Laura Pedersen (born October 8, 1965, in Buffalo, New York) is an American author who often cites her developing years in Western New York in her writing. After graduating high school in 1983 she moved to Manhattan and began an entry-level job at the American Stock Exchange. At age twenty, she was the youngest person to have a seat and became a partner in a trading firm, while earning a finance degree at New York University 1987.

Her first book, Play Money (1991), became a bestseller, and she appeared on CNN, Oprah, Good Morning America, Primetime Live, The Today Showand David Letterman. In 1994 President Bill Clinton honored Pedersen as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans. She was a columnist for The New York Times from 1995 to 2002. She was host of her own television show on The Oxygen Channel from 1999-2002.

Pedersen's first novel, Going Away Party, won the 2001 Three Oaks Prize for Fiction. Other novels include The Hallie Palmer series: Beginner’s Luck; Heart’s Desire; The Big Shuffle; and Best Bet. Beginner’s Luck was chosen by Barnes & Noble for their “Discover Great New Writers” program, and by Borders for “Original Voices.” The Big Shuffle was selected as the Best Adult Novel for Teens by The New York Public Library. Best Bet was a Next Generation finalist in the categories of Best Fiction and Best Cover Design. Additional writing includes the novel Last Call, a romantic comedy, and a collection of short stories The Sweetest Hours. Buffalo Gal (2008), a humorous memoir about growing up in the economically devastated Rust Belt during the 1970s, was named best autobiography by ForeWord magazine, received an honorable mention from The Eric Hoffer Book Award, and an honorable mention at the New York Book Festival. Buffalo Unbound (2010) is a collection of humorous essays about the current revitalization of Pedersen's hometown and the Western New York area.

She teaches at the Booker T. Washington Learning Center in East Harlem, and belongs to the international literary association P.E.N.

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