Fred is one of the leading independent animation producers and a serial media entrepreneur.

He was the first creative director and a co-founder of MTV, the last president of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, and the founder of FredFilms, Frederator Studios and Next New Networks (acquired by YouTube). His hits include shows on Netflix (Castlevania, Bee and PuppyCat—history’s most backed animation on Kickstarter), MAX (Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake), Cartoon Network/MAX (Adventure Time, Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls), Paramount+ and Nickelodeon (The Fairly OddParents, ChalkZone, and My Life as a Teenage Robot), Cartoon Hangover (Bravest Warriors) and Amazon Prime (Costume Quest). Fred’s career began by recording jazz and blues albums and producing commercials for country music radio stations. 

Fred was the first investor in Tumblr (acquired by Yahoo!), The Shorty Awards and Muck Rack. He’s received Emmy Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Medal from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, and is in the Animation Magazine Hall of Fame, and was admitted to the Gold Circle of The Emmys in December 2023.

Featured in: Small Stories, Big Impact: Springboarding from short films to long tail