On Friday night, January 9, in Pacific Palisades, the community gathered for an event that felt bigger than a fundraiser — it felt like a turning point.
Build Back Pali, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Palisades teens including Mason Cohen ‘27, hosted a sold-out evening marking the one-year anniversary of the Palisades fires. The theme, “Rebuilding Together,” wasn’t just a slogan — it was a statement of purpose.
For Mason, the event represented what can happen when teenagers decide they don’t want to simply witness hardship, they want to help solve it.
Build Back Pali was founded with a simple but powerful mission: to restore the community by helping small local businesses rebuild and return. In the Pacific Palisades, those businesses are more than storefronts, they are gathering places. They are where kids eat after school, families connect, and neighbors run into one another and feel like everything will be okay.
The gala brought together community members and supporters to honor resilience and recognize progress. Guests heard remarks from LA Councilwoman Traci Park, Palisades legend Martin Short, and Spencer Pratt, who has been recently announced as a mayoral candidate — each recognizing the founders’ leadership and the hope it represents.
But the most powerful moment of the night came when the teens surprised five mom-and-pop businesses with $50,000 checks each — $250,000 total — money that will go directly toward subsidizing rent and helping community anchors return and thrive:
• Garden Cafe (open again and serving the Palisades)
• Ruby’s Nails (back open and rebuilding momentum)
• Jaime Geller Jewelry (returning soon)
• Yogurt Shoppe (returning soon)
• Gerry Blank Martial Arts Center (returning soon)
As business owners stood on stage, many with tears in their eyes, the room felt the gratitude and relief of being supported during an incredibly difficult rebuilding period.
Mason thanked the packed audience and shared what continues to motivate the group.
“Thank you for showing up to give us all hope and inspiration that our mission will be fulfilled to help the Palisades come back so the next generation of families and children will have the same great experience that we have had,” he remarked.
As Build Back Pali continues to grow, its mission stays the same: rebuild the Palisades by bringing back the businesses that make it feel like home.
To learn more about Build Back Pali's mission, visit buildbackpali.org.