MEET FRANCIS
“I’ve lived in the district for 37 years. I went to school here. I am raising my kids here. This community is not a backdrop for this campaign. It is the reason for it.”
Francis Pollara is a businessman, appointed public servant, and lifelong resident of the district. He holds an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business and is an alumnus of Pasadena City College and ArtCenter College of Design. Professionally, Francis is recognized as a leader in infrastructure, innovation, and public-private partnerships. For 37 years, this community has shaped his life, and PCC played a foundational role in his educational journey. As a high school student, he took his first college courses at PCC, learning at an early age how to navigate the system and accelerate his path forward.
Francis was raised in a family of educators, giving him a deep respect for academic institutions and the challenges they face. His mother is a Professor Emeritus and a leader in nursing education, and his father spent decades at Caltech and JPL contributing to advanced research and innovation. That background instilled in him a belief that education is not just about credentials, it is about opportunity and transformation.
“The curriculum of the future must be as dynamic as the economy it serves.”
Professionally, Francis has built a career at the intersection of public policy, private-sector innovation, and infrastructure development. He has founded and scaled companies, managed venture investments, and worked inside Los Angeles City Hall as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, where he helped deliver real-world solutions during times of crisis. He co-founded Urban Movement Labs, raising millions of dollars to deploy innovative infrastructure and mobility solutions, and continues to advise organizations working to strengthen economic and technological systems.
Currently, Francis is the founding partner of Twoº & Rising, an advisory firm focused on unlocking U.S. foreign partnerships and foreign direct investment to deploy and scale clean technology solutions across the country. He was appointed as Chair of the Sustainability and Resilience Commission and Vice Chair of the Design Commission in La Cañada Flintridge, where he has helped guide the community through infrastructure and emergency preparedness challenges. He also serves on the board of the YMCA of the Foothills and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator – focused on accelerating the commercialization of clean technologies, fostering green job creation, and advancing an inclusive, sustainable economy.
As a father of two, Francis is deeply invested in the future of the community and its institutions. He is running for the PCC Board of Trustees to ensure the college continues to deliver on its promise – protecting taxpayer investments, strengthening workforce pathways, and preparing students for success in a rapidly changing economy.