About us
The PACE origin story
Pan-African Center for Empowerment was founded to uplift people of African heritage in the U.S. and abroad.
We hack the systems that oppress our communities and building human-centered and tech-powered solutions in their place.
How we got here
PACE has built a focused approach grounded in proven frameworks and systems designed to amplify the efforts of our community and strategic partners.
We have been hard at work since 2015, when we launched our first initiative, TalentedXth, a positive news and information website created to uplift and promote stories of people of African descent achieving and innovating across Science, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Arts, and Media.
Our goal was to begin the long-term work of rebranding the global image of “Black” people to shift the narrative through celebration, visibility, and truth. #BlackReBrand
From our founder
“PACE was born from the belief that liberation requires infrastructure. We exist to build systems that empower people of African heritage to define their own futures. Our work is about transforming power, not just accessing it, and creating a world where our collective brilliance drives global progress.”
- Arif Gursel, Founder & Executive Director
Our growth timeline
2015
Established
We started by launching our first initiative of our media pillar, TalentedXth, a positive news and information website.
2016
Expansion (Arts + Technology)
We launched our Arts and Technology initiatives Solo Magic and Koya Academy.
2017
Expansion (Educate & Mentor)
We launched our Education and Mentorship initiatives Black Tech Union and Floodgate Academy, now known as Koya Academy.
2018
Foundational Growth
Since day one, we’ve delivered our pillars through partnerships. What we lacked was a home base to scale that work. That’s why we opened The Union Seattle, our downtown hub to execute, collaborate, and expand our impact across the city.
2020
A community staple
For PACE, being “just a nonprofit” isn’t enough. We are a living part of the ecosystem that sustains collective growth, resilience, and liberation. We show up, meet real needs, and invest deeply in relationships that foster empowerment and belonging. We strive to be reliable, rooted in cultural pride, and unwavering in our commitment to improving the quality of life for people of African heritage
2022+
Scale the rate of impact
Scaling impact means more than doing more. For PACE, it’s building the systems and partnerships that multiply outcomes that move from one-off moments of change to durable, community-wide transformation. We get there through collaboration, technology, cultural strategy, and aligned resources.
