There are defining moments in an organization’s journey when external collaboration does more than support the mission—it accelerates it. For Pacific Autism Center for Education (PACE), participation in the AMA San Francisco Marketing Hackathon this April marked one of those moments.

The hackathon brought together purpose-driven nonprofits and skilled marketing professionals, creating an environment where strategic thinking and social impact intersected. For PACE, it was an opportunity not only to share its work, but to explore how that work—rooted in decades of expertise—could be amplified to reach even more families and educators navigating autism.

At its core, the experience reinforced a powerful idea: when communities come together with intention, the potential for impact expands exponentially.

Recognition During Autism Acceptance Month

April, recognized globally as Autism Acceptance Month, carries deep meaning for PACE. It is a time that underscores both the urgency and the responsibility of the work—supporting autistic individuals and equipping the families, educators, and communities around them.

Being selected as one of only three nonprofits for the AMA San Francisco Marketing Hackathon, alongside SaveBerkeleyShops and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, was a meaningful acknowledgment of PACE’s leadership in autism education. It also reflected the growing recognition that accessible, high-quality autism resources are not just valuable—they are essential.

Representing PACE were Kurt Ohlfs, Executive Director; Ipsita Bhattacharya; and Sam Griffen.

Kurt Ohlfs, Executive Director, shared: “What stood out most was the genuine commitment in the room—people weren’t just offering ideas, they were investing in how we could reach more families in meaningful, lasting ways.”

Kurt presented Porchlight—PACE’s flagship autism education initiative, developed in collaboration with Karen Kennan. As he spoke, the room shifted. The lived realities of families receiving a new autism diagnosis, often accompanied by uncertainty and overwhelm, became tangible. The challenges educators face—frequently without adequate training or resources—resonated just as strongly.

What followed was more than attention. It was engagement, thoughtful dialogue, and a clear willingness to contribute to solutions that could extend PACE’s reach and deepen its impact.

Porchlight: Scaling Guidance and Support

Porchlight was created in response to one of the most common and urgent questions asked by families and educators alike: Where do we begin?

Designed as a free, structured autism education series, Porchlight provides accessible, evidence-based guidance across the autism journey. Its content spans critical areas—from understanding autism at the point of diagnosis to addressing sensory processing, developing communication strategies, and planning for long-term independence and quality of life.

What distinguishes Porchlight is not only its depth, but its intentional design. The program translates complex clinical and educational knowledge into practical, usable insights—ensuring that families and educators can take immediate, informed action.

PACE already supports thousands of families and educators through its programs and services. Porchlight represents a significant step forward in scaling that impact—extending high-quality autism education beyond physical classrooms and into homes and communities, regardless of geographic or socioeconomic barriers.

Participation in the AMA SF Hackathon highlighted a critical dimension of this work: accessibility is not only about creating resources, but also about ensuring those resources are discoverable, relatable, and easy to engage with.

While PACE brings deep subject-matter expertise, marketing professionals bring an external perspective that is equally essential. They ask different questions: How does a parent in crisis find this resource? What language resonates most clearly? What pathways make engagement feel simple rather than overwhelming?

These questions are not peripheral—they are central to impact. By helping PACE see Porchlight through the lens of its audiences, the hackathon enabled the organization to begin building stronger bridges between knowledge and access.

A Room Aligned Around Impact

What set this experience apart was the level of intentionality demonstrated by everyone involved.

The student team—Adam Brougher, Sejal Bapna, Kim Puccetti, Jordan W. Mar, and Anh Pham—approached the challenge with both analytical rigor and genuine empathy. Their work reflected a deep understanding of audience needs, informed by research and grounded in real-world application.

For PACE, an organization deeply embedded in direct service delivery, this level of external engagement was both rare and meaningful. It served as a reminder that while the work itself can often feel concentrated within a specific community, there is a broader network of individuals eager to contribute their expertise toward meaningful causes.

The presence of esteemed judges—Steven Fund (AMD), LaSandra Brill (NVIDIA), and Sukriti Khosla—added further depth, bringing industry perspective and strategic insight. Sponsors MiQ and Workbox, along with host UCSC Silicon Valley Extension, created an environment where nonprofit challenges were approached with the same seriousness and rigor as corporate initiatives.

Collectively, the experience felt less like a competition and more like a collaborative effort—one centered on advancing impact through shared expertise.

Advancing Mission Through Strategic Collaboration

PACE operates at a unique intersection of education, healthcare, and community support. This positioning requires not only deep expertise, but also continuous innovation in how services are delivered and expanded.

While the organization remains focused on program excellence and direct support, initiatives like the AMA SF Hackathon play a critical role in strengthening how that impact is communicated and scaled.

The strategies developed during the hackathon—spanning audience engagement, messaging clarity, content strategy, and long-term growth frameworks—offer tangible pathways for expanding reach. More importantly, they provide a foundation for ensuring that PACE’s resources connect with individuals at the moments they are needed most.

This is where marketing becomes mission-critical. It is not simply about visibility; it is about connection. It is about ensuring that a parent searching for answers, or an educator seeking guidance, can find trusted, actionable support without delay.

When done effectively, this work translates directly into outcomes. More families supported, more educators empowered, and more individuals on the autism spectrum equipped to thrive.

Looking Ahead

PACE moves forward from the AMA San Francisco Marketing Hackathon with renewed momentum and strategic clarity. The vision for Porchlight is stronger, the pathways for growth are more defined, and the commitment to impact remains unwavering.

At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful mission: to empower minds and enrich futures.

As PACE continues to expand its reach, it also extends an open invitation to those who want to contribute meaningfully. Professionals with expertise in marketing, content creation, design, SEO, social media, and strategy have the opportunity to apply their skills in ways that create real, lasting impact.

At PACE, collaboration is not symbolic—it is active, purposeful, and deeply connected to the communities it serves.

To learn more about PACE and the Porchlight Autism Education Series, visit: https://pacificautism.org

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