Paola Velez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paola Velez
Education	Le Cordon Bleu
Occupation	Pastry chef
Organization	Bar Providencia

Paola Velez is a talented pastry chef and a social justice activist. She was born on December 16, 1990. Paola is from New York and has Dominican family roots. She has worked at famous restaurants like Milk Bar and Maydan in Washington, D.C. In 2020, she helped start two important projects: the organization Bakers Against Racism and a donut shop called Doña Dona.

Growing Up

Paola Velez grew up in The Bronx, New York. Her mom worked as an accountant for a Tex-Mex restaurant. This restaurant was owned by her mother’s cousin.

Every summer, Paola visited her grandparents in the Dominican Republic. There, she learned to love fresh fruits and vegetables. She also learned how to grow her own food. Her grandmother taught her many cooking secrets.

Her Life in D.C.

In 2016, Paola Velez moved to Washington, D.C. She moved there with her husband, Hector Velez.

Paola's Culinary Journey

Paola Velez studied cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando, Florida. She graduated in 2009. After that, she spent two years learning from Jacques Torres. He is a famous chocolate expert. Paola worked at his factory in Brooklyn, New York.

Working in Top Kitchens

In 2016, Paola moved to Washington, D.C. She became a pastry chef at Milk Bar. There, she worked with chef Christina Tosi. With her new skills, Paola became the Lead Pastry Cook at Arroz restaurant. She also worked as the pastry chef for Iron Gate Restaurant in 2018. In 2019, she worked at Kith/Kin. Paola also led the kitchen at Compass Rose. She was the Executive Pastry Chef at the Michelin-starred Maydan restaurant.

Pastries with Paola

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Paola took a break from restaurant work. She then joined Food&Wine Magazine. She created an online cooking show called Pastries with Paola. On the show, she shares recipes. Many of these recipes are inspired by her Dominican heritage.

Bar Providencia

In 2024, Paola became a co-owner and co-chef of Bar Providencia. This is a small cocktail bar in Washington, D.C. She started it with Erik Bruner-Yang and other bartenders. At Providencia, Paola’s shaved-ice baked Alaska dessert became very popular. It went well with the bar's menu of global snacks.

In December 2024, Eater D.C. named Providencia "Bar of the Year." They praised its creative drinks and friendly atmosphere. In May 2025, Bon Appétit magazine listed Providencia as one of the "9 Best New Bars in America." They highlighted its drinks that tell stories and Paola’s Dominican food touches.

Awards and Recognition

Chef Paola Velez has won many awards. These awards are for her amazing cooking and her work for good causes.

Major Culinary Awards

In 2020, she was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year award. This is a very important award in the food world. Esquire Magazine and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington also named her "Pastry Chef of the Year."

In 2021, Food & Wine magazine named her one of their "Best New Chefs." She also received other honors. These included InStyle’s "50 Women Making the World a Better Place." Time Out Magazine named her "Woman of the Year." She also won the Washington Business Journal Diversity in Business Award.

Media and Book Success

Paola was nominated for an Emmy and a Webby award in 2021. This was for her work with AJ+ and Bakers Against Racism. In 2024, her first cookbook, Bodega Bakes, was released. It was chosen as a "Notable Book" and received great reviews. Many major news outlets, like The New York Times and The Washington Post, listed it as a "best of" book.

Most notably, in 2025, Paola made history. She became the first chef of Dominican heritage to win a James Beard Foundation Media Award. She won the "Emerging Voice in Books" award for Bodega Bakes.

Making a Difference

Paola Velez is also known for her activism. She uses her baking skills to help others.

Doña Dona

In April 2020, Paola co-founded Doña Dona. This was a pop-up shop that sold donuts. She started it with Daniella Senior. Doña Dona raised about $1,100. This money was given to Ayuda D.C. This group helps immigrants in Washington, D.C.

Bakers Against Racism

After Doña Dona's success, Paola co-founded Bakers Against Racism. She started it with pastry chef Willa Pelini. This movement raises money for racial justice groups through bake sales. Paola also asked chef Rob Rubba to create designs for social media. These designs helped get more people to join.

Through their online posts, bakers from all over the country joined. They held their own bake sales to support racial justice. Since it started in 2020, Bakers Against Racism has grown a lot. More than 3,000 people have joined in over 200 U.S. cities. They have raised over $2 million for groups that support Black Lives Matter. Bakers Against Racism is known as the largest bake sale in history.