Kaylee
Ruiz

There’s no question that Kaylee Ruiz deserves to be recognized as our October Heartbeat of the Month! As our Graphic Designer, Kaylee plays a huge role in bringing the iHeart brand to life. From designing our merchandise and event brand kits to creating social media content and partnership campaign creative, her work spans nearly every corner of our brand. With an incredible eye for design and a talent for turning ideas into visuals that make an impact, Kaylee helps ensure everything we put out into the world feels uniquely iHeart. Her creativity and dedication are a huge asset to our team, and we’re so lucky to have her bringing our ideas to life every day. That’s why Kaylee Ruiz is our October Heartbeat of the Month!

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What is your role at iHeart?

I’m the Senior Graphic Designer on the digital team. My role includes design for branding, animation, and marketing graphics for the New York market.

What is your most listened-to song of this month? Why?

“Everybody Here Wants You” by Jeff Buckley. I can’t not sing along to that song, it’s insidious. Also “Black Star” by Radiohead.

Can you share your most memorable iHeart moment?

I recently got to see my work on a billboard in Times Square and on the Barclays Center’s Oculus. It’s been really rewarding to see my designs at our event venues and in physical spaces. I love to pitch new branding and develop an art direction that I’m passionate about from the ground up. This year, I had the opportunity to create a fresh visual identity for the Mental Wealth Expo, Power Sessions, The Breakfast Club, Summer Bash, and KTU’s 30th anniversary.

What is the best part about working at iHeart?

Occasionally, I get to incorporate illustration and animation into my work. Illustration is my passion, and I loved creating hand-drawn designs for Z100’s T-Shirt Shop. My degree is in Animation and Motion Design, which I honestly didn’t think would be useful at iHeart. I had a great time designing and animating new title cards and on-screen graphics for The Breakfast Club’s Netflix launch.

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Anthony Bourdain. I just read Kitchen Confidential and he seems like a really cool person to get lunch with.

If you could give your 13-year-old self advice, what would it be?

Start your design portfolio. Don’t major in animation. Exercise more, learn to cook, open a high-yield savings account. Go outside. Wear sunscreen.

If you were to host a podcast series about your life, what would you title it?

Unqualified Secular Buddhism & Movie Reviews.

What is your motto or personal mantra?

Take your time, but don’t waste your time.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

Speak as many languages as possible. Cantonese and Spanish are at the top for me. Speaking more languages could help me travel, connect with different people, and eat better food. I could be like Anthony Bourdain, if he did graphic design.

A fun fact about myself is…

In 2024 I tracked every soup I ate in my notes app for a year, and it was 127 soups. I also love throwing soup parties. I also keep a gratitude journal and I’m on day 893. Writing down what makes me happy helps me notice everyday happiness more and pay attention to the little good things.