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.

Portrait of Benjamin Reece

Being

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 was written up from The New York Times to la Repubblica.

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. Most recently VP of Product at Vendr. I led product on Ruth, Vendr's autonomous AI negotiation agent, through the acquisition by Vertice.

Still writing code. Still telling stories.

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

View full resume

Short bio

Benjamin Reece is an AI product leader in Salt Lake City. He was VP of Product at Vendr, where he led product on Ruth, its autonomous AI negotiation agent, through the company's acquisition by Vertice in June 2026. Before Vendr he led product at Rivian, Verizon, MD Anderson and Dear World, and founded Deltree. Earlier he co-created Fifty People, One Question, a web series that went viral, won a Webby, and ran in The New York Times and The Atlantic.

More: Building Ruth at Vendr, Fifty People, One Question, Benjamin Reece, full resume.

Press

  • Associated Press — #DearNurses COVID-19 documentaryMar 2021
  • VICE — Off the Map, Episode One: New Orleans (Internet Archive copy)2015
  • Skoll World Forum — Closing plenary at Oxford, credited as director and producer of the closing filmApr 2014
  • Al Jazeera — “Nepal crowd funding saves people’s lives”Feb 2014
  • Upworthy — “Watch As The Statistics Transform Into People”2013
  • 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
  • Ellen DeGeneres — Featured DC Comics “We Can Be Heroes” campaign (Internet Archive copy)2012
  • BBC Travel — “Our favourite inspirational travel videos” (Internet Archive copy)Nov 2011
  • TechCrunch — “Kinio Video Platform”Oct 2011
  • The Atlantic — “A beautifully simple premise, even more beautifully executed”Apr 2011
  • Advertising Age — “The Over-Branding of SXSW: How Much Is Too Much?” (Internet Archive copy)Mar 2011
  • Bloomberg Businessweek — “Startup Boot Camps Seek Army of Entrepreneurs”Mar 2011
  • The Guardian — “Internet picks of the week”Oct 2010
  • Brain Pickings — “A simple premise that yields surprisingly rich results”Oct 2010
  • Vimeo Festival + Awards — Fifty People, One Question (2010 Original Series shortlist, Internet Archive copy)Sep 2010
  • The Atlantic — “Where Would You Wish To Wake Up?”Oct 2009
  • The New York Times — “Must See: Videos Worth Watching”Oct 2009
  • la Repubblica — “Il posto migliore in cui svegliarsi? Un mondo in cinquanta risposte”Oct 2009
  • Huffington Post — “Where Would You Wish To Wake Up Tomorrow?”Jul 2009
  • Webby Award — Best Editing, Online Film & Video (13th Annual)2009
  • It's Nice That — “Fifty People One Question”Feb 2009
  • USA Today — “Fifty people answer one tough question” (Internet Archive copy)Jan 2009
  • BuzzFeed — “50 People, 1 Question”Nov 2008
  • MetaFilter — “Fifty People, One Question”Sep 2008

Also featured by Business Insider 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!

Let's connect