Gary Lin

Hold up, you need to know about Gary Lin. This guy’s the real deal, straight up. So, he’s a YC W22 alum, got into Y Combinator after bouncing four times with those apps, which shows he’s got mad hustle and isn’t afraid of rejection. That kind of persistence? Yeah, that’s rare.

Before all that startup stuff, Gary was already crushing it in tech. He’s worked at Facebook, Yelp, NVIDIA, basically, some of the biggest names, and he did all that by age 23. That tells you he’s sharp, driven, and knows his shit. He’s got a computer science degree from Waterloo, which is one of the top schools for tech in Canada. All signs point to someone who’s been serious about tech from day one.

He’s also dipped his toes in a bunch of companies, from Nauto to Veeva, Ericsson, and more. But he’s not just riding the tech wave; he’s building shit that actually matters. His first big swing was Litebulb, a SaaS platform for remote tech interviews. That thing pivoted into Airwork after market feedback, which shows he’s flexible, quick on his feet, and cares about solving real problems.

And here’s the kicker: Gary’s the founder and CEO of Airwork, a platform that helps Canadian workers pick up local shifts and get paid the same day. It’s super practical, super needed, basically making shift work accessible and less bullshit. He raised over $1.5M from heavy hitters, including the co-founders of Uber and LinkedIn, and the founder of Gumroad. That’s no cap, he’s got the right vision and the network to back it up.

What does this all say about him? Honestly, he’s the kind of guy who jumps into problems no one else dares to touch. He’s motivated by having an effect, not just chasing dollars. His process from working at giants to founding startups shows he’s got this relentless pursuit of building solutions that matter, and he’s not afraid to fail, pivot, and keep going.

Gary’s also recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 in Toronto, that’s a big deal. It’s clear he’s got the talent, the grit, and the vision to keep pushing boundaries.

Basically, this guy’s a startup machine, smart, persistent, effective, and always ready to turn ideas into reality. No Cap, he’s someone to watch because he’s not just building startups, he’s changing how people work and live.