Born and raised in the Philippines, Paula and her family immigrated toNew York City in her teens.
She initially had dreams of being a novelist and a National Geographic photographer but decided that fighter planes and exotic locales were the next best thing. She enlisted in the United States Air Force and was in service during September 11, 2001.
Serving in the military was such an adventure for Paula. She met incredible people who would be forever part of her life. After the military, Paula moved to Cleveland, OH, where she started a promotions and marketing company as a hobby, which evolved into an ad agency that was sold to a publishing company in 2012. It is important to note that while Paula started this company, she was working full-time, finishing her undergraduate degree, and was dipping her toes into custom-building a home. At this time, Paula was also writing a blog about everything and anything she was interested in (music, fashion, tech, beauty).
Paula started grad school in 2012 and graduated in 2014. She moved to Miami, FL because she was sick of the winters and wanted to see manatees and dolphins every day for the rest of her life. She is currently a Cosmetic Dermatology Physician Assistant by day and part-time entrepreneur, full-time sustainability advocate and philanthropist in her free time (because as you can see, it is just in her nature to be involved in a lot of things at once).
Sustainability is a cause that is near and dear to Paula. She launched an initiative in late 2018 where she stopped buying new clothes, shoes, and accessories. She will only buy vintage, secondhand, upcycled or recycled items. She also has an annual clothes swap that benefits the Lotus House Shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.
She has a passion for travel and has been on jaunts all over Asia, Europe, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. Paula has her eyes set on Africa and the Amazon. Her top three favorite places are: Japan, the Philippines, and Italy. Paula is also on the board of Skal Miami, a chapter of Skal International, the largest organization of travel and tourism executives in the world as a membership liaison.
She is in the initial process of launching her non-profit called ExchangEvolution, an organization that aims to create a community of like-minded individuals who want to connect about a cause they care about by creating curated experiences that help cultivate this lifestyle.
