Everyone in Balitmore’s tech scene knew Pava LaPere.
“When you can be known in a town just by your first name, that says something,” one mentor, Delali Dzirasa, told The Daily Beast. “It’s like Madonna. When you say ‘Pava’ … everyone knew who you were talking about. Everybody loved Pava.”
Another adviser, Mac Conwell, said the 26-year-old tech CEO’s “goal was to help as many people as she could, to be a champion for those who were forgotten and not given the chances they deserved.”
The Johns Hopkins University grad so believed in supporting entrepreneurs—especially those from underrepresented communities—and cheerleading for Charm City that she quickly became a fixture in the field. Her unflagging dedication helped usher in $8 million in funding for her company, EcoMap Technologies.
“She was full of light. When she was around, you felt her energy,” said…
