Pava Marie LaPere’s Legacy

Driven by Pava's vision, we champion fearless founders who take risks, move forward, and create impact that endures.

Pava LaPere was a foundational student voice in the early days of our student programming, where staff worked closely with her first, on-campus entrepreneurship organization, TCO Labs. She went on to work as a part-time employee for the program after graduation, while launching multiple entrepreneurship-support initiatives across Maryland. Her influence is felt throughout our programming, especially with our Spark and Fuel accelerators, that she co-created. Well over a thousand ventures (and counting) have benefited from the curriculum that she worked on.

As a student entrepreneur and then young alum, she won multiple awards from FastForward U, including our highest prize at the time, the Bisciotti student award. Today, her company remains in Baltimore, has raised millions in venture funding, and does business all over the world. 

Pava was a friend to hundreds across our campus, city, and state. She embodied the words still on our wall better than anyone: take risks, move forward.