Hi, I’m Kayla Gagnet.
I’m an editorial leader and audience strategist with more than 20 years of experience connecting people with stories that matter, and building the teams and tools that get those stories to the readers who need them.
I’ve built newsrooms from scratch, led the redesign of more than 100 community news websites, and launched a text alert service as a Category 4 hurricane was making landfall. So it’s safe to say I love building things to serve readers, and doing it all on deadline.
20+ years
in journalism and digital media, including more than a decade leading teams
30% → 70%
original reporting, within a year of unifying equalpride’s newsroom
120%
growth in newsletter signups after an overhaul I led
20,000+
readers signed up for the text alerts I sent during Hurricane Ida
Featured work
The Out100 Vault
When the Out100, Out Magazine’s signature celebration of LGBTQ+ trailblazers, turned 30, I led the creation of an interactive archive revisiting three decades of covers and placing them in historical context.
The Advocate‘s first membership program
I launched a paid membership program that invites the loyal readers of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ publication to directly fund its original reporting. Read more
One newsroom, three brands
I unified equalpride’s separate brand teams into a single newsroom and flipped its ratio of original to aggregated stories. Read more
Hurricane Ida text alerts
Real-time updates for readers left in the dark when the storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people. Read more
Speaking and teaching
I teach writing at the University of Rhode Island, and I’ve spoken on live national television, at industry conferences and to newsrooms across the country. See where I’ve spoken and taught.
Let’s work together
I’m looking for my next full-time leadership role in communications at a mission-driven organization. I also consult with media companies and brands on editorial strategy, audience growth and newsletters. If you’re building something that matters, let’s talk.
