Arden Pala

Arden Pala is an American philanthropist, author, actor, and filmmaker. He is known for founding the nonprofit organization Sports4Kids. He received a 2024 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and a President's Council Award for his work with Sports4Kids. He is the youngest person to receive a President's Council Award.

Pala is also the author of the children's book series The Adventures of Noah's Flying Car. He wrote and directed the documentary film A Second Chance.

Early life and education Pala was born to Turkish immigrants Serhat Pala and Zeynep Ilgaz Pala, who are the cofounders of a biotech company, Confirm Biosciences.

As of 2025, he was a sophomore at Francis Parker High.

Pala starred as Zalmai in the 2018 production of the play A Thousand Splendid Suns at The Old Globe in Balboa Park.

In 2018 and 2019, he starred as Ladybug Who in The Old Globe's production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Pala published his second book, The Adventures of Noah's Flying Car Through Turkey, in 2019.

In 2020, Pala published the third book in The Adventures of Noah's Flying Car series, The Adventures of Noah's Flying Car Through Mexico. Pala was named Best Child Actor at the 2020 Los Angeles Film Festival for his performance in the short film Tahz.

Sports Illustrated named Pala its SportsKid of the Year for his work with Sports4Kids in 2024. He also received a Presidential Lifetime Achievement award and a President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Community Leadership Award in the same year. He was the youngest person to receive a President's Council Award.

He is also the founder and CEO of Helptivo, a software platform that provides tools for organizations to manage members, coordinate events, track volunteer hours, and communicate with their communities.

Filmography