Verde's CEO Paul Sarzoza is a second generation American-Hispanic. As the son of an immigrant worker, Paul grew up working in agricultural fields picking produce with his father to help support their family.  He remembers the poor treatment of workers and envisioned a day when he would manage others with the dignity and respect that was not always afforded to his father.  

Paul's dad tragically passed away when he was a teenager and his mother took on 3 jobs to make ends meet. Her sacrifices allowed Paul to become a first generation college graduate. Paul received a football scholarship to attend Northern Arizona University and obtained a degree in Business Management.

Using his education and life experiences, Paul enjoyed a 25-year career in various leadership roles within facilities services. This led him to Verde in 2020 when he partnered with his childhood friend and entrepreneur, Steve Vizzerra. Fortunately, Verde was able to thrive through the pandemic and in 2022 the two friends accepted an award for being one of the Fastest-Growing Minority-Owned Businesses in the U.S.  To top it all off, the President of the United States of America shared Paul's story which landed Verde in the news and led to a personal invitation to the White House to attend the State of the Union Address in 2023. Truly, an American Dream story!