# Desmond Lim

> Desmond Lim is the co-founder and CEO of Workstream, an HR, payroll, and hiring platform built for the 70 million hourly and deskless workers in the US. Born in Singapore to a delivery driver father and part-time cleaner mother, he became the first in his family to attend university, went on to Harvard and MIT, and built a company that now serves 46 of the top 50 quick-service restaurant brands — including McDonald's, Burger King, and Dunkin' — while raising over $120M in venture funding.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Workstream
- **Organizations:** Workstream, Dorm Room Fund, Harvard Asia Business Conference, Harvard Asia Students Club, Singapore National Basketball Team, Singapore Army
- **From:** Singapore
- **Nationality:** Singaporean
- **Education:** Bachelor's in Business and Finance, Singapore Management University (SMU), Master's in Public Policy and Business, Harvard University, Graduate Studies, MIT Media Lab
- **Known for:** Co-founded Workstream, raising $120M+ across Series A, B, and B extension, Workstream serves 46 of the top 50 quick-service restaurant brands including McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin', Workstream revenue grew from $38.5M (2023) to $59.2M (2024)

## Career timeline

- **2003-2006** — Door-to-door cable TV salesperson (hourly worker) after high school
- **2006-2010** — Founded Thai food restaurant in college to fund tuition; managed hundreds of hourly workers
- **2010-2013** — Banking analyst at Merrill Lynch, Singapore
- **2013-2016** — Harvard Master's program; co-founded QuikForce (on-demand moving service) at Harvard Innovation Lab
- **2014-2016** — Investment partner at Dorm Room Fund, Boston; backed 9-10 student startups
- **2016-2017** — Product Manager at WeChat (Tencent)
- **2017** — Co-founded Workstream (September 2017) with Lei Xu and Max Wang
- **2018** — Workstream lands first paying customer (January 4, 2018)
- **2020** — Raised $10M Series A led by Founders Fund; named Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40
- **2021** — Raised $48M Series B
- **2022** — Raised $60M Series B extension led by GGV Capital; valuation ~$500M
- **2023** — Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Bay Area Finalist; revenue $38.5M
- **2024** — Revenue reaches $59.2M; serves 46 of top 50 QSR brands
- **2025** — Featured in CNBC; Workstream continues scaling payroll and HR for deskless workforce

## Achievements

- Co-founded Workstream, raising $120M+ across Series A, B, and B extension
- Workstream serves 46 of the top 50 quick-service restaurant brands including McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin'
- Workstream revenue grew from $38.5M (2023) to $59.2M (2024)
- Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 (2020)
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 Bay Area Finalist
- Global Diversity and Inclusion Award
- First in his family to attend college and university
- Represented Singapore at the South East Asian Youth Games (National Youth Basketball Team)
- Captained high school and university basketball teams to national championships in Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian Scholar at Singapore Management University
- Co-chaired Harvard Asia Business Conference
- Has founded approximately 7 companies throughout his career

## Latest updates

- **2025-02** — Featured in CNBC article about millennial CEOs who raised millions for their startups
- **2024-12** — Workstream annual revenue reaches $59.2M, up 54% year-over-year from $38.5M
- **2024-09** — Hosted inaugural On the Clock Summit in San Francisco, focused on frontline workforce
- **2023-06** — Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 Bay Area Finalist
- **2022-09** — Raised $60M Series B extension led by GGV Capital at ~$500M valuation

## Links

- Website: https://workstream.us
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mynameisdesmond/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/mynameisdesmond
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mynameisdesmond/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/desmond-lim
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-28