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From a young age, Will has been curious about business.
Growing up in Queens, New York as the child of two Chinese immigrants, Will picked up a lot about business from his parents who had little formal education on the topic. In his formative years, his parents worked in textile factories, restaurants, jewelry wholesale, and a slew of other businesses to provide for their three children. Along the way, Will, as he does today, spent the time to learn as much as he could about those businesses – how they operated and what made them work.
While Will’s official role at Sharebite is VP of Finance, the title only touches the surface of what he contributes. Will partners with all of Sharebite’s business functions – from operations and customer growth to engineering – offering leadership and support everywhere he can. He finds satisfaction in helping the team win at every level: helping individuals meet their goals and helping teams meet their goals, ultimately, in service of Sharebite’s broader vision — to get every worker in America fed.
When Will joined Sharebite in September 2021, he was tasked with overseeing and formalizing all financial processes. Alongside his trusted partner, the Director of Accounting, Will has built and implemented a finance function that hums. The small team is responsible for the full financial operations of a growing business: 300+ customers, 9,000+ restaurant partners, and 90+ employees. In building the team, Will brought the perspective that finance executives should not act solely as back-office support, but as growth drivers who identify new opportunities to scale. And it’s paying off.
Since January 2022, Sharebite has increased revenue by over 500% and more than doubled daily order volume - illustrating its growth trajectory, in no small part due to Will’s contributions.
Yet his proudest achievement in his time with the company has been partnering with the leadership team to improve the overall financial health of the business while it scales. Not only has the business grown tremendously but the unit economics and financial profile is the best the company has ever seen. During Will’s tenure, the company went from break-even gross profit to industry-leading margins. The changes have ensured the business has a stable foundation for continued growth.
Funding that growth has also been tasked to Will. Despite difficult market environments, Will has guided leadership and the broader organization through two fundraising rounds — a $39 million Series B in 2022 and an upcoming Series C — ensuring the team has the capital required to grow.
Will showcases leadership well beyond the financial statements and defies stereotypes of culture-shy finance executives. From hosting virtual team-building events to leading the company’s in-person social events, Will is known as a culture creator who finds any opportunity to help his teammates show up to work as their authentic selves. Just as his team inspires him, his coworkers model their own leadership philosophies on his, crediting Will with Sharebite’s open and inviting culture.
Will’s achievements don’t just enable Sharebite’s success but help power a greater good. Thanks to Sharebite’s 1:1 charitable contribution model, every order placed on the platform results in a meal donation to food-insecure communities via partnerships with Feeding America and City Harvest. In addition to coordinating the donations with Sharebite’s partners, Will regularly encourages team members to get personally involved and facilitates volunteer events.
Will doesn’t just reflect the ethos of a modern-day leader — he’s the blueprint. Deeply committed to his fellow colleagues, Sharebite’s growth, and its impact on the broader community, Will’s achievements in management are creating outcomes that will be felt far and wide for decades to come.
Nomination Title: William Pang