I’m Ethan Ward, a product strategist and journalist.

I help teams figure out what to build, who it’s for and how to tell whether it’s working. A lot of that work lately involves AI, and most of it sits where technology meets the people it affects.

I came to product from reporting, so I start with the people using the thing and the evidence of what they actually do.

Work with me See my AI work
Ethan Ward in a black suit, sitting on stone steps and smiling.

How I got here

From reporting to product, in that order.

  1. 01

    Reporting

    I started as a reporter. My work ran in USA Today, NPR, Slate, Fast Company, Marketplace and PBS SoCal, mostly on housing, technology and the systems that decide who gets help.

  2. 02

    Research

    An MSc in human-computer interaction at University College Dublin trained me in user research, from interviews and surveys to the analysis that turns them into decisions.

  3. 03

    Policy

    I hold a Master of Public Diplomacy from USC and an AI Policy Certificate from the Center for AI and Digital Policy. As Director of AI Initiatives at The Black Policy Institute, I led research on AI’s impact in the U.K., Kenya and Nigeria and wrote the white paper that came out of it.

  4. 04

    Product

    Now I lead product and growth for a nonprofit newsroom in Los Angeles and run HEATDRAWN, my media studio, where I created Reputation and The Thread.

What I believe

The people closest to the impact of technology should have the most influence over how it’s governed.

I’ve been on the receiving end of most of what I now build: Pitched as a reporter, prepped as a guest, decided about by a housing system. So the people a product affects get asked first, and the rules for how it works get written down where they can see them.

Credentials

18 awards, plus the degrees behind the methods.

Education

  • MSc, Human-Computer InteractionUniversity College Dublin
  • Master of Public DiplomacyUniversity of Southern California
  • BA, JournalismUniversity of Southern California

Certification

  • AI Policy CertificateCenter for AI and Digital Policy
  • AI Fluency CertificationAnthropic

Recognized by

  • Online News Association2026 Online Journalism Award, Excellence in AI Innovation
  • Communicator AwardsTwo 2026 Awards of Distinction
  • SABEW2022 Best in Business
  • LA Press ClubMore than a dozen awards since 2021
  • Housing Narrative Lab2023 Housing Narrative Award, Best Podcast Episode

Off the clock I travel, read and take photos. I’m not on social media. Not even LinkedIn. The trips end up in Maroon Astro, my travel magazine.

See the photos Read Maroon Astro ↗ (another site)

Let’s work together

Tell me what you’re working on, what you need and when you need it. For interviews and appearances, see the press page.

Get in touch Press