As the global food system faces mounting pressures from climate change, resource scarcity, and supply chain volatility, thought leaders like Eva Goulbourne are pioneering cross-sector solutions that merge sustainability, finance, and policy. Goulbourne’s journey—from international development to launching Littlefoot Ventures and her podcast Everything But the Carbon Sink—showcases how aligning purpose with profit can unlock scalable change in complex industries.
A Global Career Rooted in Food Systems Innovation
Though her academic background centered on Cold War history and art, Goulbourne’s lifelong fascination with food propelled her into roles that bridged agriculture, development, and sustainability. Early experience at the U.S. State Department and a project serving tobacco farmers in Kenya and Malawi, backed by the Nike Foundation, MasterCard Foundation, and Gates Foundation, introduced her to the critical intersection of philanthropy and market development.
This blend of financial acumen and mission-driven work would become a recurring theme in her career.
Scaling Impact Through Collaboration
Goulbourne’s tenure at the World Economic Forum (WEF) marked a pivotal stage, where she helped coordinate regional projects involving agribusinesses, major retailers, seed and fertilizer companies, government officials, and development banks. She describes this period, coinciding with the post-UN Sustainable Development Goals era, as a moment when purpose and profit converged in meaningful ways.
Corporate leaders like Unilever’s Paul Polman exemplified this shift, introducing net positive thinking into mainstream corporate sustainability dialogues. Goulbourne saw first-hand how multi-stakeholder collaboration could scale innovation across the entire value chain.
Tackling Food Waste and Advancing ESG Goals
Driven by a desire to deepen her expertise, Goulbourne became the first employee at ReFED, where she turned a groundbreaking food waste report into a nationally recognized organization. Under her leadership, ReFED secured over $1 million in philanthropic funding, demonstrating the power of blended capital to catalyze environmental and economic impact.
Today, through her consulting firm Littlefoot Ventures, Goulbourne advises food brands, startups, and philanthropic organizations on strategies to reduce food waste, adopt regenerative agriculture practices, and deploy capital effectively. She refers to food waste as a “chameleon issue”—a critical challenge that intersects with nearly every point in the food supply chain.
Everything But the Carbon Sink: Addressing the ‘Ugly Baby’ Problems
In her podcast, Everything But the Carbon Sink, Goulbourne explores the intersection of food, climate, and finance, delving into difficult, often overlooked questions—what she calls the “ugly baby problems”—including how to fund and implement systemic change.
A central theme is that venture capital alone cannot solve food system challenges. Solutions must consider seasonality, climate variability, and the inherent complexity of agricultural production. Through candid conversations with investors, philanthropists, and policymakers, Goulbourne advocates for coordinated investment strategies that align environmental goals with business objectives.
Conclusion
Eva Goulbourne’s career illustrates a powerful model for driving change: leveraging cross-sector collaboration, blended finance, and deep expertise to transform complex global systems. Her work in food waste reduction, sustainability strategy, and market development reflects the growing consensus that meaningful progress requires both innovative thinking and aligned capital. For executives and sustainability leaders, her journey offers a blueprint for how mission-driven leadership can create measurable impact while advancing commercial goals.