Constanza Pachon is the Chief Executive Officer of The Whole Child. She joined the organization in January 2018 to build upon its then-60-year legacy of service excellence. Constanza oversees all matters of strategic planning, financial and operational management, fundraising, and communications. She also serves as the organization’s spokesperson and chief liaison with the community, partners, donors, and funding agencies. Constanza is a strong advocate for social inclusion and equity and focuses on The Whole Child’s role in the advancement of these causes. During her five-year tenure, she has led The Whole Child’s team through a substantial expansion of the organization to further its impact. Since 2018, The Whole Child has more than tripled its revenues from $9M in 2018 to $31M in 2023, expanded its footprint in the Southeastern and San Gabriel regions of LA County, piloted the first mental health program in the county addressing early onset schizophrenia and psychosis in teens, opened its first shelter for unhoused families in 2019, opened its Family Access Center in 2022, and is now leading the development of a first-of-its-kind construction project that will provide shelter units, permanent supportive rentals, and ownership opportunities to families experiencing homelessness in LA County. Having experienced the trauma of homelessness as a child, the mission of The Whole Child is very close to Constanza’s heart. As a woman of color and an immigrant, she identifies closely with the population the organization serves and strives to serve as a role model for The Whole Child’s staff and clients.
Constanza has over 20 years of experience growing mission-driven organizations. She is a highly regarded champion for numerous social and economic development initiatives both domestically and internationally. Prior to joining the Whole Child, Constanza was the President and COO of Larta Institute, a renowned high-tech venture accelerator with the mission of vastly improving the transition of science-based technologies into the market, where they dramatically improve people’s lives. During her tenure at Larta, she led a nearly threefold increase in its revenues, reserves, programs, and staff; improved programs’ reach and impact; and positioned the organization as a thought leader in its field. Constanza has also served as senior consultant for the InterAmerican Development Bank on matters of social innovation management, where she assisted the bank in the design of instruments for the development of thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems in Latin America. Additionally, Constanza has collaborated with other multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations in the design of initiatives that create economic opportunities for violence-displaced communities.
Constanza holds an MBA from The Anderson School of Management at the UCLA, and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Economics from Javeriana University in her native country, Colombia.
Constanza is an avid traveler and loves the outdoors; she has visited over 30 countries and is always looking for the path less traveled. She lives with her family in Orange County, California.