A serial tech entrepreneur and investor, Paul Leslie knows a strong opportunity when he sees one. When Nene Spivy, CEO of the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation, presented to the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Board of Directors in 2010, Paul “recognized immediately that this is somebody I would invest in.” “I was very impressed with her entrepreneurship, and that what she was doing was really from the grassroots,” he shared. Shortly after, he joined the Science Center’s Advisory Board and today serves on the Board of Directors and the Launch the Future Campaign Committee. Today, we are proud to welcome the Paul and Julia Leslie Family as Element Partners in the Launch the Future campaign to build the Northern Virginia Science Center.
Paul sees this investment in the new science museum as an investment in the future of our area, especially for workforce development. Northern Virginia’s STEM sector is strong, but local costs of living can make recruitment difficult. The solution?
“We have to grow our own talent, and you have to grab children’s attention early for them to focus on STEM. The Children’s Science Center Lab has been an incredible success and proof of concept, but we want to create something larger. Having a state-supported museum that’s focused on STEM, I think it's what's needed for the community. That investment belongs in education, and it will help us grow a sustainable, local labor market.”
Thank you to Paul and Julia Leslie and their family for helping build the Northern Virginia Science Center, which will serve curious minds of all ages in our region. They will be honored on the element Krypton on the periodic table installation in the new science center’s entrance hall. “For Superman, of course!,” says Paul. We’re honored that so many of our own local heroes have stepped up to support this community project. To learn about how you can join, click here or email advancementdirector@childsci.org.
