About Paula Schwarz
Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Visionary.
As a German-Greek social entrepreneur who thrives at the intersection of technology and humanitarian aid, I founded several initiatives, including Startup Boat, Cosmopolis, and the Cloud Nation, to address global challenges through innovative solutions.
Paula’s Journey
Tech Humanitarian.
System Disruptor.
Borderless Thinker.
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5 passports, countless cultures, one vision.
In 2015, on the sun-soaked shores of Samos—my birthplace and a historic gateway between continents—I watched as boats carrying Syrian refugees landed just meters from where I used to swim as a child. That moment shattered my worldview and changed the course of my life.
I didn’t just want to help—I wanted to rebuild how we help.
Since then, I’ve been designing infrastructure for human dignity. From launching StartupBoat—a floating think tank that connects technologists, policymakers, and migrants—to creating Allocator One, a real-time coordination system for humanitarian response, I’ve spent the past decade building tools that challenge the status quo and deliver results.
In a world where institutions lag behind crises, we need adaptive, intelligent solutions. That’s why I founded Cosmopolis, a platform where helpers and help-seekers co-design systemic reforms, and MyCloudNation.com.- a digital governance initiative for stateless populations and future citizens.
Whether I’m advising governments, working with the Vatican or the UN, prototyping emotional AI tools, or raising three children between Greece and Silicon Valley, I stay obsessed with one question:
What if we built systems worthy of the people who risk everything to survive?
When I’m not working, you’ll find me hosting salons with changemakers from around the world, swimming beneath the stars off the Greek coast, or designing futures that feel impossible—until they’re not.
Innovations for Impact
​My journey across continents has always been grounded in a single mission: building systems that restore dignity and unlock potential—especially for those displaced, overlooked, or underestimated.
StartupBoat, launched during the height of the Syrian refugee crisis, began as a radical experiment: a floating think tank where technologists, policy leaders, and migrants co-designed actionable solutions. It became a movement. Together, we helped deliver aid and coordination mechanisms to over 10 million people across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa—prototyping over 200 humanitarian innovations, many in collaboration with companies like Airbnb, Cisco, Google, and UBS.
But the work didn’t stop there.
In 2025, I launched CosmopolisApp based on the experiences made on Startupboats, a platform designed to scale global solidarity. Using a proprietary AI-driven matching algorithm, Cosmopolis connects people who need help with those who can provide help with a focus on changing systems. It’s a digital ecosystem for long-term empowerment.
Cosmopolis also gives helpers a chance to step in with meaning: by creating personalized profiles, they can offer skills, time, and knowledge to those navigating new lives in unfamiliar places. We're actively collaborating with women’s associations, intergovernmental organizations, grassroots networks, and forward-thinking corporations to keep the work embedded in real communities—and grounded in what actually works.
This is about building a future where no one is left waiting at the border. Where technology serves humanity—and connection is the currency of change.
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Giving Back to People
At the heart of my philanthropic work is the Schwarz Foundation, a family-rooted initiative dedicated to fostering cultural exchange, artistic freedom, and social transformation through the arts.
As part of our commitment to merging innovation with impact, we launched NFTs4Refugees with Solana —a groundbreaking platform that uses non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to support artists while raising critical funds for refugee initiatives. It's not just a fundraising tool. It’s a statement: that creativity, when backed by technology, can become a vehicle for justice.
Through NFTs4Refugees, we shine a spotlight on both emerging and established artists whose digital works carry powerful social narratives. We collaborate with collectors, curators, and digital art investors to build a global community that values not just aesthetic innovation—but purpose.
This project is a continuation of my mission: to design systems where culture becomes currency, tech becomes a bridge, and empathy becomes action.
Let's Connect
I believe in the power of collaboration to create sustainable change. If you're passionate about making a difference or have innovative ideas, I'd love to hear from you. Let's join forces to create a better tomorrow.