Grace Young was born in Busan, South Korea and moved to Virginia with her family when she was five years old. She shares her Korean middle name (Young) with her grandfather, an industrialist in Seoul who passed before her birth. Young grew up in a Baptist church and performed in church plays and neoclassical Korean traditional dance shows (buchaechum fan dance and drums). She later went on to study commerce and anthropology at the University of Virginia.

During her junior year of college, she worked as a teaching assistant in a summer intensive marketing program abroad in Bath, Brussels, London and Paris. The opportunity to learn and immerse herself in various cultures along with her fellow classmates left a lasting imprint on her. Following graduation, Young gained a rigorous training program offer as an analyst and continued to work for BlackRock investment management for five years. In line with her family's dedication to community service, one of her volunteer activities was on the weekends at a talent agency that was dedicated to helping children work and thrive in the film and tv industry.

She deeply reconnected to her love of the arts and reflected on how cinema was a positive and influential force during her immigration experience. Shortly after a promotion and an incredible professional and personal experience at BlackRock, she ultimately decided to pivot and pursue an acting career and studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City and with Anthony Abeson.

Young has worked in the independent film scene both on and off camera and has recently launched production company, IronRose Pictures, which embraces the themes of culture, grit and love.