Paula Gould Awarded with 2026 Vertonet Incentive award

Paula Gould was awarded the 2026 Vertonet Incentive Award in May during Hvatningardagur 2026. Indiana Líf Bergsteinsdóttir presented the award. In her speech, she said of Paula:

Paula is one of those people who doesn’t just talk about inclusion,
She builds infrastructure for it.

As co-founder of WomenTechIceland,
She has helped grow it into a strong, active community, not just in Iceland, but internationally.

Through her work, she has also helped connect Iceland’s tech industry
to global networks and opportunities.

But what really stands out isn’t just what she’s built it’s how she builds.

Bringing people together in ways that actually matter.
Creating space not just for conversation, but for connection.

And making sure that women and non-binary people
are part of the foundation not an afterthought.

The work and advocacy she does in Iceland is a continuation of the work she did in other places before she moved here.

Paula was nominated by multiple people this year
All highlighting the same thing:
her impact, her generosity, and the way she consistently lifts others up.”

Paula’s speech upon receiving the award

Thank you to the voting committee, Vertonet and its board for this unexpected acknowledgement, as well as those who mentioned my name in rooms I was not in and nominated me for this. I am honored to be placed among a group of women who I respect, collaborate with, and who have likewise mutually supported common initiatives and goals.  

The work we do at WomenTechIceland is an extension of my belief, our beliefs, that the tech industry like society, is best when it is diverse, inclusive and creates a platform for belonging. I believe I may be the first immigrant executive and community leader to receive this award. For that I am really touched, and honored to be the first of what I expect will be many more alongside their Icelandic peers in the future. 

I want to specifically acknowledge Valenttina Griffin, who is my equal partner on this journey over the past 9 years, and for several years before this chapter. She has become my close friend and confident. Valenttina is a mechanical engineer, pilot, data scientist, repeat founder, and leader in inclusive, fair hiring practices, and was part of the STEM community of Iceland well before I arrived 15 years ago. Her candor, perspectives, commitment, accomplishments, and wit, often lead the organization and me, frankly, through tough decisions and remarkable opportunities.

I want to shout out the ladies in the group chat. You’ve saved me so many times.

Likewise, I’d like to acknowledge Armina Ilea, whose idea it was to start a women-focused organization to connect with other folks, particularly women, as there was a gap at the time, despite successful communities existing beforehand. She brought the idea to me when her then boss, a guy,  could not see the value in it. I ended up championing and growing that initiative with her, and a very large group of women from across nearly every enterprise and startup company in the Reykjavik area then. 

It grew to one of the largest communities here. It was the impetus for what you all now know as WomenTechIceland. Armina became a founding board member of WomenTechIceland along with Kathryn Gunnarsson and Eva Dögg Steingrímsdóttir.

Since, we have had the immense pleasure of welcoming exceptional leaders like Randi Stebbins, Ingsa Thormundsdottir, Thora Óskarsdóttir, Alondra Silva, Ósk Heiða Sveinsdottir, Payal Shah, and our current board chair Olöf Kristjánsdóttir.

Together, with the full support of the many truly genius people in our community and across our partner communities, such as Vertonet, Ský Ada, /sys/tur, Women in AI and others, we have all significantly grown our reach, and amplified Iceland’s innovation sector, and the women and non-binary folks leading it internationally. 

Importantly, as Vertonet is doing alongside us, we’ve collaborated across STEM and non-technology segments of Icelandic society and communities outside of Iceland to mutually learn, share and celebrate each other, showing that all sorts of expertise and perspectives drive innovation forward. Last week, for example, we welcomed Indigenous founders to Iceland from Northern Canada First Nations, through our partnership with EntrepreNorth and the Embassy of Canada, because we can’t discuss Artic Innovation without Indigenous Innovation. We will travel to the Yukon to continue this learning and sharing later this year.

As WomenTechIceland brings together our new board, Valenttina and I are stepping back from our board responsibilities, to focus on very specific initiatives within our community, and to create space for new leaders, with new ideas, to take things forward as we enter our 10th year. 

Someone once called WomenTechIceland an immigrant organization, which at the time I found fascinating, particularly considering we had never branded ourselves this way, and the majority of folks in our community to this day are Icelandic. But it showed us that as immigrant founders, it was critical for us to continue to be visible, and to continue to create visibility opportunities for other folks who may not always get the chance to let their expertise shine, whether they are immigrants, folks with disabilities, folks from the LGBTQIA community, people of color, Icelanders who moved home from abroad or from the countryside– the full spectrum of our beautiful, diverse Iceland. 

It became a mission to connect with people from across the entirety of the STEM community, to remove barriers of entry,  and demonstrate that yes, immigrants can found and lead Icelandic organizations, and that doesn’t make them any less Icelandic. Rather, that visibility, and visibility for those throughout the communities we all represent show the true potential of Icelandic society when all of us are not only included, and visible, but belong in spaces where we are leading, changing perceptions, and collaborating together. 

I saw Fida Abu Libdeh speak last week. I have not stopped thinking about an anecdote she shared which she punctuated by saying “they still don’t expect me.” I implore all of us here today, to respect each other, and in honor of Fida, expect each other. 
I want to take a moment to thank the investors who invest in women, and non-binary founders. I have worked with, mentored, joined, and offered to co-found so many great women-led companies and initiatives here in Iceland. SO MANY. Most recently with Heiðrún Ósk Sigfúsdóttir at Catecut. But few still get the funding they need to scale their ideas. I particularly want to shout out the investors who do not demand women and non-binary founders be on mixed founding teams in order to get funding. It’s a great concept, but when the overwhelming majority of funding goes to all men founding teams, and mixed teams with majority men, then mixed teams are likely the future, but right now women and non-binary founders need cash. Today. That said, men, do keep co-founding with women and non-binary founders in the mean time. Be the change too. 

Finally, I’d like to also thank my family, both the one I was born into who fostered my deep sense of independence and who taught me my gender shouldn’t ever be the barrier. To the family I created, my husband Grimur who often takes on my share of our joint responsibilities so I can volunteer my time. I brought my kids here today because I think it’s important that since they are witness to the challenging days, they can also see how that work, stress and challenge can be rewarded.   

Thank you once again, and see you at  Breakfast Club.