paola velez

James Beard Award nominated Pastry Chef Paola Velez was raised in New York City and the Dominican Republic and has become a renowned advocate for equitably sourced food and sustainability. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Paola worked with master chocolatier Jacques Torres as a sous chef at his 40,000-square-foot production kitchen and moved to Washington, D.C. to work with celebrated Chef Christina Tosi at Milk Bar. She’s held numerous leadership positions in the kitchens of Arroz, Iron Gate and Kith/Kin.During Covid-19, Paola co-founded Doña Dona, a Latin American popup to benefit Ayuda DC, and later co-founded Bakers Against Racism, a worldwide bake sale that has raised over $1.9 Million for organizations that support Black Lives and Black communities globally. In 2020, Paola joined Restaurateur Rose Previte and Chef Marcelle Afram at the Michelin-starred Maydan and award-winning Compass Rose restaurants as Executive Pastry Chef. Recently, they debuted La Bodega at Compass Rose, a dedicated bakery and storefront, which is named for and pays tribute to the staple of Chef Paola’s hometown of New York City. This year, Paola was named a James Beard Foundation Rising Star finalist and earned Pastry Chef of the Year awards from Esquire magazine and RAMW. In 2020, she has been featured on the covers of Washingtonian magazine two times, Cherry Bombe, and her recipes highlighted in outlets including Food & Wine, Washington Post, Robb Report, and more. She has presented at numerous events including at the James Beard House, the 2019 Star Chefs Congress, and Yale’s Sustainable Food Program.