Professor William Lin Yi-Chuan

A Harvard Business School alumnus, a visiting professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and adjunct professor at PKUiGHD.

Born in Hualien, Professor Lin embarked on his entrepreneurial journey during his high school years. During university, he served as the president of a student club, the leader of a band, and the president of the student association, all while continuing to explore various entrepreneurial ventures. Before enlisting in the military service as a Marine corp., he successfully sold his first company, earning his initial capital. After completing his military service, he pursued a master's degree in engineering and went on to work in the United States. He joined the global retail leader,Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, AR, where he was named Best Manager of the Year in 2003. Later, he took on responsibilities in international business development and was dispatched to Asia to manage Asia Business Development. During the critical period surrounding China's market opening as required by the WTO in 2005, he was involved in strategic planning for the Asian market, promoting global business collaboration, observing global developments and trends in emerging markets across Asia, and assisting in the expansion and integration of supply chain resources.

In 2007, he joined the private equity fund Marmon Group, headquartered in Chicago, and helped establish its Asia division. In 2008, he founded WISKEY CAPITAL, an investment fund focused on early-stage startups. During his return to Taiwan, he ventured into the healthcare sector, serving as the Vice President of Strategy at Min-Sheng General Hospital, where he aided in the hospital's transformation, leading to a successful IPO in Taiwan, and expanded its service market to Mainland China. Concurrently, he founded multiple companies in fields such as fintech, healthcare technology, online media, and vertical community platforms. He also established a foundation focused on promoting sports psychology and development. With extensive experience in innovation and entrepreneurial investment, Professor Lin is a dedicated practitioner who actively explores new business models and markets. In 2008, armed with global practical experience, he returned to Taiwan with the value-driven philosophy of "sharing knowledge with others." He has since promoted various possibilities in business development and innovation. To integrate practical experience with theoretical knowledge, he earned an EMBA from National Taiwan University's College of Management, an EMBA from Peking University's National School of Development, and a PhD in Chinese Medicine from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. He also became a protégé of strategic management master Professor Ming-Jer Tang, earning a PhD in Strategic Management from National Taiwan University in four years. His research areas include industry analysis and competitive strategy, Mobile Economy, platform strategy and dynamic competition, and entrepreneurship and innovation management. He developed the concept of Evolving Intelligence—a decision-making methodology under high uncentainty within an entrepreneurial mindset. As an alumnus of Harvard Business School, he furthered his studies there in both 2003 and 2023. In August 2024, he was invited to serve as a visiting professor at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), where his research focuses on geopolitical economics, global climate technology, and transnational healthcare innovation policy. In October 2024, he was invited to serve as an adjunct professor at the Institute for Global Health Development at Peking University. With his unique insights at the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship, geopolitics, and global healthcare policy, he aims to be an essential bridge connecting Eastern and Western perspectives in global health development. His role will support the institute's efforts in advancing cross-continental health alliances and developing strategies for establishing an international medical policy network.

Professor Lin possesses extensive experience in market development and transnational management across the United States, Europe, and China, as well as expertise in materials science, retail channels, fintech, specialty acupuncture, healthcare management innovation, entrepreneurial psychology, contemporary art entrepreneurship, and geopolitical economics. He is one of the few scholars who, after accumulating substantial practical experience, has successfully integrated rigorous academic research. His unique insights on big data analysis, platform strategy, Entrepreneurial Economy, and geopolitical economics have garnered significant attention. He has completed several large-scale cross-border and domestic M&A transactions and has invested broadly in emerging markets, media technology, healthcare innovation, fintech, and biomimetic materials. Currently, he teaches and conducts research in related fields such as entrepreneurial mindset, platform strategy and Mobile Economy, contemporary art entrepreneurship, and innovation and entrepreneurial psychology at National Taiwan University, Peking University, Taipei National University of the Arts, and Soochow University.

In the past two decades, Professor Lin has seamlessly blended his rich experience, profound knowledge, and innovative ideas, successfully intertwining the strengths of the United States and Asia. His career can be divided into two significant decades. In the first decade, he introduced large-scale retail industries to the Asian market, significantly enriching the region's retail supply chains and market strategies, bringing substantial economic value to both the U.S. and Asia. In the following decade, Professor Lin transitioned to the field of entrepreneurial investment, expanding the scope of private equity investment and injecting powerful momentum into the economic growth and revitalization of developing countries. Now, as a professor at National Taiwan University, Peking University, and Harvard Kennedy School, as well as a practical entrepreneur, he stands at the forefront of globalization, dedicated to sharing his innovative ideas in the fields of public policy and governance. His goal is to foster collaboration and leadership between the United States and Asia, promoting mutual progress between the two regions. His life is marked by a deep understanding of life experiences, a relentless pursuit of theoretical research, and a steadfast commitment to social change through an entrepreneurial mindset.