Strategic growth leader to shape brand, founder momentum, and ecosystem intelligence across the Northeast
PHILADELPHIA, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- United Effects Ventures (UEV), a Philadelphia-based VC studio and startup incubator built to help B2B technology companies start faster and go further, has appointed Paula Fontana as Chief Marketing Officer. A strategic growth leader with deep experience across pre-seed to growth-stage ventures in frontier tech, AI, cybersecurity, and resilience, Paula joins to accelerate UEV's brand evolution, founder-first programming, and ecosystem intelligence as the region steps into a new era of innovation.
Paula brings a career shaped by helping early-stage companies turn complexity into momentum - guiding go-to-market strategy, narrative design, and execution at the intersection of tech and transformation. She helps teams translate ideas into traction - and traction into measurable change. Paula serves on the Board of Directors at iluminr and advises organizations with their navigation of strategic AI transformations and go-to-market in rapidly changing times through the separate advisory company she founded.
"Paula brings clarity, courage, and community in equal measure," said Frank Shultz, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of UEV. "She translates insight into action and connects people around bold, meaningful work. At UEV, community is not just an asset - it's a catalyst, and Paula amplifies that with purpose and precision."
UEV is reimagining what early-stage support can look like for the next generation of B2B technology founders - particularly those with professional expertise who are building to solve real problems in complex industries. In a world where many founders are told they're "too early," UEV meets them exactly where they are - with the capital, coaching, and clarity they need to move fast and build smart.
Founded by proven B2B technology leaders, UEV provides multi-level support at the earliest, most fragile stage of the founder journey. This includes investment, technical resources, and embedded operating expertise to help ambitious teams avoid costly missteps and accelerate with intention.
Central to this is UEV's Fast Start Platform - a proprietary framework that combines embedded operator support, targeted go-to-market strategy, and iterative origination-stage capital. Designed to de-risk the early stages of company-building, the platform helps founders validate, build, and launch with speed, focus, and confidence.
"We created UEV to support founders who want to move fast and build companies with impact," said Bo Motlagh, Co-Founder and Managing Partner. "Paula gets that at every level. She brings the systems mindset, the storytelling fluency, and the founder empathy to help us scale what matters. True change only happens when there's a shift in how we think. UEV is that shift. It's a united force of problem-solvers and possibility-shapers, dreaming big together today - so others can dream bigger tomorrow."
"We're building at the center of a massive shift - from closed systems to open knowledge, from lone genius to collective intelligence," said Paula. "Many early-stage founders are navigating fast-moving but foggy terrain. UEV offers grounded guidance, thoughtful design, and a belief that strong systems are what make companies last."
About United Effects Ventures
United Effects Ventures (UEV) is a Philadelphia-based VC studio and startup incubator dedicated to helping B2B technology companies start fast and go further. Through its Fast Start Platform, Enrichment Program, and Origination Venture Fund, UEV provides iterative origination-stage capital, hands-on operator support, and practical guidance to help founders validate, launch, and scale with confidence.
UEV exists to reduce early-stage risk by combining experience, execution, and ecosystem. The outcome: sharper focus, faster progress, and real durability for founders building what's next.
Learn more at ue.ventures
Media Contact
Kevin Jurrens, United Effects Ventures, 1 6093066418, [email protected], https://www.ue.ventures/
SOURCE United Effects Ventures

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