Tech CEO Pava LaPere, 26, has been found dead in her apartment with “blunt force trauma.”
LaPere had been on the Forbes “30 under 30” list for her success in the tech world.
LaPere was reported missing on Monday and was found a short time later in her Mount Vernon luxury apartment.
The EcoMap tech company founder was found with “blunt force trauma,” according to local police.
Few details are available at this time. The New York Post announced her social media accounts indicated “she was single” and that it “is unknown whether LaPere had any guests over prior to her death.”
Neighbor Chris McNees told CBS News Baltimore: “That’s pretty horrifying.”
McNees added: “I mean, just for that to happen anywhere in the city is obviously a bad thing, but it’s hard to imagine why this would happen specifically in this building.”
LaPere started her eco company from her dorm room at Johns Hopkins University. The purpose of her company is to make ecosystems information accessible to everyone along with “powerful technology to digitize ecosystems,” according to the company’s website.
According to LaPere’s business website, the business started from her dorm room at Johns Hopkins University. Her company’s goal was to make ecosystem information readily accessible to all.
Her website noted the development of “powerful technology to digitize ecosystems.”
Some people make their whole city better. @PavaLapere was one of those people. Baltimore lost one of its brightest stars. ✨
The way I’ve seen Baltimore come together through this tragedy is incredible. It’s exactly what she would have wanted.
I’ll miss her dearly. pic.twitter.com/ueeujoUQpK
— Brian Brackeen (@BrianBrackeen) September 26, 2023
“Whether you’re talking about a college alumni network or an entire industry, ecosystems are largely invisible,” LaPere’s site states. “When ecosystems are invisible, they are inaccessible. When they are inaccessible, they are inequitable. When they are inequitable, they are inefficient. We’re making the invisible, visible so that all ecosystems can thrive.”
LaPere’s company raised $7 million in the last eighteen months to fund their promising work.
The New York Post reported that EcoMaps prioritized diversity. LaPere wrote on her LinkedIn page that her company is “50% female, 50% [persons of color].”
Her notable clients included the Aspen Institute and Meta.
LaPere’s company released a statement following news of her death: “Pava was not only the visionary force behind EcoMap but was also a deeply compassionate and dedicated leader.
CBS News Baltimore reported that EcoMap’s statement added: “Her untiring commitment to our company, to Baltimore, to amplifying the critical work of ecosystems across the country, and to building a deeply inclusive culture as a leader, friend, and partner set a standard for leadership, and her legacy will live on through the work we continue to do.”
