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Frank LaPere, Nico LaPere and Caroline Frank, the family of Pava LaPere, founder of tech startup EcoMap Technologies, speak during a vigil Sept. 27, 2023 in Baltimore. PLACE Builders, a fellowship program designed to honor the legacy of the late CEO and co-founder, announced the eight members of its first cohort Tuesday. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Fellowship program to honor legacy of slain EcoMap CEO Pava LaPere
Listen to this articleApplications for PLACE Builders, a fellowship program designed to honor the legacy of the late EcoMap Technologies CEO and co-founder Pava LaPere, opened Monday.
PLACE (Pava LaPere Award for Cultivating Ecosystems) Builders will be an intensive, four-month fellowship program empowering changemakers to catalyze more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The program was jointly developed by EcoMap, a category-defining ecosystem intelligence AI software company, and Forward Cities, a national nonprofit that works with partners to build equitable entrepreneurial communities. The fellowship is inspired by EcoMap’s forever “Chief Ecosystem Officer” LaPere and is a tribute to her legacy of fighting for equal access to opportunity.
The deadline for applications is March 3.
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Eight builders representing regions across the country will have an opportunity to build their capacity through training, peer support, and community pilots. Fellows will have access to professional mentorship, a digital toolkit, community, funding, and a platform to tell the stories about the places they love to a broader audience.
By the end of the fellowship, each builder will also have identified, developed and launched a pilot project to either address an ecosystem gap or scale something that’s working well.
Builders accepted into the program will gather in Baltimore for the inaugural meeting of the fellows and the program on April 6 at FastForward U on the same day Johns Hopkins University will dedicate and rename the space to the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship.
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As of Monday, more than 80 supporters have donated more than $23,000 to the fellowship and EcoMap has charged the community to help them meet their $100,000 goal by the cohort’s first meeting on April 6. Funds will sustain the program in the years to come, helping cover fellow stipends, operational grants for their pilot projects, travel expenses for the in-person cohort retreats, and additional programmatic support.
To complete an application or donate, click here.
