#95 - Faithfully Leading in Big Tech with Rich Robison

What does it look like to carry your faith into one of the most skeptical environments on earth—and actually lead a movement there? Rich Robison is an Engineering Manager at a major big tech company, and he didn't choose to work there. God closed every other door until he finally listened. In this episode, Rich shares what happens when you fully surrender your career to God—and how the mission field might be closer than you think.Key TakeawaysGod's leading doesn't always look like a clear path forward. Rich spent six months resisting a door that God kept holding open, slamming his face into the doors he wanted to walk through until he was ready to listen.Joining a Christian group at work on day one was an act of faith. Hitting "join" made his faith publicly visible across the company—a small decision that carried real professional risk and set the tone for everything that followed.Rich now leads a global Christian group spanning five continents, organizing Bible studies, holiday events with household-name speakers, and leadership development—all on a volunteer basis alongside demanding day jobs.The shift from engineer to people leader came from a deep sense of responsibility for others. Rich describes his leadership role as more shepherd than manager—caring about the whole person, not just their output.Being a Christian in big tech means your witness is always on. Rich reflects on the Gandhi quote—that people are drawn to Christ or pushed away based on how believers actually behave—and how that shapes the way he shows up every day.Ministry in the workplace starts with prayer and submission, not a strategy. Rich challenges listeners to stop trying to engineer a plan and instead invite the Spirit to lead, starting with small, faithful steps like a weekly lunch Bible study.Your everyday life is already your mission field. Whether or not you work for a ministry, you are in ministry—and the people around you are watching how you live it out.If you've ever felt like your career and your faith exist in two separate worlds, this conversation will challenge that divide. Rich Robison's story is a reminder that God is at work in every boardroom, every Slack channel, and every leadership decision—and that the most strategic thing you can do is surrender first. Don't miss this episode.ResourcesBEMA Podcast – A Scripture-focused podcast that goes deep on theology and biblical context, with communities worldwide for group discussion. bemadiscipleship.comLaunch AI by Five Q – AI adoption for ministries built on a human-first framework. Learn more at fiveq.com/launch