{"683835":{"#nid":"683835","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Jackets of All Trades: Chris Ruggiero","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn any given day, as the photo and video producer for the Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech (EI2), Chris Ruggiero is juggling multiple responsibilities, but he\u0027s used to it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERuggiero is a former professional juggler, and his journey from backyard birthday parties to Hollywood led to the discovery of a passion for content creation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERuggiero watched his dad juggle around the house, so he started practicing and continued to hone his craft, joining the juggling and magic club as a student at Penn State University. While he graduated with a bachelor\u0027s degree in science, his plan to become a high school teacher was shelved as he learned more about creating an act that landed him on stages and television sets nationwide.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo separate himself from other performers, Ruggiero began shooting videos of his acts to share with producers. After his industry peers saw him juggling fire on \u003Cem\u003EThe Ellen DeGeneres Show\u003C\/em\u003E and juggling meatballs with Martha Stewart and Snoop Dog, they wanted to know his secret.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Fifteen years ago, without the benefit of today\u0027s cellphones, I needed to learn to create high-quality videos of myself, so I learned about the different techniques, cameras, and lenses that I could use. Other performers started asking me to help them shoot promotional videos, and it snowballed from there to the point where I was able to stay behind the camera and focus solely on creating content for other performers and, eventually, businesses,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERuggiero moved to Atlanta and joined EI2 in 2023, and while he no longer performs, the skills he learned were a perfect fit for his role in promoting the mission of Tech\u2019s economic development arm through video content. Coaching subjects to share their stories or setting up in unique locations are examples of transferable skills that Ruggiero brought with him to Georgia Tech, along with his ability to craft a narrative.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Whether it\u0027s video content for Georgia Tech or being on stage doing juggling tricks, the storytelling and engagement tactics are the same. We want to grab the viewers\u0027 attention, keep them engaged, and have them walk away with a sense of wonder. As a performer, I never wanted people to simply say, \u0027He was a good juggler.\u0027 I wanted audiences to take something from the show or feel inspired to try something new, and it\u0027s the same with the content we produce. We want viewers to learn something, engage with our programs, and take that next step,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the freedom to add his own flair and style to the content he produces, Ruggiero doesn\u0027t shy away from his past. His talent is no longer a secret after sharing his tricks with his team, and he encourages anyone with a hidden talent to bring it into their work.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Everyone has a past and has built skills and knowledge along the way,\u0022 he said. \u0022Georgia Tech allows people like me to use different skill sets, take things from my past, and implement them here. Something that motivates me to come to work each day is being able to use the skills I\u0027ve accumulated to tell stories through the photos and videos we create, showing how Georgia Tech is making a difference.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Chris Ruggiero was a professional juggler before getting behind the camera and bringing his hidden talent to Georgia Tech."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Ruggiero was a professional juggler before getting behind the camera and bringing his hidden talent to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Chris Ruggiero was a professional juggler before getting behind the camera and bringing his hidden talent to Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-08-14 19:45:51","changed_gmt":"2025-08-14 20:02:01","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677694":{"id":"677694","type":"video","title":"Jackets of all Trades: Chris Ruggiero","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJackets Of All Trade celebrates the surprising ways personal passions can enhance professional life. This episode features Chris Ruggiero, a Video Producer\/Director at Georgia Tech\u2019s Enterprise Innovation Institute, who turned a passion for juggling into a career in video storytelling. Chris explains how filming his own juggling acts sparked an interest in video production. Now he uses those skills to showcase Georgia Tech\u2019s impact on manufacturing innovation across Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1755200988","gmt_created":"2025-08-14 19:49:48","changed":"1755200988","gmt_changed":"2025-08-14 19:49:48","video":{"youtube_id":"5ujag5jpmbw","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/5ujag5jpmbw"}},"677695":{"id":"677695","type":"image","title":"Jackets of All Trades: Chris Ruggiero  ","body":null,"created":"1755201070","gmt_created":"2025-08-14 19:51:10","changed":"1755201070","gmt_changed":"2025-08-14 19:51:10","alt":"Jackets of All Trades: Chris Ruggiero  ","file":{"fid":"261628","name":"667aa282-3a49-40f1-95cc-de965c32e7b7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/14\/667aa282-3a49-40f1-95cc-de965c32e7b7.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/14\/667aa282-3a49-40f1-95cc-de965c32e7b7.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":94265,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/14\/667aa282-3a49-40f1-95cc-de965c32e7b7.jpg?itok=p5IUKlN2"}}},"media_ids":["677694","677695"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193651","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institiute"},{"id":"174837","name":"Employee Spotlight"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStory Produced by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:meavenson@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMicah Eavenson\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:julian.hills@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJulian Hills\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}