Andy Ballester Donates $1 Million to TL Foundation, Empowering San Diego to Fund Its Own Innovative Future

Momentum grows for the Foundation as the GoFundMe co-founder and TL Foundation board chair joins civic leaders Buzz Woolley and Malin Burnham in supporting the organization's evergreen philanthropic venture fund for San Diego 

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TL Foundation Board Chair Andy Ballester has donated $1 million to accelerate the foundation's philanthropic venture fund, advancing the early vision and support of civic leaders Malin Burnham and Buzz Woolley. The gift reflects Ballester's conviction that those who care about San Diego must play active roles in shaping its future.

San Diego has world-class founders, talent and research. For the region to grow and prosper, it needs local capital to translate that potential into companies, jobs and opportunity. TL Foundation was created to address this critical need.

TL Foundation's fund empowers San Diego's entrepreneurs to turn their best ideas into promising businesses that start, scale and stay here. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, TL combines philanthropy with venture investing, putting charitable dollars to work in San Diego and reinvesting returns to support more local founders. Their success strengthens the city's economy and community today while delivering greater resilience over time.

This innovation and economic flywheel is why Ballester, Burnham and Woolley became early supporters of TL Foundation. They saw a uniquely powerful opportunity to significantly multiply their philanthropic impact for San Diego today and tomorrow.

Every dollar invested in TL goes to work immediately to help promising early stage San Diego startups. That gift's impact grows in impact over time as TL's investments generate returns, and the proceeds return to the foundation to back more local entrepreneurs.

TL's flywheel is already well engaged in the community. The Foundation has invested in six outstanding San Diego companies: Condor Software, Looq, Papillon Therapeutics, Resolute Science, Proper Voltage and Welby Health.

Ballester, a technology entrepreneur, product leader and philanthropist, has spent his career helping people act on what they care about. As co-founder of GoFundMe, he helped create one of the world's largest online fundraising platforms, empowering people and communities to raise billions of dollars for worthy causes. He also co-founded EyePop.ai, an AI Vision platform, and BQuest Foundation, which supports climate, sustainability and housing equity initiatives. 

Those experiences shaped a simple belief: When people are given a trusted, accessible way to help, they step forward.

"San Diego became America's Finest City through the committed efforts of local leaders who saw its potential," Ballester said. "If we want this community to continue to thrive, we must invest in it. TL Foundation is how we do that."

"We are deeply grateful for Andy's commitment to TL and inspired by his active leadership. Andy doesn't just talk about our city's challenges and opportunities. He backs his commitment with significant funding, time and expertise," said Kris Lichter, CEO of TL Foundation. "We encourage all San Diegans to join us in building TL into the engine that keeps San Diego moving forward.  Every gift can make an impact today and an even bigger, exponential outcome tomorrow."

Anyone who loves San Diego can be part of the TL Foundation. There is no minimum donation. TL accepts direct gifts, donor-advised fund grants and public or private stock donations.

Get involved by contacting the TL team at [email protected] and visiting https://SanDiegoTLF.org.

Media Contact:
Michele Moninger
858-450-9872
[email protected] 

SOURCE TL Foundation