JULIA COLLINS
Founder & CEO,
Planet FWD
Julia Collins is the founder and CEO of Planet FWD, the leading decarbonization platform for the consumer industry. Empowering the next generation of sustainable brands through its proprietary data and software, Planet FWD reduces the cost and complexity of creating sustainable products. The platform provides consumer companies with the tools to understand and reduce their carbon footprint to align with The Paris Agreement.
The platform is inspired by Planet FWD’s own snack brand, Moonshot, which launched in 2020 as the first climate-friendly snack brand. Moonshot was recently acquired by Patagonia Provisions, a first for Patagonia in more than 20 years.
A serial entrepreneur, Julia previously co-founded Zume Pizza where she became the first Black woman “unicorn” when she created a venture-backed tech company valued at over a billion dollars. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, she served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Harlem Jazz Enterprises, which holds The Cecil, an Afro-Asian Brasserie, and Minton’s, a historic jazz supper club. While there, The Cecil won Best New Restaurant of the Year.
Earlier in her career, she built industry-leading food companies in New York City. Serving as a leader, she grew brands such as Union Square Hospitality Group, Mexicue and Murray’s Cheese.
In addition to leading Planet FWD, Julia sits on the Climate Collaborative board, the Food for Climate League board and the advisory council for Launch with GS. She is also an active angel investor focused on funding female entrepreneurs and BIPOC founders. Julia is also an Ambassador for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Julia holds a BA from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford. She resides in San Francisco with her 2 sons and partner.
Follow Julia on Instagram: @JuliaECollins | Twitter: @JuliaCollins | LinkedIn