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MBV Alum Draws on Trojan Network for Dental Practice and EV Startup

MBV Alum Draws on Trojan Network for Dental Practice and EV Startup

Lawrence Fung DDS ’11, MBV ’15 believes the Trojan Network has been an integral part of his multifaceted accomplishments.

by: Alexander Bernard
12.02.24
Lawrence Fung

Lawrence Fung ’15 is using the Trojan Network for his wide-ranging business ventures.

[Photo courtesy of Fung] 

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As far as Lawrence Fung DDS ’11, MBV ’15 is concerned, there’s nothing he can’t do. He was elected class president in his undergraduate and graduate classes at USC, founded multiple companies, and has run several Ironman triathlons. Yet, for Fung, two accomplishments hold a special place in his heart: serving in the United States Navy and graduating from USC.

In 2014, he combined those points of pride by enrolling in the USC Marshall Master of Business for Veterans Program (MBV), a one-year program designed exclusively for military personnel, providing a formal business education while leveraging skills acquired in the military.

Since officially separating from the military in 2015, Fung has drawn on the vast Trojan Network to find success in a number of businesses, from his dentistry practice to consulting for a 3D printing company to his startup centered around building amenity infrastructure for EV charging stations called StackCharge.

“The MBV program definitely was the catalyst for me to be involved in so many things inside dentistry and outside of dentistry,” Fung said.

When first joining the program, Fung didn’t know exactly how to marry a dentistry background with a business education. In fact, after four years practicing dentistry in the Navy, he wasn’t certain he even wanted to pursue the profession in civilian life, let alone know how to leverage an MBV degree for success.

Following graduation, however, Fung found the program wasn’t just beneficial; it was essential.

To determine the perfect location for his new dental practice, Fung employed skills learned in MBV, namely population growth analysis, competition analysis, and marketing strategy. He drew on knowledge gained through a commercial real estate course and targeted a location in Playa Vista where he built his business, Silicon Beach Dental, from the ground up.

Other than my own family, there’s no other better family to be a part of than USC.

— Lawrence Fung 

DDS ’11, MBV ’15

“I used what I learned in the MBV program to figure out where to build my dental practice,” Fung said. “I built a dental practice from scratch, meaning I did not buy any existing practice. It was just a new business. At that time, nobody was really doing it. From the MBV program, I used a few tricks to figure out where to set myself up for success.”

The world opened up to Fung after MBV.

“The MBV program taught me to widen my scope even further,” Fung explained. “In the military, you’re taught to think one way. In the medical profession, you’re also taught to think in a certain way. But [business school] just taught me just to think differently. From there, I realized that where I can go in the world is not dictated by my dental degree. It’s dictated by my mind.”

Fung lived up to that mindset. In 2019, he became the official team dentist for USC Athletics, providing emergency dental care for the university’s top athletes. The longtime dentist is proud to work with student-athletes and collaborate with the university to ensure each of them is given the best care possible.

“We really take care of our student-athletes,” Fung said. “I’m very proud to say that our athletic medicine is probably — in my opinion — the best in the country by far.”

Thanks to his business acumen, Fung expanded his reach outside of dentistry as well. In 2019, he began consulting for SprintRay, Inc., a 3D printing company founded by an alumnus of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

Expanding his business ventures, Fung co-founded StackCharge with his classmate Lester Ciudad Real MBV ’15. An EV owner himself, Fung and Real set out to improve the accommodations of EV charging stations and the experience of EV owners. Their current goal is to build 10 locations with amenities along high transit traffic areas in Southern California.

Fung hopes StackCharge can be a small part in the transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.

“Gas stations are very environmentally unfriendly,” Fung said. “We’re hoping that we’re able to help transition from gas to EV as fast as possible. That way, there’s no need for new gas stations because they are so bad [for the environment].”

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, Fung admits it’s been an arduous process, but along the way, he’s felt the support of the Trojan Network.

“It’s been challenging, but to be honest, we’ve had so much help from USC alumni and veterans that it has made the process a lot easier,” Fung explained. “In every city, we somehow found a Trojan that would be willing to help us — whether it was permitting, acquiring locations, or even financing. A lot of it was helped by USC alumni.”

Like the veteran community, Fung knows he can rely on USC and MBV alums whenever he needs them. Despite some early obstacles with StackCharge, Fung is confident he and Real will find success thanks to the support of the Trojan Network.

“It’s an honor to be a USC alum,” Fung said. “Other than my own family, there’s no other better family to be a part of than USC.”

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