BUILT BY TWO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE BUSINESSES NEED BOTH STRUCTURE & SOUL.
Bones & Breath brings together business architecture and brand clarity through a partnership built on shared thinking, complementary strengths, and a belief that businesses grow best when systems and people work together.
HOW BONES & BREATH STARTED
Bones & Breath began when we met while working together inside an arts-focused community space in Olympia, Washington. While building things side by side, we realized something quickly: we think similarly, communicate naturally, and approach challenges from different angles that strengthen each other.
Chris brings operational architecture, systems thinking, and business infrastructure. Alexis brings brand strategy, communication, and audience experience.
Together, Bones & Breath was built around a simple belief: businesses work better when structure and story support one another.
CHRIS RUIZ
Business Strategy & Operations Architecture
Chris builds systems that help organizations operate with greater clarity, resilience, and efficiency. His background spans IT service management, business analysis, operational governance, Agile implementation, risk management, and enterprise optimization across healthcare, technology, and large-scale operations.
With more than a decade of experience leading process improvement initiatives, service modernization projects, training systems, and cross-functional operational strategy, he specializes in finding clear solutions for complex organizational dilemmas.
- 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 builds brands that people remember and systems that help businesses communicate with clarity. With a background spanning branding, graphic design, communications, photography, marketing strategy, copywriting, and digital experience development, she specializes in translating complex ideas into identities people connect with.
Her experience ranges from developing brands from the ground up to building websites, visual systems, content strategies, packaging, photography, and communication ecosystems across industries. She brings equal parts strategic thinking, creative direction, and audience empathy.
- 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 good people build stronger foundations, clearer communication, and organizations that function as well behind the scenes as they appear on the surface.