Emory Fierlinger (Attended 2014-2017)
Technology that Makes a Different: Emory Fierlinger's AI Journey
Published October 2025
Long before launching apps and AI tools, Collegian Emory Fierlinger (2014–2017) was experimenting with design and technology in the classrooms of Scots College. “I actually started designing and building websites while I was at Scots,” he recalls.
Subjects like Art, Digital Technology, and Woodworking weren’t just academic, they were creative playgrounds. “They gave me the space
to explore ideas and try things for myself. Scots really encouraged independence, and I think that freedom to experiment is what set me on the path to doing my own projects later on.”
That spirit of innovation came to life in his final-year Woodworking project: an electric skateboard. “It wasn’t exactly traditional woodworking,” Emory says, “but my teachers were incredibly supportive. They encouraged me to follow my own path and were flexible enough to let me run with it. That trust and encouragement made a huge difference.”
After Scots, Emory headed to Massey University in Wellington to study design, while continuing to build websites for clients on the side. His passion and talent earned him a scholarship to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2019, taking him to San Francisco. “It was my first time being surrounded by such a big tech and design community, and it made me realise this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Seeking new challenges, Emory moved to London, a city buzzing with creativity and startups. “It’s a global hub, there’s always something going on, and it’s a great base for travel. There’s a surprising number of amazing AI startups here that you’d assume are in Silicon Valley but are actually from the UK.”
One of Emory’s most unexpected successes came from a simple idea: calculating petrol costs for a road trip. “We were broke teenagers planning a trip and couldn’t find an easy way to figure it out. So we built something, launched it on the App Store, and a few months later, we were #1.”
Their app, Roadtrip, has now been downloaded over half a million times. “It started as a fun weekend project and quickly turned into something way bigger than we ever expected.”
Emory’s current focus is Kuraplan, an AI-powered tool that helps teachers save time by generating lesson plans. “I started it after seeing how much unpaid time teachers spend on planning. It’s now used by over 25,000 teachers across New Zealand.” The impact has been deeply personal: “One teacher told me they get to spend more time with their children because of it. That was pretty astounding to hear.”
The future is bright – and busy. “I want to keep building Kuraplan and grow it into something that helps teachers all over the world. I’m sure I’ll start a few more side projects along the way. Experimenting with new ideas is how my best work happens.”
Next stop? San Francisco. “I was actually born there, so it feels like a full-circle moment. It’s the global epicentre for startups and AI, and being surrounded by that energy is exactly where I want
to be to take my projects to the next level.”
Emory’s message to current students is simple but powerful: “Don’t stress if you don’t have your whole career mapped out, most people don’t. Follow what you’re curious about, even if it doesn’t
seem practical. The small projects you start for fun often open the biggest opportunities.”
With tools like ChatGPT, v0.dev, and Loveable, anyone can build their ideas without needing to be an expert. “We’re now only limited by our imagination, which is so exciting. Constantly try new tools, stay hungry and curious, and just build something. I started out by making a simple website for myself with things I was interested in, and it snowballed from there.”
Do you have a story to tell? We'd love to hear from you. Contact us at collegians@scotscollege.school.nz.