Richard Yang

I am a hands-on operations executive with 14+ years of experience leading growing agricultural businesses, from production through processing, packaging, storage, and shipping. I have scaled cold-chain logistics to fulfill allocations across 88 retail stores, aligned production cycles with demand forecasts across multiple sites, scaled output 40%, and reduced build-out costs 50%, while directing facility builds of 38,000 and 12,500 sq. ft. designed to support growth. I establish clear goals, KPIs, budgets, and safety standards, and I hold teams accountable to them through a coaching-first approach that develops managers, supervisors, and frontline employees and reduces turnover.

I partner across functions to resolve operational challenges, strengthen processes, and prepare the operation for its next stage of growth, with an unwavering commitment to safety, quality, and service.

Director of Agriculture - Grand Frontier Farms - Long Island City, NY | Harbor Springs, MI

(2024-08)

• Direct the processing center from harvest through cleaning, processing, packaging, storage, and shipping.
• Lead the build of a new 12,500 sq. ft. processing facility in Harbor Springs, MI, owning layout, budget, and construction coordination to prepare the operation for growth.
• Led Project 101B with data-driven agendas and yield metrics that held cross-functional teams accountable, and increased high-value output 35% through R&D.
• Own SOPs and safety and biosecurity standards that sustain FDA/USDA compliance, alongside budget governance and CapEx/OpEx oversight.

Director of Farm Operations - RediFarms - Westfield, NJ

(2023-04 - 2023-11)

• Directed multi-site P&L and CapEx/OpEx budgets, applying lean principles and cost modeling that reduced operating expenses while sustaining peak production volumes.
• Aligned production cycles with market forecasting across sites to plan output against demand and increase network profitability.
• Scaled facility output 40% through production infrastructure design and deployment, coordinating directly with engineering and facilities vendors on a compressed timeline.
• Built accountability standards and coaching-based management across cross-functional teams, reducing staff turnover.

Director of R&D (Campground) / Expert Farmer & Senior Plant Scientist - Oishii Farms Corp - Kearny, NJ

(2021-07 - 2023-03)

• Scaled post-harvest production and cold-chain logistics to fulfill high-volume allocations for an H Mart partnership across 88 stores.
• Cut new container-farm build-out costs 50% ($150K to $75K) by redesigning budget and procurement strategy.
• Directed a 23-member cross-functional team using structured delegation and performance frameworks (Asana, Slack, Lattice) that improved output and retention.
• Built the “Campground” program whose datasets became the blueprint for a 200,000+ sq. ft. commercial facility and informed a $135M Series B raise.

Chief Operating Officer - East Coast Organics LLC - Providence, RI

(2012-04 - 2016-08)

• Directed the design, construction, and launch of a 38,000 sq. ft. facility, owning vendor relationships, build quality, and timeline.
• Built and enforced workplace safety programs with recurring audits and training that sustained a zero-incident record.
• Delivered training and structured performance evaluations that sustained production quality and streamlined procurement.

Bachelor of Science - Plant Science - Rutgers University

Master of Science - Food Science - Rutgers University

Associate of Arts - Culinary Arts - Johnson & Wales University

Bachelor of Arts - Criminal Justice / IT Business - University of Phoenix