Dustin Block is the Director of Portfolio Growth at BlueLena, where he helps American Journalism Project publishers develop audience strategies that drive financial sustainability. With more than 25 years of experience in journalism, audience development, and digital strategy, Dustin has worked across print, digital, and broadcast newsrooms in leadership roles focused on meeting people’s information needs.
Prior to joining Blue Engine Collaborative as a coach, Dustin led audience initiatives at Graham Media Group, where he launched one of the first membership programs in the broadcast industry—an effort that earned him the Local Media Association’s Digital Innovator of the Year award. He has also helped teams creatively grow and engage audiences at Advance Local, AOL Patch, and Lee Enterprises. At Viafoura, he worked on product discovery for data-driven audience engagement tools, applying his expertise in AI-driven newsroom innovation.
Dustin attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has studied game design for audience engagement, bringing a unique perspective to community-building and digital strategy. He lives in Detroit with his wife and kids, where he coaches youth sports and practices karate.