Palona AI Appoints Alison Templin as Vice President of Sales to Accelerate Enterprise Growth

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PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 12, 2026--

Palona AI, a leader in Real-World AI solutions for the restaurant industry, today announced the appointment of Alison Templin as Vice President of Sales. The hire strengthens Palona’s enterprise go-to-market leadership as the company scales its AI-powered platform across restaurant brands nationwide.

Templin brings more than eight years of experience building and scaling high-performing sales organizations at DoorDash, where she led enterprise and mid-market partnerships at the intersection of restaurants, technology, and operations. In her new role, she will oversee Palona’s sales strategy and execution as demand accelerates for AI-driven operational automation across voice, vision, and workflow intelligence.

Her appointment follows a period of strong momentum for Palona, including recent product launches spanning Voice AI, Vision AI, and Catering AI, expansion to national restaurant locations across approximately 30 brands, a strategic partnership with Toast, and national media coverage highlighting Palona’s Real-World AI approach.

“It is a big victory to welcome Alison Templin to Palona as our VP of Sales,” said Maria Zhang, Co-Founder and CEO of Palona AI. “After more than eight years at DoorDash, Alison brings deep experience scaling go-to-market teams at the intersection of restaurants, technology, and operations. She understands what it takes to earn operator trust and turn innovative technology into real, measurable outcomes.”

“Palona is at a pivotal stage of growth, and that’s my favorite time to come in and contribute,” said Alison Templin, Vice President of Sales at Palona AI. “I am particularly impressed by the founding team’s vision and experience, the technical brilliance of the product, and the opportunity to continue serving an industry I care deeply about.”

Templin continued: “Palona’s approach to simplifying operations and driving sales uniquely positions us to support restaurants’ top and bottom lines. I look forward to helping ensure the continued success of our industry through Palona’s AI-powered toolkit.”

Templin is joined by Tacoi Sumler, Senior Enterprise Sales Leader at Palona, who brings deep expertise in the restaurant and POS ecosystem. Sumler previously partnered with Templin at DoorDash back in 2018, where they helped build and scale the company’s SMB and mid-market sales organizations.

Founded by former engineering leaders from Google and Meta, Palona AI delivers emotionally intelligent AI agents designed to enhance guest experience, increase revenue, and streamline restaurant operations. The company’s Real-World AI platform integrates Voice AI for phone ordering, Vision AI for operational intelligence, and Catering AI for managing large, complex orders. Palona has raised $10 million in seed funding and serves restaurant brands across the United States.

About Palona AI

Palona AI is a leading provider of Real-World AI solutions for the restaurant industry. Founded by former engineering leaders from Google and Meta, Palona offers a comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools including Voice AI, Vision AI, and Catering AI to help restaurants operate more efficiently while delivering exceptional customer experiences. Learn more at www.palona.ai.

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KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RESTAURANT/BAR RETAIL TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOFTWARE

SOURCE: Palona AI

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PUB: 01/12/2026 09:00 AM/DISC: 01/12/2026 09:03 AM

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