About Their Business & Career: Hailing from New Zealand, Tim Brown found himself wondering why merino wool—a natural and renewable fiber—wasn’t being utilized as a material for shoes. Brown worked with Joey Zwillinger to create a wool fabric that would become signature to Allbirds, thus creating a new type of shoe—one that utilized natural materials instead of synthetic ones.
Why They Made the Worthy 100: Brown and Zwillinger made it their mission to not only utilize sustainable materials in their shoes, but also to consider the environment throughout their business. Allbirds is a certified B Corp, uses 90 percent post-consumer recycled cardboard and works with nonprofit Soles4Souls, which collects gently used shoes, like the ones from Allbirds, and clothing and then helps people around the world launch businesses where they sell these donated items, thus empowering communities and giving the shoes another life. They are very dedicated to sustainability, having rolled out their Allbirds Flight Plan, listing their sustainability commitments. Brown and Zwillinger are working to reduce Allbirds’ carbon footprint with the goal of getting it to almost zero by 2030. Additionally, they are already 100 percent carbon neutral.
Industry: Retail/Fashion
Year Founded: 2012
Headquarters: San Francisco, Calif.
