Will Lin is a builder at heart and a strategist by instinct, known for creating and scaling organizations that shape the future of cybersecurity. As CEO of AKA Identity, he leads a mission to solve some of the hardest challenges in Identity and Access Management, bringing together deep technical rigor with the pragmatic operator’s mindset he has honed over more than a decade in venture capital and company-building. His work sits at the intersection of innovation, national security, and entrepreneurial leadership, and he is widely recognized for his ability to spot emerging trends early and turn promising teams into category-defining companies.

Before founding AKA Identity, Will spent nearly ten years helping launch and grow Forgepoint Capital, one of the most active and respected investment firms in cybersecurity. As a founding team member and Managing Director, he helped architect the firm’s platform, shape its investment thesis, and support more than thirty security companies from incubation to breakout scale. His investing track record includes partnerships with innovators across threat intelligence, infrastructure security, cloud, identity, and enterprise resilience, many of which went on to achieve strategic acquisitions or industry leadership.

Will’s passion for developing the next generation of cyber leaders extends far beyond investing. He co-created Security Tinkerers, a global nonprofit dedicated to cultivating technical talent, creating opportunities for early-career practitioners, and shaping the broader cyber community through mentorship and hands-on experimentation. His desire to demystify the venture capital ecosystem led him to author The VC Field Guide, published by Wiley, which has become a widely read resource for founders navigating the world of early-stage funding.

A trusted voice across the cybersecurity landscape, Will served as a Visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School and contributes regularly to leading industry publications including SecurityWeek and Dark Reading. His perspective blends operator experience with a macro understanding of the industry, informed by years of advising entrepreneurs, investors, CISOs, and policymakers. He has been recognized as a Venture Capital Journal Rising Star and is regarded as a connector whose network spans founders, security architects, CISOs, and global investors.

Will began his career building and selling small businesses to pay his way through the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his BA and discovered his calling at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. That entrepreneurial scrappiness continues to shape how he leads: practical, mission-focused, people-centered, and relentlessly curious.

Outside the office, Will is often exploring emerging restaurants, supporting his wife’s work in venture capital, or diving into a new technical rabbit hole. He brings the same spirit of experimentation to his personal life as he does to his professional one.

AKA Identity, CEO

Security Tinkerers, Co-Creator

Forgepoint Capital, Limited Partner

Ballistic Ventures, Limited Partner

Trident Capital, Venture Capital

University of California, Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts