Spotlight: Female Founders Creating a More Diverse Future

Mar 16, 2022

3

min read

Climate Salad is a proud champion of female founders. Globally, only 9.5% of Climate Tech founders are female, however in Climate Salad we more than double that with 25.9% of companies founded by women. Closing the gender and diversity gap speaks to the core of our mission: to facilitate a significant, global scale, positive change on the environment by helping climate tech companies grow. Four of our female founders highlight their journeys in climate tech and speak about the importance of equal gender and diversity opportunities.

Natalie Sarau - Forkful

Motherhood was the catalyst for a change in career direction when faced with the realisation if we don’t look after the planet today, we’ll be leaving nothing for our future generations. Natalie, through Forkful, aims to reduce food waste in the food service sector by connecting hospitality venues and food retailers with surplus food that would otherwise end up in the bin, to deal-hungry consumers – a win for the venue, the consumer and the environment.

‍Lauren Branson - Your Food Collective

Lauren's founder journey was inspired by her children. She became more invested in the future, and with five kids some would say she is heavily invested! Lauren dug deep, rescued her passion, bought herself some time and is now the CEO of Your Food Collective. Lauren is passionate about food that has the power to save the planet… not in a fancy way, just fresh, wholesome food, gown in healthy land and eaten simply between friends. But in our busy lives it's really hard to find fresh, local food that's been grown sustainability. We drive past it on road trips; the odd farm-gate sale, a local fish co-op. Producers are selling it once a month at local farmers markets and we see photos of it growing in foodie magazines.

But in reality, how does that help Your Food Collective dish up three solid meals a day? Along with co-founder and cousin Cara, Lauren has created a tastier, fairer, healthier food system that's actually saving the planet. Help us regenerate our way of life through food. Food that's been grown locally and sustainably by producers you know. Food that's actually saving the planet (but that's another story).

Cara Cooper - Your Food Collective

Cara enjoyed in a promising corporate job, but not a day went by when she didn’t stop to ask, am I passionate about this? It’s that cliché that Your Food Collective CEO Lauren talks about: there had to be something more. On a family weekend away listening to Lauren talk passionately about Your Food Collective, Cara knew it was something she had to be a part of, and is now COO of the company. Cara spent many a holiday trawling local markets, and knows the smells, colours, textures, tastes inspires you to shop and eat like that all the time, so why can’t we? Australia is lucky to have some of the best produce in the world, why does it seem so unaccessible? Your Food Collective is an amazing opportunity for Cara to connect directly with the people at the heart of our food chain, making local easy for everyone. Her role combines her passion to help people by supporting amazing local producers and creating a sustainable food system.

‍Allys Todd

Meet the cofounder and CE of ValAi - Allys has a Bachelor of Technology (earth sciences) from Flinders University and has worked in climate science and natural capital for over 20 years with a Prime Minister's Award for community and business partnership. Allys has worked in senior leadership on impact driven projects across government, corporate business, for-purpose and non-profit sectors on nature conservation, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Allys is a brain tumour survivor and acts as an ambassador for the Neurosurgical Research Foundation of Australia. Allys is a strong supporter of reducing the gender investment gap and an active member of SheEO, UBS Global Female Founders Collective, Chooks SA and Board Member of the Hen House Co-op. Allys’ longest road trip was circumnavigating the Australian continent in a 1976 vintage kombi campervan named ‘Lil. Allys is mum to three tween daughters, four guinea pigs, seven veggie patches and at least 17 indoor plants! Allys enjoys camping, beach walks and kayaking, when not at her desk.