Johns Hopkins University is renaming a facility to honor Pava LaPere, a Hopkins alumnus and tech CEO who was killed in September. Fast Forward U, a hub in Remington for students interested in creating startup companies, will be named Pava Marie LePere Center for Entrepreneurship. The university unveiled the honor Saturday at a memorial service for LaPere, which was attended by Gov. Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott. LaPere, 26, was instrumental in the center’s formation five years ago, said Christy Wyskiel, Executive Director of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures. LaPere, who started four businesses in college, including co-founding and becoming chief executive officer of EcoMap Technologies, told Wyskiel that Hopkins needed to provide a space for student entrepreneurs. Hopkins is also committing $2 million for an endowment for the center. Fast Foward U was established to help students bring their ideas to market, Wyskiel said. LaPere, who graduated in 2019, designed an accelerator program as a student that gave other students mentorship and funding to move a product ahead. Hopkins would later adopt her design. “Many of the things we do with students — build teams, raise money, write business plans — are because of her energy and her effort,” Wyskiel said. “To honor her and acknowledge what she brought to the university is to keep the spirit alive of what she hoped Johns Hopkins would bring to entrepreneurs.” LaPere was found dead at her apartment building in the Mount Vernon neighborhood in late September. Jason Billingsley, 32, was charged with first-degree murder in connection to her death and is being held without bail. LaPere, who first moved to Baltimore from her hometown of Tucson, Arizona, was a de facto mentor to many in the city, championing entrepreneurship and diverse leadership, Wyskiel said. EcoMap Technologies, which has around 30 employees and whose main customers are government agencies, nonprofits, universities and industry associations, publishes data maps and contact lists of business, nonprofit, legal and venture capital networks around the country, including an overview of Baltimore’s Black-owned business community. Her family and Ron Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University, agreed to name the center after LaPere, saying it would keep her legacy and energy alive, Wyskiel said.
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