Grace C. Liu

Incoming @ Stanford | Founder of Research to Empower | Published book author, researcher & social entrepreneur

Syosset, New York, United States

About

Grace is a student researcher and social entrepreneur from New York focused on applying data-driven approaches to expand access to opportunity and build scalable systems. Grace is an incoming student at Stanford University. Grace founded Research to Empower (ReTE), a global initiative endorsed by UNESCO under the UN Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033), dedicated to making research education freely accessible to K–12 students worldwide. Through this work, she has developed experience in scaling initiatives, coordinating cross-functional teams, and applying structured, data-informed approaches to complex problems across diverse contexts. Grace is the author of Research to Empower (Post Hill Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster), an Amazon #1 New Release in Teen & Young Adult Education (2024). Her work focuses on translating complex research into structured, actionable frameworks that can be implemented at scale. She has conducted research through institutions including the New York Academy of Sciences, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, Duke, and Kingston University London, producing peer-reviewed work on decision-making, digital access, and economic behavior. These experiences have strengthened her interest in how data and behavioral insights inform strategy, markets, and large-scale systems. A sought-after speaker, Grace has presented her work at global platforms including the United Nations, TEDx, the International Telecommunication Union, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Science Summit. Her work has been featured by CBS, News 12, TED, and Newsday, among other outlets.

Experience

  • Founder, Mentor, Researcher & Instructor at Research to Empower
    Jul 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 1 mo

    • A student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free, engaging, entry-level research education to K-12 students. • Officially endorsed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the five inaugural global programmes for the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033). https://www.un-sciences-decade.org/en/science-decade-endorsed-initiatives

  • National Youth Advisory Council (NYLC) Voting Member of Board of Directors & Mentor at National Youth Leadership Council
    Sep 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 11 mos

    • Voting Member for the Board of Directors (2025-present) • One of three nationally selected Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Mentors (2024-present) and one of five nationally selected YAC Members for the 2022 cohort at NYLC (2022-2024).

  • Global Public Speaker & Advisor at Self Employed
    2021 - Present · 5 yrs 7 mos

    Invited by TEDx, the National Youth Leadership Council, the Society of Women Engineers, the New York Academy of Sciences, Women in Tech Global Conference, Girls Leadership Academy Meetup, Global Youth Challenge, International Conference on Women, and more.

  • World Science Scholar 2023 & Alumni at World Science Festival
    Jul 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 1 mo

    One of ~50 globally selected students (aged 11-19) who have demonstrated exceptional talent in mathematics and science.

  • SPI Technology Focal Point of Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) at United Nations
    Oct 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 10 mos

    MGCY, the formal mechanism for young people to engage with the United Nations (UN), has a constituency of over 7000 entities in over 180 countries and territories, consulting with over a billion youth.