BUILT BY TWO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE BUSINESSES NEED BOTH STRUCTURE & SOUL.
Bones & Breath brings together business architecture and brand expression through a partnership built on shared curiosity, complementary strengths, and the belief that organizations thrive when thoughtful systems and human connection work side by side.
HOW BONES & BREATH STARTED
Bones & Breath began after we met while working together inside an arts-focused community space in Olympia, Washington.
As projects became more complex, one pattern kept repeating. We approached problems differently, yet our ideas consistently strengthened one another. Chris naturally organized complexity into practical systems. Alexis instinctively translated those ideas into experiences people could understand and connect with.
Before long, it became clear we weren’t offering separate services. We were solving different parts of the same challenge.
That realization became Bones & Breath: a business and brand architecture studio built on the belief that businesses perform at their best when operations and communication evolve together.
CHRIS RUIZ
Business Strategy & Operations Architecture
Chris helps organizations make sense of complexity.
Drawing from more than a decade of experience in IT service management, business analysis, operational governance, Agile implementation, risk management, and enterprise-scale optimization, he develops practical frameworks that help teams make better decisions and navigate change with confidence.
Whether refining workflows, modernizing services, or supporting leadership through organizational change, Chris brings a calm, analytical perspective that transforms moving parts into systems people can actually use.
- 10+ years business operations & IT systems
- Certified Scrum Product Owner
- Certified Scrum Master
- Process optimization & governance
- Business continuity & risk management
- Service architecture & workflow systems
BEYOND THE OFFICE
- Old man hobby: Birdwatching
- Favorite musician: The Revivalists
- Favorite destination: Monterey, California
- Favorite movie: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
THINGS WE'D PROBABLY TALK ABOUT OVER COFFEE
- Migration routes
- How sound waves bend around time
- Guitar pedals
- Financial projections
- "Why do frogs ribbit?"
ALEXIS MELLONS
Brand Strategy & Communications Architecture
Alexis helps businesses become easier to recognize, understand, and remember.
Her background spans branding, graphic design, photography, communications, copywriting, marketing, and digital experience, allowing her to shape brands from multiple perspectives at once. Rather than treating design as decoration, she uses it to clarify ideas, strengthen perception, and create experiences people genuinely enjoy engaging with.
From visual identity systems and websites to packaging, photography, and messaging, Alexis brings strategic thinking, creative direction, and a deep curiosity about how people experience the world around them.
- B.A. Strategic Communications
- Branding & visual identity systems
- Website development & troubleshooting
- Graphic design, photography & creative direction
- Copywriting & messaging systems
- Marketing strategy & audience communication
BEYOND THE OFFICE
- Old lady hobby: Crocheting
- Favorite musician: Clozee
- Favorite destination: Machu Picchu, Peru
- Favorite movie: Wild
THINGS WE'D PROBABLY TALK ABOUT OVER COFFEE
- National parks
- Rearranging furniture for "better energy"
- Travel itineraries
- Color theory
- The importance of cusp signs
STRONGER BONES. DEEPER BREATHS.
Bones & Breath exists because we believe businesses deserve more than disconnected solutions. We care deeply about helping thoughtful people build organizations where operations, communication, and customer experience reinforce one another naturally. When those pieces work together, businesses become easier to lead, easier to trust, and better prepared for whatever comes next.