Rick Rekedal is an award-winning storyteller bringing truth, light, and lessons through the power of story, arts and artistic expression throughout his three-decade career.

Rick’s expertise is centered in a heart for shepherding stories that land in the heart of the listener's deepest need. Career experience includes more than 20 years with DreamWorks Studios, where his roles included Chief Creative, Global Franchises; Global Head of Interactive; and Head of Licensing. Major properties include How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda, Spirit, Shrek, The Prince of Egypt, The Lost World: Jurassic Park; Men in Black, Small Soldiers and Saving Private Ryan. Previous properties include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, IndyCar, Nascar and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Major awards include two Annie Awards for Best Animated Videogame; two Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards; Children's Book of the Year; Family Board Game of the Year, and Action Figure of the Year. Rick has developed IP with Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment; an animated preschool series for YouTube; and original book titles with VeggieTales co-creator Mike Nawrocki.

Rick is author of Shapes: Rise of the Jaggeds, a graphic novel series published by Cave Pictures Publishing; and One Small Step, a personal story of a young family dealing with the effects of suicide and alcoholism recovery. A new YA novel The Cry of Ramah is scheduled for release in 2026.

Rick is Chief Creative Officer at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he also holds the AWC Chair for Faith-Inspired Storytelling. Father to three strong independent daughters, Rick has been married to his wife Vicki for 32 years.