Meet the 2023 Gems

Nicholas Penaloza is a junior from Shanghai, currently pursuing a degree in accounting and finance with a minor in computer programming. His professional interests lie in the fields of finance and entrepreneurship. During his high school years, Nicholas successfully launched two startups, namely What’s Poppin, a Chinese and English human-curated news service for teens, and CAPISCE, an air quality app with over 36,000 users. Prior to beginning his studies at USC, Nicholas gained valuable experience as a Product Management Intern at ByteDance, the owner of TikTok. Eager to continue cultivating his entrepreneurial drive and exploring diverse career paths, Nicholas is enthusiastic about his involvement with GEMS. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball and video games.