Paulette has worked in the progressive movement for decades on women’s rights, human rights, democracy and civic engagement, economic development, and philanthropy.  She has held positions in foundations and nonprofit organizations, owned a philanthropic consulting practice, and served on many nonprofit boards.  She is the immediate past Chair of Alliance for Justice where she continues to serve on the Executive Committee as Board Secretary.  She also serves on the Boards of Equal Rights Advocates, Voices for Progress (c-4), and the Community Change Endowment.  Paulette is also President of a small family foundation in San Francisco.

She founded and chaired Women’s Initiative for 15 years, a San Francisco nonprofit that trained and financed over 12,000 low-income women who launched microenterprises that created nearly 40,000 net new jobs in the Bay Area.

Other prior Board service includes: Women Donors Network (Chair, Secretary), Community Change (Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Endowment Board Chair), Equal Rights Advocates (Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer), Urgent Action Fund (Treasurer, Secretary), Futures without Violence, New America Media, the National Partnership for Women and Families, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and Bend the Arc.

She lives in San Francisco with her spouse, David Friedman, and two labrador retrievers.  They have three adult children and three grandchildren.