Forget About Your Life Plan

What do you do when the life you thought you had all figured out falls apart on a rooftop one Monday morning?

No seriously, I’m asking. Any tricks or tips? 

After the outside world mourned the headline “brilliant young entrepreneur Pava LaPere (my best friend), the Co-Founder/CEO of EcoMap Technologies (my employer) who was horrifically murdered in September 2023 (my lived nightmare)…”, I spent the better part of the past two years trying to answer that question. 

Forget About Your Life Plan is my best attempt to convey how much Pava mattered. Not just to me, family, and friends — but to the world that was graced by her light and darkened by her loss. If you knew her, I hope this book will provide you a look into her life and leave you thinking, Yep, classic Pava. And if you didn’t, I hope that after you finish reading this you’ll feel as if you did. 

What to Expect 

While at first I intended this book to be more of a biography (and someone could write one — any interest, Walter Isaacson?), I have landed on a personal memoir that spans from Fall 2017 to Fall 2025. Throughout these years our relationship evolved from student-employee, to co-workers, to non-profit co-founders, to roommates, to two entrepreneurs committed to seeing a wild startup journey all the way through. Somewhere along the way, we became best friends.

This book dives into our (platonic) interpersonal relationship and covers a spectrum of topics and themes, spanning from entrepreneurial elements like ecosystem building, creating accelerator programs, and life at a high-growth tech startup up to more sensitive ones like mental health challenges, substance (ab)use, and dealing with the aftermath of murder. You can expect the tone to vary as wildly as the content, but I wanted to make sure humor was infused throughout. Pava always had a morbid sense of humor and sometimes the laughter can help to stifle tears.

The stories included stem from my best recollection and in/formal interview with her friends, family, and mentors that appear in these pages. Dialogue from this time is reconstructed, but there are many longer quotes pulled directly from pitches, speeches, interviews, and news segments over the years. More interviews and first-hand accounts will be reviewed during the revision period this Spring.

A Joint Venture

You may have also noticed that Pava is a co-author of this book. This is not solely in spirit. Pava was a prolific writer in her own right, and her words help to convey the essence of who she was much better than I can. I have included her words from published Medium articles, a white paper, various speeches/presentations, and even quotes/poems from personal journal entries the LaPere family provided me. As my co-author, half of the proceeds from future book sales (post-publication) will go towards the foundation being established by her father, Frank. 

Plus, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to work on one final venture together.

Thank you so much for your support in pre-ordering this book and being a part of this journey. 

Where Does Your Support Go?

My publisher (Manuscripts Press) gave me a publishing team to help me produce and launch my book. I am working with…

• A revisions editor, copy editor, and proofreader this Spring to further hone my book 
• A marketing specialist to coach and support me in marketing efforts, and help me reach new audiences
• A cover artist and layout editor will be designing my book. (The mockups you see currently are a placeholder)

I am also offering some exclusive rewards for people who buy a ticket to my book launch:

• All tickets include either a signed physical copy (softcover, paperback) or digital copy (ebook) when I publish this summer
• Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book (“with Special Thanks to”).
• You will be invited to join my Author Community and get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the publishing process.
• You will receive early access to the Introduction and some excerpts from my book, with the opportunity to review it and give me early feedback.
• You will have the opportunity to share your own stories and photos of Pava for possible inclusion in the final book

Other Ways You Can Support Me

I completely understand not everyone can contribute monetarily, but you can still support me by spreading the good word:

• Please share my pre-sale campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with your friends, family and network.
• Please recommend my book to five (5) friends, family members, or co-workers who you think would enjoy it via text or direct message on social media.

Thank you so much for all of your love and support!

All the best,

Kevin

Kevin Carter Author Bio 

Kevin Carter is an ecosystem builder, serial entrepreneur, and a storyteller. 

As a 2017 Venture for America fellow, Kevin found his way to Baltimore, Maryland in order to help build up the student entrepreneurship ecosystem at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). As the first Student Program Manager for FastForward U – JHU’s student entrepreneurship center, he co-developed the university’s first accelerator program, established an alumni entrepreneur mentorship network, and managed hundreds of thousands in grant funding for student entrepreneurs.

Kevin was then poached by a very convincing JHU student founder to become Director of Business Development for EcoMap Technologies, where he was responsible for conducting initial sales, building strategic partnerships, and doing a little bit of everything all of the time to help move the company forward. Then something happened. You’ll read all about it.  

Kevin is currently the CEO/Founder of Coach Carter Consulting, which helps universities develop entrepreneurship programs and supports young founders throughout their entrepreneurial journey. He is also the Co-Founder of PLACE Builders, a place-based ecosystem fellowship program inspired by the memory of EcoMap’s late CEO/Co-Founder – Pava LaPere. 

Contact Me:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram:
• Website
• Email

Pava LaPere Bio

Pava Marie LaPere was a 5’2″ giant who will forever be the Chief Ecosystem Officer of EcoMap Technologies. She accomplished more in 26 years than most people could in multiple life times. I couldn’t write a proper bio for her, so I wrote a full book instead. 

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