Week 11 – Paula Guilfoyle, Founder of Fundraisely
As Web3 continues to redefine the architecture of the internet, finance, and governance, it brings with it the rare opportunity to rebuild systems from the ground up. But if we are to build better, fairer, more inclusive systems, we must actively spotlight, and support, women in leadership roles.
Historically underrepresented in both tech and finance, women leaders bring diverse perspectives, collaborative approaches, and often values-driven leadership that prioritizes long-term sustainability over short-term gain. In Web3, where decentralized decision-making, community building, and innovation are core tenets, this diversity of style is very welcome if not essential.
Leadership isn’t monolithic. While traditional models have often emphasized hierarchy, competition, and control, many women leaders bring alternative approaches: participatory, empathetic, consensus-driven, or mentorship-focused. These styles align naturally with the ethos of decentralization and trustless systems, offering a counterbalance to purely technocratic or profit-led strategies.
By highlighting women in Web3 leadership, founders, developers, policymakers, and community builders, we not only correct representation gaps but also signal to the next generation that there is no single path to power. Visibility shapes possibility. And in a space as fast-moving and foundational as Web3, ensuring a plurality of voices isn’t just ethical, it’s strategic.
And so we are going to bring you some of the most inspiring women in Web3 and explore how and why they think as they do.
Week 11: Paula Guilfoyle – Leadership as Generosity in Web3
Paula Guilfoyle’s journey into Web3 began not from a desire for disruption, but from a belief in empowerment. A certified accountant turned technologist, she brings a structured, analytical mind to a sector often defined by its chaos. As founder of Fundraisely and host of one of the longest-running Web3 community meetups, she has spent the past several years navigating the complexities of blockchain, decentralisation, and education and finding her own approach to leadership in the process.
For Guilfoyle, leadership is not about authority. It is about giving.
“Leadership is about giving people the opportunity to learn, giving them a space to grow, and giving them the best advice you can so they can achieve what they want to achieve,” she says.
In a sector still marked by a visible gender gap, she is quick to reframe the conversation. “If you really look around the industry, the women you come across are all achievers,” she notes. “My biggest lesson is to surround yourself with likeminded people, people who share the same passions. If you help them achieve their goals, they will help you achieve yours.”
That reciprocity, mutual support as a leadership model, runs through everything she does. Guilfoyle sees Web3 not as an industry of competition but as an ecosystem of exchange, one where collaboration can level the field faster than policy or quotas ever could.
When asked whether decentralisation is truly creating opportunities for women, Guilfoyle answers with the precision of someone who has lived both sides of the argument.
“Every industry rewards the top performers,” she says. “There’s always a ratio, and yes, there’s a bias toward men because women often have other roles and responsibilities. We can’t be everything. But Web3 offers something unique and that’s flexibility. It’s a 24/7 ecosystem with no borders. You can build a career from anywhere, around family, around care, around life. That’s where opportunity lies.”
Her view is refreshingly pragmatic. She does not romanticise the challenges women face, nor does she position herself as an exception. Instead, she points to the structural realities that shape ambition. “Not every woman wants to be a top performer and that’s okay,” she says. “We need people who simply want to contribute, who want to work without the constant pressure to lead. Web3 gives space for both.”
That space is something she’s defended fiercely. Guilfoyle recalls an early experience running her weekly Web3 meetups, when a man tried to undermine her by claiming a “beautiful Brazilian girl” had been hired to drive her group out of the market. The story was absurd, but the message was clear: her authority was being challenged not on merit, but on gender. “It was the craziest thing I ever heard,” she says. “But I didn’t stop running the meetups. That was five years ago, and we’re still growing strong.”
Guilfoyle’s leadership is grounded in character, not identity. “I don’t let the fact that I’m a woman come into it at all,” she says. “Sex, race, religion, politics, none of that matters. What matters is character and agenda. I’m in Web3 because I know it can help make the world a better place. I build relationships with people who share that goal.”
It’s a perspective that transcends gender politics while still acknowledging the context in which women operate. She recognises that the real value of Web3 lies in its capacity to accommodate many forms of ambition, from grassroots activism to institutional reform, from building technology to shaping regulation.
“These two worlds – the grassroots communities and the regulatory spaces – must collide,” she explains. “Web3 began as a movement, and like any movement, it met resistance. But now it’s too big to ignore. Traditional industries will have to engage, and those who move first will have an advantage.”
Her views on inclusion extend beyond gender. Asked about female representation in AI and blockchain ethics, she pushes back gently on the framing. “AI governance shouldn’t be a man–woman issue,” she says. “It should be a fair representation of society, and include every race, gender, religion, and political view. That’s how you get ethical outcomes.”
For Guilfoyle, leadership has always been a form of service to ideas, to people, and to possibility. When she couldn’t find the kind of support she needed, she built it herself.
“There was very little support when I started in 2016, and by 2020 there was still very little,” she recalls. “That’s why I started the meetups in the first place. Now, every chain is fighting for your attention with programs, hackathons, accelerators and that’s progress. But I don’t think we should focus only on creating the next generation of female leaders. We should focus on creating good leaders, period.”
She worries that society sometimes overcorrects, holding women to impossible standards while celebrating only the few who “make it to the top.”
“We keep highlighting top women leaders without talking about what it costs them, the family sacrifices, the trade-offs,” she says. “Not every woman wants to be at the top, and that’s fine. There’s room for everyone. Maybe instead of focusing on gender, we should focus on empowering leaders from underprivileged regions. That’s where real inclusion starts.”
When asked what advice she’d give young women aspiring to enter Web3, she answers with the same calm confidence that defines her outlook. “First, join two chains, one small, where it’s easy to be noticed, and one large, where it’s harder. Any more than that, and it’s information overload.”
Second, she advises consistency. “Be regular. Show up. Build relationships. Consistency builds trust.”
And finally, she says, “Ask for help. No question is stupid. It can be as simple as saying, ‘I want to get involved. Where do I start?’”
In an industry obsessed with speed and innovation, Guilfoyle’s approach is refreshingly human. She leads with generosity, believes in balance, and builds community with intention. In her world, leadership is not about claiming space instead it’s about creating it for others.
