A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER, MIKE TOLLIN…

In 2013, I was talking to my two kids - Georgia, who was in college at the time, and Lucas who was in middle-school - about my desire to "give back" and to find a way to have a more positive impact in our community. Georgia came up with the name PACE, an acronym for Philanthropy And Community Engagement and I set out to assemble a group of like-minded individuals with whom I could collaborate on this journey. 

As PACE has evolved, our primary focus has centered on disadvantaged kids, education and families. We have conducted two weekend retreats per year in cities across the U.S., and in each location we set out to identify non-profits that are doing important work in the community. Once identified, we then attempt to support their efforts to scale up locally and/or replicate their model elsewhere. We consider ourselves partners and strategic advisors to our "adoptees" and we take great pride in their development and growth.

Through the years, I've been heartened by the continuing engagement of our original board members and the addition of some spectacular people from very diverse backgrounds. Our shared goals are to make a difference, level the playing field and fuel hopes and dreams. I remain deeply grateful to my PACE colleagues for supporting the vision and sharing the commitment to positive change in the world.