Joey Zwillinger on the Founding of Allbirds

Allbirds co-founder Joey Zwillinger recalls that his partner Tim Brown came from professional football and design in New Zealand.

Zwillinger says Brown saw an unmet desire for more casual footwear without prominent branding.

Brown launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2014; Zwillinger became an early customer through a connection between their families.

Zwillinger describes wanting to use entrepreneurship and private-sector activity to address environmental problems.

He recounts working at biotechnology company Solazyme on materials intended to replace petroleum-derived products.

In conversations with brands, he says, interest in environmental benefits often gave way to pressure for lower costs and margins.

The founders combined Brown’s consumer-design perspective with Zwillinger’s materials and business experience, launching Allbirds around their shared ambition.