We’re proud to welcome Richard Lin to our Board of Directors! Richard is a founder, convener, and ecosystem builder whose journey into this work started not with a grand plan, but with curiosity and a desire to build something of his own.
More than a decade ago, Richard was a computer science student who knew one thing clearly: he didn’t want a conventional path.
“I wanted to be my own boss. I didn’t want to go work for a big company and just sit in front of a computer all day.”
What followed was not a straight line. He experimented, tried business models that didn’t work, and ultimately leaned into the entrepreneurship center at his university, absorbing lessons, testing ideas, and learning by doing. That safe space to explore shaped not just his company, but his philosophy about ecosystem building.
His company, Agora Media, didn’t begin as a fully formed vision, it evolved. One summer, just before his senior year, he interned at a local accelerator and helped run a cohort. He found himself energized not only by founders building companies, but by the infrastructure that helped them do it. Meanwhile, he continued taking on small creative projects — photography, video, events — unsure of what would stick. Then an opportunity arrived. A videographer backed out of a major startup event, and he got the call. “She said, ‘Can you come record it?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ She said, ‘We’ll pay.’ I said, ‘Even better.’”
That one yes turned into another, and another. Over time, Agora Media became deeply embedded in the region’s entrepreneurial gatherings, documenting pitch nights, accelerators, and community milestones. In many ways, Richard was not just capturing the ecosystem, he was helping build it.
Diving in Head First Into Ecosystem Building
As his business grew, so did his involvement in the community. When 1 Million Cups needed a host site, he was the one setting up chairs and brewing coffee at dawn. When organizers needed help reviving events after COVID, he stepped in. He joined leadership teams for initiatives like Startup Tech Valley and became a familiar presence at business plan competitions and founder gatherings across the Capital Region.
Over the past ten years, he has watched the Capital Region shift from a patchwork of siloed efforts to a more connected network.
“It used to feel more siloed. Now there’s more conversation, more connectivity. We all know each other. We send entrepreneurs to the right place, even if it’s not our organization.”
That willingness to collaborate, to put founders’ needs ahead of organizational turf, is something he sees as real progress. It’s also a value he carries into every room.
Not every season has been easy. There have been cycles where attendance dipped, enthusiasm waned, and organizers questioned whether programs were resonating. Reflecting on those moments, Richard notes, “Even if something is free and designed to help entrepreneurs, it still has to have a strong value proposition.” Who is this for? Why does it matter? Why should someone give their time? Those questions, learned through trial and error, now guide how he thinks about programming, messaging, and community engagement.
Expanding his Role Statewide
His ecosystem lens expanded further when he became involved with Right to Start as the New York State Advocate. Through that work, he helps convene conversations about barriers that often sit outside traditional startup programming.
“We talk a lot about how to grow your company. But what about navigating healthcare? What about childcare? What about the systems people have to move through just to start?”
Through panels and discussions across the state, he’s helping broaden the definition of entrepreneurship support to include the structural realities founders face — from first hires to permitting to family responsibilities.
Finding His People at SCN
Richard’s connection to SCN began during the pandemic, when virtual calls offered a space for ecosystem builders to process and problem-solve together. When the first in-person Summit returned in Des Moines, he decided to go — even though he wasn’t entirely sure what he was stepping into. He drove across the country, arrived early, slept in his car, and walked in curious. What he found felt immediately familiar.
“It felt like an extended family. People who shared the same work. The same language. The same desire to help grow entrepreneurship ecosystems.”
Since then, he has attended multiple Summits and volunteered behind the scenes, helping organize gatherings in cities like Augusta and Phoenix. As someone who understands event production from the inside out, he found joy in supporting the network that had energized him.
Now, as a board member, he is focused on helping SCN expand its reach while preserving the sense of belonging that first drew him in.
“It really feels like a network of people who get it,” he says. “Every time I go to a Summit, I reconnect with people, meet new people, and it energizes me for the work back home.”
He values the big moments — the packed rooms, the shared meals, the collaborative sessions — but he also values the smaller ones: the virtual calls, the spontaneous conversations, the time intentionally set aside to connect.
Richard’s story is one of consistency. Of showing up. Of setting up chairs and making coffee. Of saying yes to opportunities. Of helping people find the right next step. He builds spaces where entrepreneurs can see themselves in the room. And now, as he joins the Board of the Startup Champions Network, he brings that same steady, relationship-driven leadership to a national stage. We are honored to welcome him and excited for what we will build together!