Kenan Pala has always been one to help others. From a young age, he was determined to find ways he could help people in need; volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchens and more. The problem? “There are a lot of nonprofits doing great things in San Diego, but many don’t allow kids under the age of 18 to volunteer”.

Due to these age restrictions, Pala was not able to help as much as he wanted to, so he came up with a solution. In 2017, Pala founded nonprofit organization Kids4Community with the goal of helping kids help others. He knew from personal experience that so many kids around San Diego wanted to help but were simply turned away by organizations. “All our events are open to anybody of any age,” says Pala. “If you have the passion, you can come.”

Since its founding in 2017, Pala has helped raise over 1 million dollars for local homelessness causes, while also engaging kids to help out with 5K runs, dinner services, and backpack drives.

Kenan Pla is a testament to what it means to be an entrepreneur. He found a problem, came up with a solution, and executed his plan.