing Coordinator at BlueLena, where she plays a vital role in helping publishers transition from onboarding to strategic execution of audience growth and revenue programs. Drawing on her knowledge of BlueLena’s platform and partner solutions, Kai supports publishers in deploying tools for audience activation,…
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Megan Wofford | Director of Products
Megan Wofford is the Director of Products at BlueLena, where she leads the development and delivery of technology solutions that power audience growth and revenue performance for independent newsrooms and mission-driven publishers. In her role, Megan oversees the full product lifecycle, guiding cross-functional teams in design, testing, and deployment to…
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Ned Berke | Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer
Ned Berke is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at BlueLena, where he leads strategic frameworks that empower independent news organizations to accelerate audience growth, optimize reader revenue, and build sustainable business models. With more than a decade of leadership in audience development and newsroom innovation, Ned is a trusted…
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Nichole Bonner | Publisher Success Manager
Nichole Bonner is a Publisher Success Manager at BlueLena, where she leads a dedicated practice supporting subscription-based publications. In this role, Nichole works closely with audience, editorial and revenue teams to help publishers grow audiences, deepen engagement, accelerate paid digital subscription acquisition, optimize renewals, and strengthen reader retention, with an…
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Quentin Clarke | Data Analyst Intern
Quentin Clarke is a Data Analyst Intern at BlueLena, where he transforms data into clear, actionable insights that help publisher partners drive audience growth and optimize performance. Quentin supports the development of standardized reporting and interactive dashboards, enabling clients to understand and leverage customer behavior with confidence. Quentin joined BlueLena…
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Sam Hoisington | Publisher Success Manager
Sam Hoisington is a Publisher Success Manager at BlueLena, where he partners with independent and community-focused news organizations to strengthen audience engagement, boost reader revenue, and advance long-term sustainability. In his role, Sam draws on deep experience in local journalism, audience strategy, and newsroom innovation to help publishers unlock growth…
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Samantha Bennet | Vice President, Programs & Operations
Samantha Bennet is the Vice President of Programs & Operations at BlueLena, where she leads the design and execution of scalable operational frameworks and strategic programs that strengthen newsroom success and internal excellence. Since joining BlueLena in September 2023, Samantha has been instrumental in building and refining processes that enhance…
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Stephen Ratkovich | Director of Programs
Stephen Ratkovich is the Director of Programs at BlueLena, where he leads the technical enablement of publisher partners while serving as a key internal resource for complex problem-solving and best-practice execution. In this leadership role, Stephen oversees project management across platform configuration, data integration, automation design, and internal process documentation,…
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Tammy Williams | Office Manager
Tammy Williams is the Office Manager at BlueLena, where she manages payables and receivables operations and other administrative functions. Since joining the company in January 2021, Tammy has been responsible for general accounting, client invoicing, accounts receivable and human resources management, while maintaining the company’s financial accuracy, CRM and supporting…
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Teresa Ristow | Publisher Strategist
Teresa Ristow is an accomplished Publisher Strategist at BlueLena, where she partners with independent news organizations to unlock audience growth and revenue opportunities through strategic planning, data-driven marketing, and multi-channel campaign execution. In her role, Teresa leads the design and implementation of customized audience engagement strategies, builds strategic playbooks, manages…
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Trudi Hargis | Publisher Success Manager
Trudi Hargis is an experienced Publisher Success Manager at BlueLena, where she drives strategic adoption of audience growth and revenue-building tools for independent journalism organizations. Since joining the team in August 2025, Trudi has supported publishers across the country in leveraging technology and data-driven strategies to enhance engagement, expand reach,…
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Waqas Ahmed | Data Solutions Engineer
Waqas Ahmed is a Data Solutions Engineer at BlueLena, where he leads the company’s data integration efforts and builds advanced analytics infrastructure that transforms raw metrics into clear, actionable insights for publisher partners. In this critical role, Waqas drives the integration of first-party audience data with publisher site analytics, enabling news…
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