Meet the team behind Paai

CEO

Hi, I'm Delya Jansen, the partnership maverick behind Paai. For over 15 years, I've been in the trenches of partnership management, back when it wasn't even a real job title. My journey started as a sales rep at Supermicro, where I spotted an opportunity to partner with storage-defined startups to create complete solutions and compete with the big players. Since then, I've navigated the worlds of software, hardware, cloud, and SaaS, always taking on roles where I had to build partnerships from scratch. My specialty? Transforming companies with zero partnership strategy into powerhouses, driving 25%+ of revenue from partners in record time. Now, as CEO and co-founder of Paai, I'm on a mission to revolutionize how companies make partnering decisions. I've distilled my years of hands-on experience into a game-changing platform that simplifies the complex world of tech partnerships. My goal is to empower partnership managers with a tool I wish I had when I was starting out – one that helps them excel in their roles, make smarter decisions faster, and unlock the full potential of strategic collaborations.

VP Of Engineering

Hi, I'm Ali Rashidifar, VP of Engineering at Paai. Over the past 15 years, I've built four companies from the ground up, with two successful exits under my belt. I guess you could say I have an eye for spotting a good startup opportunity when I see one. I've known Delya Jansen for nearly 20 years, and while I never quite understood the world of partnerships, I always admired her passion. One day, she called me with an exciting update: she had started her own company and developed a proven formula for successful partnerships. The problem? Her formula still took 3-4 months to implement. That's when I had an idea. I told Delya, "What you need is a 'calculator' for your formula, and it's called AI." From that moment, we spent countless hours strategizing how to build this "calculator" and perfect her formula. Fast forward to now, I'm here as VP of Engineering, helping Delya and Ilya turn this vision into reality. At Paai, my goal is to leverage the latest advancements in AI technology to build the next billion-dollar partnership SaaS solution.

COO

Hi, I'm Jason Scott. Former Olympic athlete turned tech executive, and now Chief Operating Officer at Paai. My journey into the world of partnerships started after years of leading high-performance teams both on the field and in the boardroom. As SVP of Alliances & Channels, I built global partner ecosystems that delivered real impact, not just logos on a slide. From scaling startup programs to driving multi-billion-dollar revenue motions, I've always believed the right partnerships unlock growth others can't see. I joined Paai first as a beta customer, where I immediately saw the power of what Delya was building. Not another SaaS tool, but an AI-powered platform designed to make partnerships predictable, impactful, and fully aligned with business goals. I rolled up my sleeves, brought in my entire org to test the product, and helped shape one of its core features: Partner Sourcing. Now, as Chief Operating Officer, I'm committed to helping turn Delya's vision into reality. My focus is on building an exceptional company, one that relentlessly executes on our mission, supports world-class product strategy and go-to-market, and empowers every team at Paai to achieve their best work. I'm dedicated to fostering a culture of focus, discipline, and continuous improvement, helping translate ambitious ideas into meaningful results. And yes, before all this, I was fortunate to represent the U.S. Men's Rowing Team at the Olympics. Now, I channel that same drive every day to help Paai, and our customers, win big by transforming how great companies partner and grow.

Data Scientist

Hi, I'm Addison Smee, the first non-founder employee here at Paai. While I am the newest to partnerships, I've had my hands in just about every part of this company over the past few months and I have seen first hand the need for our products. Every area of the partnership process needs assistance and we're here to do just that, from discovery to attribution, Paai leads the way. With the role of Data Scientist, I am working to build out our proprietary data lake and pipeline infrastructure to enhance our products across the board. Not only expanding our scope but also the depth and detail of our insights. In today's age data has become a keystone part of any successful product and I am confident that the value Paai provides is backed by data unmatched by anyone else in the field. The best part is that our data driven insights only get stronger as we grow!

Advisory Board Member

Hi, I'm Rik Tamm-Daniels. Advisory Board Member at Paai. I've spent over two decades helping some of the world's most trusted technology companies and fastest-growing startups turn emerging technologies into enterprise-ready innovation. As GVP of Strategic Ecosystems & Technology at Informatica, I lead global alliances with top hyperscalers and AI platforms, driving co-innovation across data, AI, and cloud ecosystems. What excites me most about Paai is how it's redefining what's possible in partnerships. In my advisory role, I'm focused on helping the team build a strategic foundation for ecosystem-led growth. Applying best practices from decades of alliance leadership to help Paai and its customers unlock new value through trusted data, smart automation, and co-innovation.

Advisory Board Member

Hi, I'm Steve Hellin, Advisory Board Member at Paai. I started working with the Paai team early on, when they were first shaping the company's strategy, and re-engaged when they launched the product. In my advisory role, I'm focused on helping Paai expand into new vertical tech markets like construction tech and supply chain, and advising the team on the best practices and trends shaping those emerging markets. I've spent my career growing B2B software companies through strategic alliances, channel sales, and technology partnerships, with stops at PwC, IBM, and Trimble. As Head of Growth and Partnerships at Pegbo and Chief Partner Officer at Partner Builders Group, I help construction tech companies build the partner ecosystems they need to scale. At Trimble, I grew the partner ecosystem to more than 50 partners, launched an integration marketplace with more than 100 products, and tripled partnership ARR.

Advisory Board Member

Hi, I'm Eron Sunando, Advisory Board Member at Paai. I've seen firsthand that most partner tools report activity but don't prove partner value. Paai changes that by tying partnerships directly to company goals and real outcomes. In my advisory role, I'm focused on helping Paai position its value to the broader executive team, including CFOs and CROs, so partnerships are seen as a strategic investment that drives measurable growth. For more than two decades I've led revenue, go-to-market, and partner ecosystems at companies including Asana, Conversica, Salesforce, IBM, and Barclays, working across the US, Japan, and Asia Pacific. As Global Head of Channels & Alliances at Asana, I built a new partner program and grew revenue through AWS Marketplace and global channel sellers. Before that, as CRO of Conversica, I drove a 20% revenue increase through partnerships with Salesforce, Deloitte, and Microsoft.