Meet Cathleen Turner | entrepreneur, founder of CZero

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cathleen Turner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cathleen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After the pandemic, I knew I wanted to start a business in the area of sustainability. I find great satisfaction in building things that are validated in the market, and the idea of bringing something new that people wanted excited me. Most importantly, I wanted to build a business that had a net positive impact on the environment.

CZero didn’t happen overnight but through a series of experiments and many conversations with business owners in the food space. The magic moment where I realized “I can’t do anything else but build this business” happened when I enabled a customer to launch a new product with local, sustainably grown ingredients. Creating a new sustainable option for that business catalyzed me and gave me the courage to leave the best-paying job I ever had in tech to build a business that is focused on making one aspect of operations—logistics—easy and carbon neutral.

My thought process of building the business is always tied to creating more value for the customer and the environment, but I let the spark drive the velocity and keep me going even through our most difficult moments.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We’re a tech business that is a logistics copilot for goods businesses – think food and beverage, beauty, hardware. If you are a goods business and in need of warehouse storage, fulfillment, or transportation you can sign up on our website and get your foundational logistics needs covered, clearly view and manage costs, without compromising your sustainability goals. If you are a local logistics business looking to get more opportunities, utilize your empty space, become more efficient, lower your carbon impact, and become a part of a network leading the decarbonization of logistics – join us.

What sets us apart from other businesses is that we enable logistics capabilities optimized for growing and innovative goods businesses – responsiveness, cost, and minimizing carbon footprint. This is possible through our software, fulfillment network made up of local warehouse operators and drivers, and responsive and attentive customer service. I am most excited about our AI innovations that will make this possible beyond LA.

As of January 2024 we have fulfilled thousands of business and direct-to-consumer customer orders, and have started supporting businesses with more complex logistics needs like hardware businesses. We have two hubs made possible through partnerships with local warehouse business owners – Los Angeles and New York. And we’re continuously innovating to make things better for people and the planet.

While we’ve had successes they did not happen without some obstacles – but we were able to overcome them because we have a brilliant team and a network of capable operators and advisors, and logistics businesses who can adapt and make smart decisions. Keeping the business offerings focused has helped us too.

I’ve learned that challenges are an opportunity in ugly packaging – an opportunity to grow, question the way things are done, or make a relationship stronger. Grounded positivity – seeing things as they are and how they can be improved for the better – is a superpower.

I want the world to know that whether you are a business owner or not, you can make decisions today that can change the course of the future for you, your community, and the planet. We can all be catalysts for a better and more sustainable future – you are a decision away, everyday. CZero is proving that you can be a technologically innovative company that uses technology for the good of the people and the planet. CZero means Carbon Zero, today.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Whenever my friends visit, I like to take them on the C tour – canyon-city-coast. Start the trip in Malibu with a hike; my current favorite is the Sara Wan Trailhead at Corral Canyon. Blast the song “Malibu” by Miley Cyrus after the hike on the way to lunch at Malibu Mutts. Drive through the canyons on the 27, and visit the Griffith Observatory at night. Stay in Koreatown, either indulge in KBBQ or savor Mexican food at the Guelaguetza Restaurant.

For the next two days, explore the city and indulge in touristy activities – visit Gloria Molina Grand Park and City Hall, admire the architecture, take the Angels Flight Railway, and dine at the Grand Central Market. Stroll around downtown and explore the train station. Visit the Angel City Brewery and wander through the neighborhood, perhaps making a pit stop at EightyTwo. On day two, explore the Tar Pits, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Sunset Blvd, and end the evening at West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd. Conclude the night by grabbing pizza or enjoying an enormous margarita at Fiesta Cantina, where they have Karaoke night if it’s Wednesday.

Spend the next day in recovery at a Korean spa, then visit the Getty and savor Japanese food in Sawtelle. End the trip with a scenic drive through Rancho Palos Verdes, attempt to spot a whale at Point Vicente, and reach Santa Monica Pier. Conclude the day with a sunset there, have dinner at Elephante, go bar-hopping, and finish the night with darts at Ye Olde Kings Head. If there’s more time I would either explore Venice, visit Catalina Island for a day, or visit the Huntington Gardens.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Everyone knows that it takes a village to build a person – I want to give a shout-out to the villages that supported me and CZero – they have devoted time, energy, capital, and emotional support. My family and mother always believed in me (even though I drove her crazy when I said I was going to quit my job). My friends and roommates kept me positive and inspired me to keep going. My customers took a chance to work on a new, unheard-of business with a founder who is new to LA and handed me their valuable inventory. Investors of CZero, particularly Carmen Palafox, believed in the vision of building a more sustainable world. The tech and professional communities in Los Angeles – Viterbi Startup Garage, Startup CPG, Techqueria, and Climate Circuit – connected me with talented people and provided support. My advisor Rob Synder mentored me in sales and kept me focused on building a sustainable business. The earth, with hiking trails and oceans, revitalized my soul and kept me on the path.

Website: https://www.czero.today

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/czero_co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleenturner/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/czero_co

Image Credits
Portrait photos by Ross VanAlstine (RossVanalstine.com). Other photos are by the CZero.