Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Certification
Languages
Timeline
Generic

Laurence Park

Pittsburgh

Summary

Driven student blending entrepreneurship, research, and tech to tackle real-world challenges. Founder of a national financial literacy initiative, policy researcher in AI and governance, and passionate about using innovation to empower others and bridge divides.

Overview

1
1
Certification

Work History

Teacher's Assistant

New York University School of Professional Studies
  • Collaborated on the development of financial literacy curricula, including case studies on retirement planning scenarios
  • Program reached and engaged over 100 NYU students.

Founder

FocusPen
  • I am active in national business competitions including DECA and Blue Ocean.
  • I’ve pitched original business concepts, including FocusPen, a tool designed to support students with ADHD.
  • These projects helped me explore product development, financial modeling, and market research.

Founder and President

Everest
  • I founded Everest to bring financial literacy to young people across the country.
  • It began with a book I wrote, Investing for Teens, now in 30 libraries across 24 states.
  • Our team has since created a YouTube crash course used in over 30 classrooms and launched The Base Camp Brief, an AI-powered financial news newsletter reaching more than 1,000 subscribers.
  • We currently have 21 student-led chapters nationwide and have helped students begin investing early, with over $50,000 in savings now growing for the long term.

Founder and President

Computational Linguistics Olympiad Club
  • I founded this 20-member club to explore the intersection of language and computer science.
  • We study linguistics, natural language processing, and AI.
  • Our team is currently the top-performing group in the state of Pennsylvania.

President

Speech and Debate Club
  • As captain of the Lincoln-Douglas debate team this past season, and overall club president for the coming year, I lead a 60-member team, coach younger students, and guide strategy for local and state competitions.

Research Assistant + Co-Author

University of Pittsburgh
  • I work with Dr. Murtazashvili at the University of Pittsburgh, co-authoring policy briefs and conducting research on the future of AI governance.
  • Our work will soon be presented at international conferences.

Founder and President

Table Talk
  • Table Talk is a community service initiative I launched to bring immigrant families together through food.
  • We cook meals that reflect our cultures, promote cross-cultural connection, practice English together, and donate the meals to local people in need.

Education

Shady Side Academy
Pittsburgh, PA
06.2026

Skills

  • Entrepreneurial and innovative
  • Public speaking
  • Strategic Planning
  • Goal Setting
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Communication
  • Java

Accomplishments

  • DECA PA State Champion & ICDC Finalist – First place in Pennsylvania for Start-Up Business Plan; top 10 finalist internationally with AI-powered fitness coach pitch.
  • John Locke Essay Contest Finalist – Selected among 34,823 entries in Economics for an essay on the ethical impact of wealth creation.
  • Federal Bar Association Essay Contest 2nd Place – Recognized nationally for legal analysis of police use of force; awarded $1,250 by a panel of federal judges and attorneys.
  • Lincoln-Douglas Debate District Champion – Undefeated champion among ~100 competitors; advanced to state-level as one of top qualifiers.
  • Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold Key – Recognized for excellence in personal essay and memoir.
  • HOBY Leadership Seminar Delegate – Selected as sole representative from school for state leadership program.

Certification

  • University of Pennsylvania Social Innovators Program – Completed 12-week virtual program from the University of Pennsylvania focused on designing solutions for social impact through innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Blue Ocean Entrepreneurship Certification – Earned for completing the Blue Ocean Strategy online course.

Languages

English
Native/ Bilingual
Korean
Professional
Spanish
Limited

Timeline

Founder and President

Everest

Founder and President

Computational Linguistics Olympiad Club

President

Speech and Debate Club

Research Assistant + Co-Author

University of Pittsburgh

Founder and President

Table Talk

Teacher's Assistant

New York University School of Professional Studies

Founder

FocusPen

Shady Side Academy

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Laurence Park