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Julia Collins
Food tech entrepreneur
Julia Collins is a prominent food tech entrepreneur known for her innovative contributions to the industry. She is the co-founder of Zume Pizza, a pioneering company that integrates robotics and automation into the pizza-making process. Under her leadership, Zume Pizza became notable for its unique approach to food delivery, utilizing a patented cooking-on-the-go technology that ensures pizzas arrive fresh and flavorful. In 2018, Zume Pizza was valued at $2.25 billion, making Collins the first Black woman to co-found a unicorn company.13
Early Life and Education
Born in San Francisco, California, Collins graduated from Harvard University in 2001 with a degree in Government. She later earned her MBA from Stanford University in 2009.2
Career Highlights
Before founding Zume Pizza in 2015, Collins gained experience in the restaurant industry, co-founding Mexicue, a fast-casual restaurant chain, and serving in various roles including Director of Restaurant Development at Murray's Cheese and Vice President at Harlem Jazz Enterprises.14
In addition to her work with Zume, Collins founded Planet FWD in 2019, a company focused on sustainability in the food industry. Planet FWD aims to help brands understand and reduce their carbon footprints, and it launched the climate-friendly snack brand Moonshot Snacks.246
Advocacy and Impact
Collins is also an active advocate for diversity in entrepreneurship, serving on several boards and as an angel investor focused on funding women and BIPOC entrepreneurs. Her work reflects a commitment to not only advancing technology in food production but also addressing climate change through sustainable practices.35
Julia Collins continues to be a significant figure in the intersection of food technology and sustainability, driving initiatives that aim to make healthy food accessible while protecting the environment.
Highlights
Corporations are under pressure from consumers, regulators, and employees alike to show the outcomes of their sustainability pledges and commitments. The good news? There are now more opportunities than ever before for corporations to show the impact of these programs, like reducing employees' scope 3 work-from-home emissions and addressing scope 3 drivers in CPG product development. Lizzy Kolar of Scope Zero and I have submitted a #SXSW panel to discuss the innovative technology solutions leading the way in reducing corporations’ scope 3 emissions globally. Please support this important conversation by voting for our panel here: https://lnkd.in/eBrJRci6 We hope to see you in ATX!
Here's a surprising truth that we cannot afford to ignore:
The household sector contributes roughly 60% of GHG emissions globally. That number is closer to 80% in the United States!
If we want to tackle climate change, we must decarbonize the consumer goods industry because it's a big driver of household use. Everything that we eat, wear and bring into our homes is contributing massively to climate change.
At Planet FWD we are working to power a climate-friendly future with companies like Just Salad, Patagonia Provisions, Blue Apron, Ritual and Compass Group.
I’ve dedicated my career to tackling climate change and it's a privilege to support leading consumer companies to share this message of hope and possibility with the world.
Thanks to A&E Television Networks LLC for amplifying this message through the Voices Magnified Project.
You can watch my segment below and find other episodes from inspiring change makers on their website.
