Story transforms lives.
My own story begins with childhood trauma that led me to develop CPTSD. For years, I carried emotional scars and physical weight — until I chose to rewrite my story. Between December 2023 to June 2024, I transformed my health, losing 141 pounds, and fully healed my CPTSD. That experience taught me that resilience, growth, and healing are possible at any stage of life.
Professionally, I’ve led teams and guided organizations through change with what I now realize is trauma-informed leadership — a practice rooted in empathy, service, and the belief that people can be their best when they feel safe, valued, and inspired. I’ve made mistakes over the last 20 years, but now fully root my values at the center of my leadership.
As a product leader with over a decade of experience across media, SaaS, and mission-aligned organizations, I’ve delivered $100M+ in product impact—scaling platforms, transforming infrastructure, and leading cross-functional teams with care and urgency.
Whether launching global APIs, building streaming systems, or mentoring future leaders, I believe every product is about people. I’ve taught hundreds of professionals through Product School and serve my community through the Red Cross and NYC CERT.
I combine these experiences as a public speaker, author, and leader. I connect people through empathetic storytelling to inspire them to be their best selves — whether that’s rebuilding resilience after adversity, leading with humanity, creating cultures where people thrive, or shaping products that meet people’s needs with delight.
Since 2020, I’ve seen the same expression I had as a CPTSD survivor on the faces of so many people. I believe no one is broken, and we can all heal. I’m not here to heal anyone, save anyone, or fix anyone. I’m here to understand, to give perspective, to connect and to help. Your feelings matter. No one should tell you to shut down how you feel.
I’m a product management professional, because to be good at this profession, you have to be a master storyteller. I’m an executive leader, because I know crisp, impactful stories inspire and guide people. I’m a public speaker, because I know sharing stories with people helps them feel seen, heard, and understood. I’m a comedy performer, because showing people human moments of joyful abundance is wonderful.
And I’m a writer, because I’ve been in love with words on paper since I was 9 years old.
As a speaker, I give transformative stories of resilience, transformation, and joy
As an author, I give fun, dramatic, at times heart-wrenching true stories from my life, and wonderfully rich fiction and poetry.
As a leader, I give decades of wisdom coupled with skills to help people unlock their potential, and help organizations succeed.
My name is Fred Chong Rutherford. I tell stories about the improbability and inevitability of meaningful connection through the power of bravery and laughter.
Let’s connect.