Nicky Honghao Ruan is a seasoned production professional with over a decade of experience across theater and documentary filmmaking. She has managed global teams and guided projects from conception to completion, contributing to Broadway productions as well as acclaimed documentaries for Frontline and HBO. A multilingual communicator and resourceful problem solver, Nicky brings strategic vision, adaptability, and strong conflict management skills to every production she leads.

Nicky Hong Hao Ruan

Nicky Honghao Ruan is a seasoned production professional with over a decade of experience across theater and documentary filmmaking. She has managed global teams and guided projects from conception to completion, contributing to Broadway productions as well as acclaimed documentaries for Frontline and HBO. A multilingual communicator and resourceful problem solver, Nicky brings strategic vision, adaptability, and strong conflict management skills to every production she leads.

Available to hire

Nicky Honghao Ruan is a seasoned production professional with over a decade of experience across theater and documentary filmmaking. She has managed global teams and guided projects from conception to completion, contributing to Broadway productions as well as acclaimed documentaries for Frontline and HBO. A multilingual communicator and resourceful problem solver, Nicky brings strategic vision, adaptability, and strong conflict management skills to every production she leads.

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Language

English
Fluent
Chinese
Fluent

Work Experience

Tour Manager / Lead Producer at Braincast Works
August 1, 2015 - October 21, 2025
Led and managed national and international performance tours and cross-country collaborations with theater companies, arts and cultural organizations, and education groups; led consultations for outside groups, including IBEX Puppetry (Heather Henson) and Feathers of Fire; planned and executed seven annual fundraising events; helped raise 1/4 of the organization's annual budget; provided strategic plans to the board on generating sponsors and enhancing market share and reputation.
Company Manager at Chinese Theatre Works
May 1, 2019 - October 21, 2025
Led and managed national and international performance tours with theatre companies, arts and cultural organizations, and education groups; provided lead consultations for external groups, including IBEX Puppetry and Feathers of Fire; planned and executed seven annual fundraising events.
Company Manager at Chinese Theatre Works
December 3, 2012 - April 29, 2019
● Lead PR and marketing activities locally, nationally, and internationally, including venue booking, social media management, audience engagement, establishing new collaborations, generating funding and sponsorship; ● Lead and manage international performance tour; ● Lead and oversee cross-country collaborations with theater companies and education groups in China; ● Lead PR activities in the Chinese community for the Broadway production M. Butterfly; ● Lead consultations for outside groups including IBEX Puppetry (Heather Henson), and Feathers of Fires on touring to China; ● Successfully plan and execute seven annual fundraising events. Help to raise 1/4 of the organization's annual budget each time; ● Assist in program planning and execution with collaborators including AMNH, the MET, Asia Society, China Institute, etc. ● Provide strategic plans to the board on enhancing the organization's reputation in the cross-cultural arts and theater community ● Conduct research and analyze demographic changes in international, national, and local communities for theatrical arts ● Lead company's new website and brand identity package development ● Initiate and maintain liaison with media outlets, venues, and other related establishments to raise the theater company’s profile and public image in order to secure more opportunities to showcase its cross-cultural theatrical productions
Company Manager at Chinese Theatre Works
May 1, 2019 - October 21, 2025
Lead and manage national and international performance tours and cross-country collaborations with theater companies, arts and cultural organizations, and education groups. Led consultations for outside groups, including puppet theatre productions and Feathers of Fire, on touring to China. Successfully planned and executed seven annual fundraising events. Helped raise one quarter of the organization’s annual budget each year. Provided strategic plans to the board on generating sponsors and enhancing market share and the organization’s reputation.
Line Producer & PM at Midnight Films
August 1, 2015 - October 21, 2025
Source and hire crew, organize shoots and related travel and logistics; prepare call sheets; manage releases and deliveries; process payroll, insurance, and union contracts; create and manage budgets; assist in annotating and fact-checking scripts; supervise post-production work on completed projects.
Line Producer / Production Manager at Chinese Theatre Works
May 1, 2019 - November 3, 2025
Oversee production operations for documentary and branded content projects from pre- to post-production. Source and hire crew; manage vendors, travel logistics, and call sheets. Administer budgets, payroll, insurance, and union contracts; ensure compliance with production standards. Support research, script annotation, and fact-checking. Supervise post-production workflows and client deliverables.
Company Manager at Chinese Theatre Works
May 1, 2019 - May 1, 2019
Managed national and international performance tours and cross-cultural collaborations. Oversaw logistics, contracts, and budgeting for domestic and overseas projects. Consulted for external groups on China tours. Produced annual fundraising events generating roughly 25% of the organization’s yearly budget.
Founding Partner, Business Development Director at Braincast Works
August 1, 2015 - August 1, 2015
Co-produced and published the interdisciplinary art magazine CRETUS. Led client consulting, content creation, and strategic communications planning. Developed PR materials and campaign collateral to elevate brand visibility and partnerships.
Production Manager at Braincast Works
January 1, 2024 - Present
Led end-to-end program delivery for documentary and branded content projects — managing scope, milestones, dependencies, risk, and stakeholder alignment from pre-production through final delivery. Owned full lifecycle resource planning — sourcing/hiring crew & talent, negotiating vendor contracts, building schedules, and managing travel logistics & call sheets across US + international shoots. Managed production budgets, payroll, and vendor relationships to ensure on-time delivery and quality. Built and optimized post-production workflows to accelerate client approvals and maintain standards across multiple shoots.
Founding Partner / Business Development Director at CREATUS
January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014
Founding partner focusing on strategy and business development for interdisciplinary art publishing. Drove client discovery, campaign road maps, and asset production for brand, print, and creative communications projects. Spark Design Award 2014 recognition for CREATUS.

Education

M.S. at New York University
September 1, 2014 - May 1, 2016
B.A. at University of Bridgeport
August 1, 2009 - May 1, 2012
M.S. in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at New York University
September 1, 2014 - May 1, 2016
B.A. in Mass Communication at University of Bridgeport
August 1, 2009 - May 1, 2012
M.S. at New York University
January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2016
B.A. at University of Bridgeport
January 1, 2009 - January 1, 2012
B.A., Mass Communication at University of Bridgeport
January 11, 2030 - January 13, 2026
M.A., Mass Communication at University of Bridgeport
January 11, 2030 - January 13, 2026

Qualifications

Spark Design Award (CREATUS)
January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Non-Profit Organization, Professional Services