Venture capitalist Eric Paley accepts Mass. econ post

What they're saying: Paley tells Axios that the first outreach was from Yvonne Hao (ex-PillPack, Cove Hill Partners), shortly after she announced plans to step down from the post.

• "She said she was going to put me at the top of a short list requested by Governor [Maura] Healey, but that I could tell them no," he recalls. "My reply was that I could tell her no now and tell them no later. I felt I had the perfect career set-up."
• "But then I truly couldn't sleep that night, thinking about making a bigger societal impact and how this was an opportunity for me to serve within the constraints of what I'm good at and in a community I care deeply about."
• By the next morning, he wanted in and began doing research.

Look ahead: Paley will step down from his Founder Collective boards and won't do any firm business while in public service.

• Neither he nor the firm has made decisions about whether he'll eventually return — the timing of which may be impacted by whether or not Healey is reelected next November.