Interview Series: Sophia Kianni

This week’s read time: 5 minutes

Welcome to the Green Digest Interview Series, our bi-weekly feature showcasing conversations with the industry’s leading voices - CSOs, sustainability directors, and other senior professionals shaping the sustainability landscape. Each edition dives into their professional journeys, hands-on insights, and outlook on the challenges and opportunities defining corporate sustainability.

These interviews are designed to be quick, insightful reads, offering you actionable takeaways and a personal glimpse into the people leading the way. Stay tuned for stories, strategies, and lessons that matter to you.

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PROFILE

This week’s guest:

Sophia Kianni

Co-Founder of Phia

Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American entrepreneur and climate activist. She studied at Stanford University and, alongside Phoebe Gates, co-founded Phia, a venture-backed AI shopping agent. As a teenager, Sophia founded Climate Cardinals, now the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit with 16,000 volunteers across more than 100 countries. Her advocacy earned her a seat on the EPA’s National Youth Advisory Council and the distinction of serving as the youngest UN climate advisor in U.S. history. A prolific storyteller, Sophia won the TED Global Idea Competition, and her debut TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. She has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, BBC’s Top 100 Women, and VICE Media’s youngest Human of the Year. Today, Sophia is focused on scaling Phia to deliver tech-driven solutions that empower smarter, more conscious consumerism.

You’ve described Phia as “the Google Flights for Fashion” - for those who aren’t familiar, what is Phia, and how does it work?

Phia is like having a personal shopping agent in your pocket. While shopping on your phone, our mobile browser extension instantly pulls in every similar or exact match across 40,000+ retail and secondhand sites. It shows real-time price comparisons, resale value, and even tracks price drops. In just a few months, half a million people have already used Phia to save money and shop smarter, and investors see the impact too. We recently raised an $8 million seed round led by Kleiner Perkins with support from investors like Hailey Beiber, Michael Rubin, Sara Blakely, and Kris Jenner, to expand our platform and bring secondhand shopping to an even wider audience.

How do you see Phia changing the way people shop, and where does it fit into the future of fashion tech? Can price transparency and smarter shopping tools like Phia meaningfully shift consumer behavior?

Phia gives consumers something that has been missing in fashion: transparency. By showing what is truly out there, Phia flips the power dynamic back to the shopper. We not only highlight resale value but also provide product detail summaries on materials, helping people choose higher-quality, more sustainable garments and encouraging them to consider secondhand options. When shoppers see they can save hundreds and make smarter choices for the planet, it changes behavior. We are proving that sustainability does not have to be a guilt-driven choice, it can simply be the smarter, savvier option. My hope is that tools like Phia normalize thoughtful, secondhand shopping and shift us toward a future where fashion is less about constant consumption and more about making intelligent, lasting decisions.

You’ve grown a large following across many platforms (+300,000 followers). From your perspective, how is Gen Z approaching sustainability differently from previous generations - and how is that shaping the way they make decisions as consumers and professionals?

Gen Z grew up online, with a front-row seat to climate disasters, policy failures, and grassroots victories. We have never had the privilege of pretending those issues were far away. That is why sustainability, for us, is not just about personal lifestyle tweaks, it is about building systems that protect people and the planet. My peers want to know: how can my vote, my advocacy, and my civic engagement drive meaningful reform? Whether we are organizing on social platforms, turning out at the ballot box, or pushing for stronger corporate accountability, we see structural action as the most powerful way to safeguard our future. Personal choices still matter, but our generation is equally focused on shaping laws, institutions, and cultural norms so that sustainable options become the default for everyone.

You’re based in the U.S., where sustainability has become increasingly politicized. How do you see the current sustainability landscape there? And how do you navigate that tension as both a founder and a public-facing advocate?

In the U.S., sustainability has unfortunately become a political flashpoint, but climate change impacts all of us. It is not something that should be defined by party lines, it is about securing a sustainable, livable future for everyone. As a founder and advocate, I try to keep the conversation rooted in shared values like clean air, healthy communities and resilient economies. At Phia, we focus on practical solutions that make sense for people and the planet, and in my public work, I emphasize that protecting our environment is about safeguarding opportunity and well-being for the generations that come after us.

You’ve worn many hats - climate advocate, entrepreneur, speaker, storyteller. What’s next for you and Phia, and what personal values are guiding you as you take the next steps in your journey?

The next chapter for Phia is growth. We announced our $8 million seed round led by Kleiner Perkins, which gives us the resources to scale fast. I’m excited for us to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by leveraging our database of 300 million secondhand items. Personally, I’m still guided by the same values that fueled my climate work: accessibility, transparency, and impact. Whether through Phia, advocacy, or storytelling, I want to create systems that empower people to make better choices. At the core, I believe young people have the power to reshape industries, and Phia is proof that with the right tools, we can.

Check out Phia here.

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