Jie Zhou

  • Head of International Engagement, Accelerator and Canopy; Lead of the Sino-UK Centre for Sustainabil
Jie Zhou

About

A circular economy expert with a systems-thinking mindset, Jie Zhou brings 15+ years of experience driving sustainability across industries. Her interdisciplinary and international background, including three master's degrees, allows her to connect the dots between global challenges and empower organisations & startups to create a sustainable future.

 

Jie has been an intrapreneur since she joined Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) in 2021 as a founding Innovation team member, supporting the launch of The Canopy – CISL's incubator and innovation hub. Her work including running accelerator programmes for startups (e.g. Circular Disruptors Accelerator), creating toolkits and training for SMEs to decarbonise (e.g. Climate Fit - SME Climate Hub), partnering with international organisations to build innovation programmes (e.g. Innovation30: Young Climate Innovators Shaping the Future | UNICEF Office of Innovation ), as well as speaking and building Canopy’s global presence at COPs, WEF Davos, and SLUSH etc.

In addition, she also heads the Sino-UK Centre for Sustainability Innovation founded by CISL, acts as a bridge connecting the UK and China's innovation ecosystems. Established in 2021, the Centre fosters collaboration and accelerates the development of sustainable solutions to address critical global challenges. By facilitating knowledge exchange and partnerships, the Centre empowers businesses and entrepreneurs in both countries to drive decarbonization, restore nature, and build more inclusive societies.

Beyond her role at CISL, Jie serves as a research advisor at Newham College (Cambridge), Trustee at Dialogue Earth (London), and Advisor at Undivided VC (Hong Kong), giving back her experiences and insights on a pro bona basis. Driven by her cross-cultural experiences as an ethnic minority, Jie is a passionate DE&I advocate, actively contributing to CISL's Equality Action Planning committee. Her leadership was recognized with the University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Award (2022).

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