I've built things that helped people.

I've built things that didn't.

The difference wasn't the tech.

Bend the light to see the best in you.

Mom died in 2022.

Son born three months later.

Grief and joy at the same time. It rewires you.

I stopped chasing scale. Started asking better questions. Like: does this help someone feel less alone?
Building toward

AI that heals

Fewer, deeper friendships

Stories worth passing down

A body that lasts

The beauty in me

will arise,

and I will see

the beauty in you.

Only the story remains.

Benjamin Reece

Background

Builder + Storyteller

I started as a web developer in post-Katrina New Orleans. Fifty People, One Question, a web experiment I co-created, went globally viral, won a Webby, and ran in The Atlantic.

I founded Deltree and spent a decade building platforms with Fortune 500s. Co-founded two VC-backed SaaS startups. Both failed, both formative.

Somewhere along the way I kept ending up on the product side. Rivian, Verizon, MD Anderson, Dear World. Now I'm VP of Product at Vendr, where I lead product on Ruth, our autonomous AI negotiation agent.

Still writing code. Still telling stories.

I live in the Cottonwood canyons with my wife and family. Running, mountain biking, skiing.

Press

  • Webby Award — Best Editing, Online Film & Video (13th Annual)2009
  • The New York Times — “Must See: Videos Worth Watching”Oct 2009
  • Brain Pickings — “Beautifully simple premise, even more beautifully executed”Oct 2010
  • Bloomberg Businessweek — “Startup Boot Camps Seek Army of Entrepreneurs”Mar 2011
  • BBC Travel — “Our favourite inspirational travel videos”Nov 2011
  • Ellen DeGeneres — Featured DC Comics “We Can Be Heroes” campaign2012
  • The Independent — “Syrian refugees send their plea for help to the West”Oct 2013
  • Huffington Post — “Syrian Refugees Speak Out Through Dear World Project”Oct 2013
  • Upworthy — “Watch As The Statistics Transform Into People”2013
  • Al Jazeera — “Nepal crowd funding saves people’s lives”Feb 2014
  • South China Morning Post — Crowdfunding healthcare for Nepal’s poorFeb 2014
  • Sappi Award — Design That Matters (NYC subway ads for CrowdFundHealth)2014
  • VICE — Off the Map, Episode One: New Orleans2015
  • Associated Press — #DearNurses COVID-19 documentaryMar 2021

Also featured by USA Today, The Guardian, Advertising Age, Business Insider, AgencySpy, and PSFK.

Speaking

  • Skoll World Forum — Closing plenary, Saïd Business School, OxfordApr 2014
  • Nobel Peace Forum — “One Dream” campaign with Kailash Satyarthi2016
  • Yale University — Global Health & Innovation ConferenceApr 2016
  • TechCrunch Disrupt SF — Kinio pitchOct 2011
  • Creative Louisiana — Manship Theatre, Baton RougeOct 2011

If you made it this far, I'd love to connect. Please reach out to me — I respond to everyone!

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