The Opportunity Index – Interview Series
Opportunity Index is a youth-led interview and media project that examines how power, policy, and markets shape real outcomes for individuals and societies. Through long-form conversations with politicians, investors, entrepreneurs, and other decision-makers, the project focuses on how systems actually work, not just how they are described in theory.
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The goal of Opportunity Index is to move beyond surface-level commentary and create a structured archive of insights on leadership, incentives, risk, and access. Each interview is designed to be reflective and analytical, drawing out how guests make decisions, allocate resources, and navigate complex institutional environments. Episodes are complemented by written summaries, short clips, and commentary that translate abstract ideas into clear, practical takeaways for students.
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At its core, Opportunity Index is about intellectual access. Many young people are interested in economics, politics, and business, but rarely get exposure to how these fields intersect in practice. This project aims to close that gap by documenting conversations that reveal how capital, influence, and judgment interact in the real world.
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Opportunity Index is nonpartisan and independent, focused on understanding systems rather than promoting ideology. It is intentionally positioned as both a learning platform and a case study in long-form research, communication, and project execution.
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Site & media link:
Independent Research (Polygence) – Project Description
I'm conducting independent research through Polygence on how economic and business incentives shape decision-making in Canada’s Arctic, with a focus on shipping, environmental protection, and sovereignty. My current thesis looks at how tools like insurance pricing, liability rules, and enforcement costs influence behavior in Arctic waters and how smarter economic design can better protect fragile ecosystems while supporting long-term national interests.
The project combines economics, geopolitics, and policy analysis, and I’m refining the research with my Polygence mentor with the goal of producing a publishable paper and policy brief. It also connects closely to my broader work on Opportunity Index, where I focus on translating complex ideas into accessible conversations for students.
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Reference of research:
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Brittany Weiss (Polygence Associate Director of Admissions)
Public Speaking Workshops Special Olympics
Vancouver Youth Investment Fund (VYIF)
I run bi-monthly public speaking workshops at my school to help students and Special Olympics athletes become more confident, clear, and prepared speakers. Right now, the focus is on speech writing and strong delivery, how to organize ideas, sound natural, and hold a room.
Next, I’m building in impromptu speaking, so athletes feel ready when they’re asked to speak on the spot, about Special Olympics, their team, or their own story. The goal is simple: give people practical tools to communicate under pressure and feel comfortable using their voice in real moments, not just rehearsed ones.
The Vancouver Youth Investment Fund (VYIF) is a youth-led philanthropic investing initiative my co-founder and I have built to strengthen financial literacy and demonstrate how capital can be responsibly managed and reinvested for community benefit. We spent the summer engineering VYIF’s structure, drafting governance, outlining an investment framework, and setting clear roles and decision-making processes, and making a constitution. So the fund could operate with discipline and accountability from the very start.
We are now in the early execution stage, raising initial capital through student-led fundraising (including Krispy Kreme sales) and preparing to deploy funds using a research-driven, risk-aware approach. VYIF is designed to give students practical exposure to investing fundamentals, time horizon, diversification, and informed decision-making, while reinforcing that financial performance and social impact can be pursued together.