Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Brauer.
Hi Grace, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m 27 years old and I was in the foster care system growing up, from the day I was born in 1998 and then on and off into the mid 2000’s. I was eventually adopted by my grandparents, but not before years of instability. My biological mother has schizophrenia, and had my older sister removed from her care before I was born. When I was in my biological mother’s care, a lot of trauma occurred, that I carried for years without even realizing it. That all changed in my early 20’s when I heard the term “Adverse Childhood Experiences” and learned about the long term health effects they can carry.
Learning about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) is what inspired me to found the non-profit Project ACE. Project ACE is a foster care non profit and we have a two pronged effort to bring positive change to people affected by foster care. On one end, we want to promote normalcy through our outreach programs (like our Hop into Action Easter Basket Drive, Tech Connect MacBook Distribution Drive, and our Spooktacular Halloween Drive). The other half of our efforts is spreading awareness of ACE’s through our social media outlets and documentary series, highlighting stories from the foster care system.
I always liked the idea of a job where I had some autonomy, and that led me into the field of Film and Television after graduating from UCF in 2019 (did you know that less than 4% of people who’ve been through foster care go on to get a 4 year degree?). I worked in production, casting, and wardrobe on various productions. It was on one of those productions that I had the idea for Project ACE.
While working on a courtroom TV show, I learned that I was working with at least 4 other people who had been in the system in some way or another- but it had taken us almost two months before we ever realized we all shared in that experience. We all seemed to magnetize towards an industry that gave us some flexibility and autonomy (control) over our work. I considered the stigma’s that surround foster care and why none of us had brought up this pretty big detail about ourselves earlier.
And it was like puzzle pieces coming together, because I had just learned through therapy what an ACE was- and that ACE’s are linked to the top 5 causes of death in America. I hypothesized that 100% of people touched by foster care had at least one ACE, probably more- compared to 64% in the general population. I wondered why no one was talking about this on a larger scale. The idea of Project ACE Documentary started there… and it stayed an idea for years before coming to fruition.
Life put the idea on hold, as I was recovering from a major car accident and in the next year my adoptive parents and God parents would all pass away. Between my own surgeries, grief, handling final affairs- I barely kept my head above water. I continued to research ACE’s in this time, and took time to process of a lot of the trauma I was carrying.
But more puzzle pieces began popping up in the years following, and the idea of “Project ACE” wasn’t going away. It was like an itch, “when are you going to do this?”. I continued working in video production and marketing for a firm called Get Fish Slapped, and received some amazing mentorship that allowed me to make connections with other nonprofits and small business leaders. These connections and opportunities made me realize “there’s no better time than now”.
In 2024 we began Project ACE officially, starting with outreach efforts as interviews are scouted and filming begins (we started our first round of interviews this August!). Part of the journey in June 2025 has been meeting my older sister, Jamie who was adopted in France. It had been 26 years since the one time we met- I was an infant and she was only 4. Leading to today, Project ACE has collected and distributed almost $15,000 worth of support to foster youth in Florida through our TechConnect MacBook distribution, Easter Basket distribution, and Halloween project. All our projects aim to promote moments of normalcy, joy, and connection for youth in care.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has never been smooth, but I have learned that life is all about flexibility and rolling with the punches. From struggling in my youth and young adulthood with my foster care baggage, to hiccups later in life, I’ve become a real “go with the flow” type of girl.
I have a tattoo on my forearm that is a list of 5 dates that I consider a complete rebirth after extreme losses. Between June 15th, 2021 and August 8th, 2022 I was in a major car accident (the year I tried to coin the term “just go with the flow'” nonetheless), lost my closest 4 family members, and was in the hospital myself twice. When I started “existing” again in mid- 2023, I had no idea where my next opportunity, working at a local marketing firm, would lead me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a creative at heart, and love to keep my hands busy. Film always fascinated me because it is such an amazing mix of mediums and talents. I work largely behind a camera now, and intend to utilize my years in film, tv, and marketing strategically to build the foster care nonprofit I founded, Project ACE.
With a background like mine, I feel I bring a unique perspective to the table and the work I do. I am mostly known as “Grace with Project ACE” as the nonprofit continues to grow. Utilizing creative strategies has allowed us to distribute almost $15000 worth of assistance to our foster care community this year AND start our documentary series production.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My best advice is to always seek out new rooms to be in. I found a lot of success in networking by engaging with my local Chamber of Commerce’s, related organizations, and social media- then growing into new rooms from there. I met one of my biggest inspirations in foster care non-profits by reaching out to them on social media and opening a dialogue. It led to one of my biggest speaking engagements and keynotes to date.
I am a self-proclaimed introvert- but to build anything great you HAVE to step outside of your comfort zone. Accepting public speaking opportunities is one of those things that used to terrify me- until I started doing it consistently. I started asking questions with the mentality of “the worst they can say is no”, and a lot of the time, got yes’s! Get involved in the community you want to grow in, and adopt a mentality of building each other up. I feel that these tenants have taken me through to this point.
Pricing:
- All donations are fully tax deductible
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theprojectace.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projecta.c.e/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Project-ACE-61559381340287/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectACEDocumentary
