Team

James has nearly 20 years of M&A and venture investing experience and has been a part of dozens of transactions amounting to billions of dollars. His journey has taken him through industry giants like Google, Yahoo!, A16Z, Square, and Cash App. James worked on key elements of the pioneering phase of Google Payments and initiated the corporate venture capital program at Cash App. Prior to joining PayPal, he invested in and worked with many high growth companies including Oura Health, Airware, Branch Metrics, Yellow Card, Satispay, Movii, and Color Health.

Why PayPal? James’ passion for fintech is deeply personal. His formative years were marked by summers working at an ice cream shop and a florist. Those small businesses, brimming with entrepreneurial energy and community, left an indelible mark. This early influence continues to shape his investment philosophy today, inspiring him to back fintech solutions that elevate SMBs globally. In addition to SMBs, James’ other areas of focus are Fintech innovations in Consumer products and in Africa.

When James isn’t trying to keep up with his 3 children, he spends winters snowboarding and summers wake surfing. In his free time, he is pursuing a master’s degree in liberal arts as he chases his dream to be a high school history teacher when he grows up.

PayPal Ventures Companies:

Anzu, Arkose Labs, Extend, Flutterwave, Northstar, Tala, Viva Republica (Toss)

• Open LinkedIn Page of James Loftus

Ashish is a partner focused on fintech investments, across EMEA, India and South East Asia. At PayPal Ventures, he focuses on B2B fintech and software, including payments, financial infrastructure, regtech and SMB tools. 

He joined PayPal Ventures in early 2017, after five years at Deutsche Bank advising payments companies on inorganic growth opportunities to launch new products and/or open new markets.

Ashish has completed all three levels of the CFA Program, has a BS in Electronics from IIT Roorkee, and a MBA from IIM Lucknow.

Why PayPal?

• People: get to work with the best investors and people in the profession, who make working at PPV fun and inspiring!

• Global mandate: opportunity to back founders irrespective of where they might be. All investment decisions are made by the same IC

• Global strategic relationships: founders get to tap into our locally relevant network of partners to unlock product and commercial partnerships

• Collaboration with PayPal Inc: the PPV team, as well as PPV founders get to benefit from practical/daily life insights and challenges of running a global fintech and payments company at scale

Ashish is excited by founders that are working to build products to replace the legacy guts of the financial services and payments value chain globally. In his free time, you can find Ashish in London parks, spending time with his toddler daughter.

Ashish believes that innovation in payments/fintech can lower the barriers to participate in global economy (e.g., real-time digital remittances) as well as spring up positive second order benefits to the original innovation (e.g., ability to underwrite for personal loans based on history of UPI payments data in India).

PayPal Ventures Companies:

Aspire, Codat, Cymbio, Mintoak, Modulr, Monese, OysterHR, Paymob, Stitch, StreamElements, Tabby, Tink

• Open LinkedIn Page of Ashish Aggarwal

Amman is a partner at PayPal Ventures, where he focuses on fintech, crypto, commerce enablement, and enterprise SaaS.

Prior to PayPal, Amman co-founded a lending company & originated $10M+ of loans across small businesses. Before that, he was an associate at Propel Venture Partners, where he invested in and worked with companies including TravelBank, Personal Capital, Taulia, Earnest, Neon, and more. Prior to Propel, Amman started his career in investment banking at Keefe Bruyette & Woods (KBW), where he worked with fintech & financial services clients on M&A and capital raising engagements. Amman holds a B.S. in Finance from NYU.

Growing up in an entrepreneurial & global family, Amman has always had a passion for business & disruptive tech since a very young age. At 14 he made his first dollars on the internet via Google Adsense – and he was hooked. He opened his PayPal/eBay account in 2005 (using his mom's name because he was too young) and sold all sorts of gaming related items. Since then he's experimented with launching businesses across retail, ecommerce, lending and more.

Why PayPal? Amman is excited by PayPal Ventures because its an investing platform that has unique global perspective across the intersection of fintech, commerce, and crypto that also has the strategic muscle to aid founders on their entrepreneurial journey.

PayPal Ventures Companies:

Anchorage Digital, Anzu, Aptos, Chaos Labs, FORDEFI, Layer Zero, Mesh, Paxos, Talos, Taxbit, TRM 

• Open LinkedIn Page of Amman Bhasin

Ian is as a Partner at PayPal Ventures where he leads fintech investments in the Americas. Ian returned to PayPal in 2022, after leading corporate venture arms of Synchrony Financial and BBVA. In Ian’s prior role at PayPal, he led strategic planning for PayPal’s Latin America team. Originally from Santiago, Chile, Ian is active in supporting the growth of the LATAM fintech ecosystem and is passionate about all things consumer finance, banking-as-a-service, embedded payments and commerce.

Why PayPal? Through his investing career, Ian has seen first-hand how finance can and should be a force for good in people’s lives. PayPal’s commitment to financial access and inclusion provides Ian with a unique vantage point for investing in next generation of companies that will have a major impact on financial wellness and upward mobility.

When he’s not speaking to founders, you can find Ian on the sidelines either cheering or coaching his two sons in the multiple sports endeavors.

PayPal Ventures Companies:

Forage, Neon, NocNoc, Prometeo, Xepelin

• Open LinkedIn Page of Ian Cox

Alan is a partner at PayPal Ventures, focused on enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, e-commerce infrastructure, and AI investments. Before joining PayPal Ventures in 2020, Alan served as the Head of Operations for Greater China at Docker. He opened Docker’s first office in Asia and drove major commercial agreements with local partners. Before Docker, Alan was an early team member at the Washington D.C.-based growth equity firm Revolution and invested across Enterprise SaaS and Tech-Enabled Services. Alan holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Why PayPal? Alan was attracted to PayPal Ventures as it was a way for him to apply his global experience and investing/operating background to a fund with a true global operating model and a focus on founder support. He is enthusiastic about helping his founders explore partnerships with PayPal, and as well as accessing the SME network across the company.

PayPal Ventures Companies:

Cart.com, DeepInstinct, Magic, Mine, Rasa, Resale, SafeBreach, Skipify, Thoropass, TrueML

• Open LinkedIn Page of Alan Du

Elisabeth is the Operating Partner at PayPal Ventures, where she and her team are responsible for portfolio management & support; marketing, events, and communications; fund operations and performance tracking; and PPV’s fund of funds portfolio. Elisabeth has over a decade of global experience in operations, enterprise sales, and corporate strategy. Prior to PayPal Ventures, Elisabeth spent 6 years at Visa where she managed a portfolio of global merchant accounts and led merchant business development for the Nordics and France / Benelux. She began her career in corporate strategy, focusing on post M&A integration and strategy. Elisabeth holds a Bachelor of Science in business from MIT, and she lives in London.

Why PayPal? Elisabeth came to PayPal Ventures to combine her background in strategy and enterprise sales with the opportunity to work with leading entrepreneurs. She enjoys working alongside a diverse set of founders working to scale and navigate the global ecommerce ecosystem.

In her free time, Elisabeth enjoys travelling, cooking, skiing, reading, and live music, and she always welcomes new book and band recommendations!

• Open LinkedIn Page of Elisabeth Granger

Lisha is at PayPal Ventures, where she leads the Economic Opportunity Fund, the $100M investment into diverse emerging fund managers.  She leads to identify and assess investment opportunities, manage risk, and drive returns with an ESG  perspective.   She has built and invested in fintech products that changed consumer transaction behavior from point of sale, e-commerce, or peer-to-peer payments.  Prior roles with PayPal, she  led Product  for the Financially Underserved Segment and  Pay with Venmo product. Prior to Paypal, she worked at Wells Fargo, Kohl’s, Feedzai  in various payments related roles, where she built the earliest digital financial products like online banking, bill pay,  and digital wallets. 


Why PayPal? With Lisha’s fintech background, PayPal was a natural choice for a corporate home. She came to PayPal to launch the Venmo commercial product for leading mobile merchants like Uber and Hulu. In 2020, Lisha was a lead for the Black ERG at PayPal and led the response for racial equity $535M commitment. Through that effort, Lisha was able to transition from product to venture capital. PayPal provides wonderful opportunities within its strong network for employees and firms alike. In related fashion, Lisha also leads the PayPal Ventures Advisor network, a group of internal SMEs dedicated to leveraging their expertise to support the PayPal ventures portfolio.

Lisha is excited about  building  and investing in products that serve community needs  to bridge the capital divide.

In her spare time she enjoys traveling, cooking, and dancing, all while balancing motherhood duties with her  daughter.

Find Lisha in the studio as the host of the Sisters with Ventures Podcast that aims to tell the stories of women of color in VC.

• Open LinkedIn Page of Lisha Bell

Alexandros is a London-based Principal primarily focused on PayPal Ventures’ investments in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. He draws from his decade long experience as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan, as a fintech- and insurtech-focused investor at Portage Ventures, as a senior product- and growth-focused leader at insurtech unicorn CLARK and as an early-stage generalist investor at La Famiglia VC. He’s a strategic thinker with specific expertise in supporting scale-ups as a growth hacker and excited to continue supporting the growth of the EMEA and APAC fintech and insurtech ecosystems. Investments to date include Finanzguru (PayPal Ventures), as well as CLARK, Hellas Direct, Kin Insurance and Wealthsimple (Portage Ventures). Alexandros is most excited by product-led founders who are democratizing access to insurance and financial services.

In his free time, you can find Alexandros with his spouse and dogs, playing board games like Catan or Rummikub, swimming or enjoying a movie with friends.

Why PayPal? One of the world’s only “true” global venture investors (single IC; one-team approach) provides the investment team with a very unique lens on emerging trends across markets. A financial-returns driven mandate differentiates PayPal Ventures from other CVCs given its ability, flexibility and mandate to back the world’s most ambitious founders and companies, and the investment team's unique ability to leverage the broader institutional knowledge on all things fintech, commerce, cyber-security and beyond.

PayPal Ventures Companies: 

Finanzguru, Qoala, NX Technologies

• Open LinkedIn Page of Alexandros Bottenbruch

Spencer is excited to be a member of the PayPal Ventures operations team as an Operations Manager. Spencer holds 10 years of experience across operations, finance, and reporting roles with a focus on internal optimization. He has spent a majority of of his career at Netflix where Spencer grew the Travel and Expense organization from a single-man team to a global organization supporting over 20K employees. His focus has always been implementing operational systems and helping scale internal processes during periods of rapid growth.

Why PayPal? Spencer is thrilled to move into the venture capital and the fintech space by joining a high-performance organization like PayPal Ventures. He is passionate about supporting PayPal’s mission to democratize financial services and it is an exciting challenge to join a talented ventures team. Spencer is passionate to support the PayPal Ventures team in its mission to invest in the next generation of fintech companies and leaders.

In Spencer’s free time, you can find him on the jiu jitsu mats in the Bay Area or running in the Santa Cruz mountains. He finds intense exercise after a day of work a great way to recharge to perform his best.

• Open LinkedIn Page of Spencer Chase

Parisa is an Operations Manager at PayPal Ventures, with a focus on connectivity between our investment portfolio and PayPal business units. Coming from PayPal's Developer Experiences Product team, Parisa brings with her a wealth of experience overseeing API experiences and nurturing the developer community. Her passion for driving impact through the exchange of ideas and cultivating strategic connections between groups made her transition to Ventures a natural next step in her PayPal career.

Why PayPal? PayPal is uniquely positioned to improve access to financial services across an immense geography of both consumers and merchants. Parisa is excited to leverage this strong network to add even more value to the PayPal Ventures portfolio.Outside of work, she enjoys trying new East Bay and San Francisco restaurants, reading paperbacks, and traveling with friends.

• Open LinkedIn Page of Parisa Mirzadegan

Denise is an Executive Assistant at PayPal Ventures supporting James Loftus. She provides optimal support for the team with scheduling and their day-to-day operations. She has a passion for helping businesses reach their goals and thrive in the competitive markets. Prior to joining PayPal, she worked at start-up firms for several years as an event specialist.

