Hi, I’m Julia Velloso.
In over a dozen years as Executive Coach and Head of People, I’ve sat on the executive team to scale a startup 10x in revenue, built out two functions at Airbnb during its growth from $1B to $25B in valuation, and coached leaders across early-stage and established organizations — from Airbnb, Adobe, and Google to fintech and web3, post-Series-B climate tech, and non-profits.
I’m the coach in your corner when you need clarity, gravitas, slowing down, or a kick in the pants. A blend of strategic advising and leadership coaching, I work with clients on leadership chops, organizational resilience, and operational excellence.
I work with CEOs and cofounders, Heads of People, and growing leaders. Through our work together, my clients report greater clarity for organizational goals and growth, greater ease in leading teams, and stronger outcomes while feeling energized in the process.
Fun facts… I grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, and spent a few years in my 20s leading cycling tours in France. I’m based in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. When I’m not biking or kicking a ball around with my two boys, you’ll find me baking focaccia or brownies, running, or picking up a new hobby (most recently, finishing my first triathlon).
Tools
My Approach
I bring 3 areas of expertise to the forefront in my coaching and advising work:
Coaching
I was the first internal coach at Airbnb, and have coached leaders at 30+ organizations from scrappy startup to post-Series-B growth to established tech.
I’m a learner and relentless optimist with a bias for action. My work combines interpersonal awareness and strategic thinking with tactical operational tools to support you in driving action and impact.
Teams
The effectiveness of teams is a force multiplier or mitigator. Every leader needs the right ingredients and sequence to help their team thrive and do great work.
I’ve designed and led learning and leadership programs at Airbnb, and numerous other companies across tech, pharma, healthcare tech, fintech, and non-profits.
Operations
As 2x Head of People (and other fractional roles) on the executive team, I’ve built out the People function, built teams, downsized teams, led comms, and coached CEOs.
Previously, I spent a decade in other operations roles, including running a marketing department, workforce planning for Airbnb’s scaling Customer Experience team, and business development for a startup in Paris.
Operations
As 2x Head of People (and other fractional roles) on the executive team, I’ve built out the People function, built teams, downsized teams, led comms, and coached CEOs.
Previously, I spent a decade in other operations roles, including running a marketing department, workforce planning for Airbnb’s scaling Customer Experience team, and business development for a startup in Paris.