Type Faces: Meet Kristin Ratzlaff.

Welcome to our Type Faces series, where we’ll be sharing the stories of some of the fabulous people behind the type here at Monotype. From all around the globe and across the organization, our Monotype colleagues truly prove that, like Charles Nix, Senior Executive Creative Director at Monotype, always says, “We are ALL creative.”

Kristin Ratzlaff may not think of herself as traditionally creative — but her approach to problem-solving, team coaching, and customer strategy tells a different story. A former collegiate-athlete-turned-sales-leader, she loves complex challenges and brings an energetic, efficient mindset to her role at Monotype. From rebuilding a van for remote work in national parks, to rethinking how agencies use type, Kristin is always looking for better ways to get things done. Read on to learn more about Kristin.

Kristin getting ready to ski in Nagano, Japan.

How do you define creativity in your life?
I’ve really come around to a new way of thinking about what creativity means. I would not define myself as a creative person in the traditional sense — I’m not someone who can draw, for example. But I’m super creative when it comes to problem-solving. It shows up in the way I coach my team, the way we solve problems for customers, and the way I think about efficiency. My creativity shows up in really tactical ways.

How do you get into a problem-solving mood?
I’m super kinesthetic. Hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, spin class — physical activity is how I recharge and problem-solve. I’ve worked through a lot of problems on a spin bike. I don’t know what it is, but when I’m moving, I get ideas. 

Snowboarding is one of many activities that helps Kristin recharge.

Do you have a favorite sport?
I played volleyball in college, but I consider myself retired now — although I do play pickleball. 

Kristin in her glory days.

I like to play baseball with my son; I was recently the assistant coach for his Little League team. My son Ashton also got me interested in hockey. Those are the team sports I love. 

Kristin and her son.

But if I had to choose just one thing to do, I’d pick hiking. You can do it year-round in any weather with the right equipment. 

Kristin at the summit of Mount Batur in Bali, Indonesia.

But I don’t want to choose just one, because I also love snowboarding and mountain biking. Both require so much practice, and you have so many brutal falls along the way to getting better, so it can be discouraging. But then you learn how to shift your weight, approach it at a certain speed or angle, and then you conquer it. It’s an amazing feeling!

What inspires you?
Doing something hard and doing it in a physical way. I love big challenges. I’ve hiked the Inca Trail and the Salkantay Trail in Peru. I’ve done high-Andes hiking in Ecuador. The combination of a hard goal and a beautiful natural environment — that’s super motivating for me.

During the Altar Trek in the Eastern Andean Mountain Chain, Kristin hiked up to Laguna Amarilla, which is 4,300m above sea level. High enough to give her altitude sickness!

Do you travel often?
Travel is a big part of my life. My family rebuilt a van during the pandemic and it’s turned into this ongoing creative project. 

This van has taken Kristin and her family on many adventures.

Over the last four years, we’ve gone on a bunch of different trips, and each trip we find something new we can improve in the van. At this point, I have a desk set-up, a power generator, reliable internet, an induction cooking area, and a Nespresso machine — everything I need to work on the road. When school is out for my son, it’s sometimes nice to drive to a nice new background. 

The van is a constant work in progress.

Sometimes working from different places helps me shift my thought process. My mom and Ashton might go sightseeing or hiking, while I’ll work from a beautiful view in Moab, Zion, Bryce Canyon, or Death Valley. I may join for a hike at lunch and then come back and solve a tricky problem in the afternoon. It’s pretty ideal to be able to incorporate fitness into my workday.

Lunch with a view provides an inspiring break in Kristin’s day.

I’ve introduced my mom to travel, too. She didn’t grow up traveling and didn’t really start until I invited her on a trip to Peru when I was doing the Inca Trail. I was like, “You’re flying to Cusco. You’re going to hang out here while I work. Then we’re going to hike 4 days up to Machu Picchu together.” And she did it! It was her first time traveling abroad with me, and now she’s hooked. 

Kristin and her mom at Bryce Canyon National Park.

As an experienced traveler, what advice do you have for others?
You don’t have to have much of an itinerary. Go to the place that makes you curious. Try the food. Talk to people. Be uncomfortable. Roll with the surprises. Delayed flights don’t have to ruin your trip.

The Galapagos Islands offer totally unique experiences — like encountering giant tortoises!

I no longer travel with a set agenda; I know my travel dates, where I’m going to sleep, and how I’m getting around, but other than that, it’s open. Things will always work out better than you expect if you have no set expectations.

La Tomatina Tomato Festival was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Also: rent a car, even if you’re not that comfortable driving. It gives you total flexibility to follow whatever adventure presents itself.

Tell us about your role at Monotype.
I’m the VP of Global Agencies and Partnerships. I joined Monotype after the acquisition of Extensis, where I had spent nearly five years leading our global sales team and building both a font management offering for agencies and a reseller program.

Kristin (center) with (from left) Charles Nix, Bill Connolly, Holly Nelson, and Rick Edwards at Adobe Max.

Here at Monotype, the scope of how I work with customers is different. At Extensis, we’d come in after a customer had already bought fonts and help them manage them. But now we get to talk about the entire throughput. We get to help them think about what fonts to use or buy, and how that flows through brands and agencies. The entire workflow! 

Kristin and her team in Paris, France in 2025.

What do you enjoy about working in the typography field?
It’s fun to explain my job to someone who’s never thought about type before. You point to how many places type exists, and it’s like you’ve opened their eyes to this thing that’s been in front of them all along. I never get tired of that.

Futura makes frequent appearances in Kristin’s day-to-day activities.

Do you have a favorite font?
Futura. That’s Nike’s font, and the look and feel reminds me of growing up near Nike HQ in Oregon. It means fitness. It means I’m going to get it today. That’s my font!

What’s been the most exciting thing you’ve done at Monotype so far?
Rethinking the product roadmap for the agency platform. I’ve listened to hundreds of calls, talked to dozens of agencies, and helped shape a roadmap we’re getting great feedback on. There’s nothing better than a big agency telling you, “This is going to solve a lot of problems for us.” That’s a great feeling.

What would surprise your colleagues about you?
I’m fluent in Spanish. I spent years traveling for work throughout Latin America, having sales conversations and installations in Spanish, learning to navigate all the different accents. 

Kristin and Ashton in Barcelona, Spain.

It was stressful at first. But now my son goes to Spanish immersion school, and our family spends summers working remotely from Spanish-speaking countries. It’s a big part of our life.

Bonus round: what’s something you collect?
I accidentally have a collection of leftover money from countries I’ve traveled to. I try not to carry cash, but I always end up with some. Now I have all these little Ziplock bags full of foreign currency — Latin America, Asia, Europe, Canada — you name it.

Kristin always comes home from a trip with a little local currency.