In her free time, you can find Denise outdoors with her goldendoodle Theo, at a Warriors game with her partner during basketball season, traveling, or in the kitchen whipping up new dishes.

Why PayPal? PayPal’s core values and mission is genuine, the companies’ culture is one Denise deeply admires. You will work with the brightest minds and innovative professionals from all walks of life who are deeply committed to making a difference in the lives of our customers. Our culture encourages a diverse and inclusive workplace that values success and hard work.

• Open LinkedIn Page of Denise Robles

Rachel is an Operations Manager at PayPal Ventures where she focuses on platform development and value creation across the portfolio. Her passion for championing founders began in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Rachel scaled startup projects across media, healthcare, and retail. Her mission to "demystify Silicon Valley" led her to Plug and Play Tech Center where she redesigned and led the largest global insurtech accelerator program and managed a startup ecosystem of nearly 300 companies—supporting her entrepreneurs in efforts across fundraising strategy, commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, and market expansion.

Why PayPal? The PayPal community is like no other. With its massive global reach, network of best in class SMEs, and commitment to democratizing financial services, PayPal and PayPal Ventures are primed for redefining corporate venture. Rachel is excited to elevate innovative products and teams through the PayPal ecosystem.

In her spare time, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading, and supporting performing arts across New York City. On any given Saturday, you can probably find her lost in a museum or downtown catching a live band or two.

• Open LinkedIn Page of Rachel Sapienza

Rachel brings a unique perspective to investing, drawing on over a decade of experience as an operator. Her background spans a multitude of functions including marketing & communications, M&A, and product strategy. As an operator, Rachel honed her ability to move quickly and adopt a scrappy approach. These experiences now shape her interactions with founders. She thoroughly enjoys rolling up her sleeves and getting in the weeds, especially when it comes to GTM, Marketing, Sales, and fundraising strategies. Rachel is excited about investing in companies who are innovating in fintech, commerce enablement, and consumer ecosystems.

Why PayPal? Beyond her investment pursuits, Rachel is deeply committed to amplifying underrepresented voices. She was part of the team that helped PayPal deploy $100 million to 19 minority-led venture capital funds. She continues to work on improving, elevating, and championing diversity in the VC ecosystem.

Outside of work, Rachel's insatiable curiosity keeps her constantly learning. In fact, she never isn't consuming media: podcasts, newsletters, garbage television, even actual books. Rachel can be found playing tennis in Prospect Park, making not-very-good-but-somewhat-functional pottery, and jogging alongside her adorable but naughty dog.

PayPal Ventures Companies:

Extend, Forage, Jetty, Northstar, Tabby

• Open LinkedIn Page of Rachel Zabronsky

Rachel’s passion in helping tech companies and founder led her career to Ventures team at PayPal. Previously Rachel has been focusing on growth-stage Enterprise and Fintech investment. She is interested in infrastructure, cyber, privacy, SMB & Vertical SaaS, and ecommerce enablement. As cyber attack events are emerging, every company needs to be well-protected, especially financial services and FinTech companies. She believes strongly in the importance of privacy— the dilemma between owning your personal data and e-commerce companies using your personal data to train a more accurate model.

Why PayPal? PayPal offers a great platform for Rachel to connect the ventures community with PayPal’s ecosystem. As an investor, she is proud to tell the founders how supportive the PayPal ecosystem is, especially the Venture Advisor Network. Besides capital, startup operators are looking for design partnership opportunities, operation advice, and product feedback, all of which can be delivered at PayPal.

Rachel is excited by founders who care about their customers and employees, team members who have worked together for a long time, and products that solve real problems and provide high ROIs to customers. She looks for founders that can earn customers’ trust.

In her free time, you can find Rachel reading, cooking, painting, and traveling.

PayPal Ventures Companies:

DeepInstinct, Rasa, Mine, NocNoc

• Open LinkedIn Page of Rachel Zhao