Paula joined in 2018 and focuses on Accel’s talent efforts across the portfolio. She previously led Americas go-to-market recruiting at Palo Alto Networks and worked at Heidrick & Struggles conducting executive-level searches. Her career started in the non-profit sector with roles at San Francisco Ballet and the Toigo Foundation. Paula grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from UCLA.
Get to know Paula
What was your first job?
When I was 14 I took a job as a short-order cook in a local seafood restaurant on the boardwalk in the beach town where I grew up. I spent the summer frying fish & chips, grilling burgers, steaming clams, and learning to make a mean roast chicken (the secret? bacon grease!). It was dirty, hard, and sometimes painful work, and I learned so many life lessons, including that keeping customers happy is a never-ending job.
What's something people are surprised to learn about you?
That I am obsessed with Pelicans! Our direct link to dinosaurs, floating high above San Francisco Bay in formation, dropping out of the sky like rockets diving for fish. I could watch them all day long. Say what you will about adaptability and evolution, it is so fascinating that Pelicans have survived by being fairly consistent for 30 million years.
If you could master any skill instantly?
Hand-eye coordination. Getting my arm to follow through on my mind's instruction would dramatically improve my enjoyment of tennis, pickleball, and golf, and a few other sports where I perpetually remain a beginner.
What is your most used emoji, gif, or meme?
facepalm! 🤦♀️