Meet the Board of Directors: Janice Park

Janice Park, a social entrepreneur

Janice Park is the founder of Urban Park Consulting. As an independent consultant, Janice provides consulting services to businesses, the community and educators, using entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage ventures to make positive social change.

Janice started her career on Wall Street as a Marketing Associate for Shearson Lehman Brothers, in 1993. Within 4 years, she earned her title as Assistant Vice President for Greenwich Street Advisors, a fixed-income portfolio management division of Smith Barney Shearson. Janice had the opportunity to join a group of young portfolio managers who ran one of the most progressive socially responsible funds on the street at that time.

In 1996, Janice decided to redirect her career to join a software development start-up company in New York City. Within 3 years, Janice became the Director of Marketing, managing the largest partnership contract, the College Board. As a consultant to the College Board, Logicat, Inc. was responsible for developing educational software programs for secondary schools and developed progressive test preparation software, career and college preparation software, and data tools for school administrators to drive instruction.

In August of 2000, Janice’s passion for education inspired her to join the College Board as the Director of Business Development for collegeboard.com. In 2001, the College Board created the for-profit division of the College Board. As the Director of Business Development, Janice created innovative strategies and programs to effectively use the Internet as an education vehicle.

Janice continued her passion for education advocacy and learned to successfully integrate effective business practices to support education. In 2002, Janice became an education lobbyist for the state of New York and New Jersey for the College Board. She collaborated with school districts and state departments of education improve teaching to increase student achievement, with the focus on supporting underrepresented and low-income students.

One of Janice’s most memorable and meaningful developments with the College Board, was securing a partnership with the NYC Department of Education. The partnership assisted NYC Department of Education secure a $2.4mm federal grant to increase the number of students having access to a rigorous curriculum. This grant initiative opened the door to provide college preparation programs for more students in NYC, giving access to more programs and opportunities for more students, especially those from low-income families. By 2007, this program reached out to every 10^th and 11^th grade student in the NYC public school system, and still expanding.

Janice has continued to actively support inner-city students and families. In 1996, Janice was the Founder and Director of NYC Student Outreach. This outreach program mentored many inner-city students, bringing exciting learning activities for students through after-school mentoring programs. The program successfully partnered with the IBM Enrichment Program and formed a strategic partnership with high schools in the Bronx.

In 2008, Janice was ready to start a new chapter in her life and decided to find a way to use her entrepreneurial skills towards social good. Her passion for children, the environment, education, desire to have a voice in the community, and engaging in socially responsible advocacy, inspired her to create her own consulting practice.

Urban Park Consulting continues to support the field of social justice, health, and human services. Janice engages in projects to support: education, youth development, socially responsible advocacy, and sustainable living projects.