Pava LaPere’s family, friends and community celebrate her memory

As that event proved, to many people, Pava was just that. She was also many other things, including a source of energy for those who crossed paths with her throughout her life — both before and during her time as a leader in Baltimore’s tech ecosystem.

A day before the celebration of Pava her parents shared special memories of their daughter during an interview at a Baltimore-area hotel.

Pava’s journey, through loved one’s memories

A collage of photos featuring Pava LaPere at various ages. (Courtesy LaPere family/Alanah Nichole Davis/made with Canva)

Before becoming a JHU alumna and a beloved member of the tech community that leveraged modern ecosystems throughout several ventures, LaPere was a child who lived in Arizona from the age of 7. She was the sister of Nicolas “Nico” LaPere and the daughter of Caroline and Frank LaPere.

Pava’s parents emphasized the significance of family visits to locations in New England, Pittsburgh and the sunny state of Arizona. Some of these visits were documented in photographs featuring a young Pava that Caroline and Frank spread across a round table during an interview on Friday.

They highlighted the photos, visits with cousins and other familial experiences as something that may have supported her knack for connecting with people. One such photo showed Pava as a child in a white dress with pearls.

Pava LaPere as a young girl. (Courtesy LaPere family)

“I don’t know if I saw it at Costco or where, but [I said] I have an angel. Let’s put her in the dress.” Caroline said. “We had a picture of her, she was on a red telephone. I don’t know where that picture is. It might be in the montage [at Saturday’s event]. We always think that’s funny, too, because she’s pretend-talking on the phone. And oh God, did she talk on the phone thereafter. She was getting her word out.”

Frank praised the ongoing efforts of EcoMap colleagues and friends like Davis, Director of People Operations Eden Rodriguez and Director of Business Development Kevin Carter. All three company leaders spoke during Saturday’s program.

“We inherited part of her company”, Frank said with tears in his eyes, adding: “We have no interest in participating in it.”

“One thing we’re gonna do, to help continue to promote her legacy concerning EcoMap, is absolutely nothing,” he said. “She put together an amazing crew. They know what to do. We’re going to encourage Sherrod, and Eden, and Kevin and give them kudos and say, ‘Good job, keep going. They’re going to do their thing.’”

He mentioned the ongoing efforts of the PLACE fellowship and another to-be-announced commemorative event set to happen at JHU in April. He also said that he wants anyone who was impacted by Pava in her lifetime to continue with her vision of “inclusivity and connectivity”.

“She was all about connecting through ecosystems, whether they were biological ecosystems like we are or, like, what’s happening in the Inner Harbor and the life there [is] — when those trees leaves fall and they turn into mulch, and they nourish the tree next year,” Frank said. “You know, she planted seeds, and we want to continue to the best of our ability promoting what she stood for as long as we can.”

“She had a passion that spread,” said Caroline. “I think for me, [this is a] huge wake-up call. We all have potential. We all have ideas. Okay. We’re not all born leaders. But that doesn’t mean we stand by and let someone else take care of things.”

Pava’s mother said this passion spread to the people who “wanted to work” for her at EcoMap.

Pava’s Baltimore and Pava’s people

Rodriguez, who relocated to Baltimore to work with Pava, said during remarks at Saturday’s celebration that her friend “left a mark on all who are fortunate enough to know her.”

Eden Rodriguez speaks during a celebration of Pava LaPere’s life. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)

She reflected on the time that Pava invited her and her three dogs to live with Pava and her “tiny cat.” Rodriguez also recalled a thoughtful gesture when, after a conversation about “how the air makes my lips dry up here in Baltimore,” Pava bought her an overnight mask for her skincare routine. She described Pava as “a force of compassion, a fountain of generosity, and a shining light of authenticity.”

At the celebration of life, Caroline and Frank sat in the front row of Johns Hopkins’ Hodson Hall Auditorium alongside speakers Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. Mayor Scott said from the podium that he was wearing the same blue suit he had donned the last time he saw Pava. He and Moore both highlighted her love of Baltimore — a quality to which Frank (who did not speak at the event) and Caroline (who did, as did her brother Nicolas “Nico” LaPere) both attested.

At the hotel, the LaPeres thought back to a conversation after Pava graduated from Johns Hopkins.

“I’m not a big city person, but she was,” said Frank, who grew up in a cowboy town in Northern Nevada.

“This city,” said Caroline. “We said, ‘Pava, there’s so many other cities.’ We said, ‘Don’t you think it would be cool to live in, live in Boston?’” The conversation went back and forth, with Pava reaffirming her love for her adopted hometown.

“She found her challenges here,” Caroline said. “She realized, ‘I can help beautify this place. I can help these people get somewhere.’”

Pava’s passions extended to self-improvement, including through her intellectual pursuits. Pava’s friend and UpSurge Baltimore CEO Kory Bailey, who served as the celebration’s master of ceremonies, invited those in attendance to take a peek at “a reading list of all of those books she loved”, printed on the back of a light blue and white cardstock program.

(L to R) Front and back of the program for celebration of Pava LaPere. (Courtesy 212 Communications/Sameer Rao/made with Canva)

Later on, at a reception, songs including Nina Simone’s “Baltimore” played as attendees such as Jamie McDonald, Rebecca Rosenberg (another speaker), Shervonne Cherry, Anthony Watters and many others from all chapters of Pava’s life conversed. Those attendees ate and drank food from Mera Kitchen Collective, coffee and tea from Black Acres Roastery and ice cream from Cajou Creamery — whose owners, Dwight and Nicole Foster, also attended.

“There’s a beanbag chair in his [Dwight’s] place [Cajou Creamery], right? And she would come over and she’d order a pint, and she’d sit in the beanbag chair, and he knew she needed to escape. Right?” recalled Frank about one of Pava’s self-care rituals at the Black-owned ice cream shop near EcoMap’s offices. “So she left work when [she needed] some comfort food — non-dairy, of course.”

The grey beanbag chair sat at the front of the celebration.

Among her many other traits, Frank said that Pava could engage with people regardless of their background, age, race or gender. In addition, as her brother Nico noted during his closing remarks on Saturday, she just didn’t do paper towels. In fact, it was a topic that Pava might’ve argued over with those in attendance at the celebration.

And there wasn’t a paper towel in sight at the pavilion hosting the reception. There were recycling bins everywhere. Pava might’ve been proud.

What’s next for Pava’s legacy?

Besides the PLACE Fellowship, the ecosystem that Pava cared so much about will continue honoring her. Johns Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels revealed plans for the rededication of the FastFowardU hub, whose focus on student entrepreneurship Pava influenced and established during her undergraduate years. FastForwardU will be renamed the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship, with $2 million allocated from an estate gift to establish a new endowment supporting student entrepreneurs.

Those who wish to offer their own memories of Pava can continue to do so on this Kudoboard page.

Here are several other photos from the celebration:

Sherrod Davis. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)

(L to R, center row) Kory Bailey, Ronald J. Daniels, Frank LaPere, Caroline LaPere, Gov. Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)

Kevin Carter. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)

Caroline LaPere. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)

Nicolas “Nico” LaPere. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)

Reception at the celebration of life for Pava LaPere. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)

A photo wall featuring pictures of Pava LaPere. (Courtesy Johns Hopkins University)