[Profile] Eden Chen: From Wall Street to Fishermen Labs’ Faith-Driven Tech Leadership

Eden Chen: From Wall Street to Fishermen Labs’ Faith-Driven Tech Leadership

Eden Chen is a notable figure in the tech and entrepreneurial world, known for his dynamic journey from finance to founding the successful digital product studio Fishermen Labs. His early years were marked by a blend of traditional and creative influences, with his Taiwanese-American family providing a unique environment that strayed from the typical "doctor or lawyer" expectations common in Asian communities. His father was a musician, and his mother worked as a journalist. Despite a strong interest in video games and coding from a young age, Chen’s academic path led him to Emory University, where he studied business—a choice that allowed him to balance his interests in gaming and entrepreneurship.

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After college, Chen pursued a career in investment banking but soon found himself disillusioned by the finance sector’s lack of personal impact. This dissatisfaction motivated him to leave Wall Street and explore roles that resonated more with his interests in tech and community. During this transformative period, Chen worked at Reality L.A., a church in Hollywood, where he connected with Charles Hu, who would later become his co-founder at Fishermen Labs. Their shared Christian faith and values were foundational to Fishermen Labs, which they launched in 2014. Named to symbolize the idea of ‘fishing for people’ and drawing inspiration from the New Testament’s Apostles, Fishermen Labs quickly gained traction and grew into one of the fastest-growing private companies in Los Angeles. Their focus on innovation in emerging tech like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and app development helped attract an impressive client roster, including Walmart, the United Nations, and Sony.

Chen’s role at Fishermen Labs goes beyond business; his leadership style emphasizes adaptability, client satisfaction, and an agile, low-risk approach to growth. Under his direction, Fishermen Labs achieved a remarkable 1,900% growth rate from 2014 to 2016, a trajectory fueled by Chen and Hu’s commitment to only scaling up when absolutely necessary. Fishermen Labs’ work has spanned mobile apps, websites, and VR/AR platforms, including notable VR projects like the "Ghostbusters" game with Sony and partnerships with eBay, Qualcomm, and other tech giants. In recent years, the company has expanded its workforce to locations across the globe, from Los Angeles to Krakow, Poland.

In 2021, Chen also co-founded Pragma Platform, a company that provides backend infrastructure for multiplayer games, demonstrating his commitment to advancing social and immersive gaming experiences. With a career marked by strategic pivots and a clear focus on both purpose and innovation, Eden Chen’s journey showcases how personal values can align with business success, shaping the tech landscape and influencing how digital products serve both companies and communities. 

Through Fishermen Labs and Pragma, Chen exemplifies the potential to build companies rooted in both technical excellence and strong ethical values, setting a standard in both entrepreneurship and digital innovation.

For more on Chen’s life and achievements, check out resources on Fishermen Labs and Pragma's impact in AR, VR, and gaming.