MEET RUTH

Relevance Strategist | Arts Champion

Hi, I’m Ruth!

Currently Chief of Staff at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, I previously spent almost two decades in the arts sector as an opera singer, choral director, and music educator.

I witnessed firsthand how performing arts audiences were rapidly dwindling, and I felt powerless to change it.

But meeting world-renowned business thinker Clayton Christensen and learning his frameworks completely changed my perspective.

Now, drawing on 23 years of experience in the cultural and nonprofit sectors—plus seven years’ immersion in innovation frameworks at the Christensen Institute—I help arts organizations rethink arts marketing through a customer-centric lens.

My perspective has been shaped by a unique journey:

  • Growing up in blue-collar rural Maine

  • Convincing teenagers to love choral music (no easy feat!)

  • Training and performing as an opera singer, where I also regularly engaged with donors and opera patrons

  • Helping to manage the inner workings of a nonprofit, and

  • Seven years’ immersion in the research of the world’s top business thinker

My mission: Help the arts reclaim their relevance

Ready? Your roadmap starts here.

  • "Ruth has an extraordinary vision for arts marketing, and the arts sector needs it now."

    —Mark Schaefer, Author of Marketing Rebellion and Belonging to the Brand

  • "For any org wanting to center their customer and community, Ruth's thinking on this topic is hands down the best I've ever seen."

    —Aubrey Bergauer, Changing the Narrative

  • "This may well be the salvation that audience-hungry arts marketers are searching for."

    —Trevor O’Donnell, Author of Marketing the Arts to Death

  • “Ruth is a champion for your patrons. She sets aside all of the expertise and just asks one simple question: What matters to your customers? It's revolutionary.”

    —Sean Kelly, Founder, Vatic

  • "...an incredible thought leader. Ruth's insight is what we need to hear as a sector right now. "

    —Sarah Weber, Executive Director, Association of California Symphony Orchestras

  • "So grateful that Ruth is not only putting the Jobs to Be Done framework out there, but also providing illustrations on how to enact it."

    —Timothy Myers, Music Director, Austin Opera and Music Director, Spoleto Festival USA

  • "Ruth ignited our marketing, development, programming and venue hire teams with excellent, tangible recommendations that will now play a critical role in the important work that defines Melbourne Recital Centre’s next chapter."

    —Latoyah Forsyth, Head of Marketing and Visitor Experience, Melbourne Recital Centre

  • “The room was vibrating during Ruth’s Chorus America plenary...lightbulbs were going off, pens were furiously writing.”

    —Alex Gartner, Artistic & Executive Director, Pensacola Children’s Chorus

  • "If you don't yet follow Ruth Hartt, drop everything and follow. A superhero in all things marketing and perspectives!"

    —Holly Mulcahy, Concertmaster, Wichita Symphony and founder, Arts Capacty

  • “Thank you for delivering two remarkable presentations. Your work is transformative!”

    —Kevin Eberle-Noel, Executive Director, Redlands Symphony

  • "Your presentation was truly exceptional."

    —Donny Thompson, Executive director, Jazz Outreach Initiative

  • “Ruth is a breath of fresh air. She cuts through traditional jargon and bias to focus on solid, practical solutions. Her commitment to a patron-first approach empowers managers across all departments to drive real results.”

    —Drew McManus, CEO, UpStage Technologies

  • "Ruth was an amazing speaker and was incredibly well received."

    —Maggie Plaster, Director of Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Affairs, City of Las Vegas

  • "You were spectacular and opened up a host of necessary questions with which we need to grapple. It was a terrific session."

    —Nick Adams, Executive Director, Cantata Singers

  • “This is one of the most, if not the most, important presentations in my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

    —Thomas Cooke, President, Voce