Rebecca Hu-Thrams

Rebecca Hu-Thrams is the co-founder and CEO of Glacier, a San Francisco-based startup focused on deploying artificial intelligence and robotics in the recycling industry. Glacier develops AI and robotics solutions to help recyclers, brands, and government agencies measure and improve recovery rates for recycled commodities.

Prior to founding Glacier, Hu-Thrams worked as a consultant at Bain & Company and later advised early- and growth-stage startups, gaining experience in operational efficiency and emerging technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Amherst College.

Hu-Thrams co-founded Glacier after identifying a significant gap in the U.S. recycling system, where half of recyclables end up in landfills. In response, she led the development of a proprietary AI-powered robot capable of identifying and sorting more than 30 different materials, achieving 45 picks per minute in recycling facilities at less than half the cost of traditional methods. Glacier's AI-powered robotic sorters are deployed at material recovery facilities across the country, processing recycling for one in 10 Americans. The company's robots operate in major cities including Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Phoenix, and Seattle.

Glacier approaches recycling as advanced manufacturing. Hu-Thrams has stated, "Recycling is manufacturing. These MRFs are responsible for taking in raw feedstocks, producing a certain yield, producing at a certain quality bar. At the end of the day, you're making new stuff out of raw materials." Beyond sorting, Glacier's robots generate data for the circular economy, providing insights into the waste stream down to specific brands and packaging designs. Amazon, through its Climate Pledge fund, uses this data to assess packaging design for recyclability, moving from technically recyclable to provably recyclable. Glacier also collaborates with major brands such as Colgate-Palmolive and works with municipal and government agencies including the City of Phoenix and the Michigan Department of Environment.

Glacier's growth has attracted significant investment, including a $16 million Series A funding round to scale its AI-powered recycling robots nationwide. The company has been recognized as one of the Most Innovative Companies and ranked first in Robotics & Engineering. Glacier's work in circularity and recycling technology has been featured in CBS, NBC, Fortune, Axios, and TechCrunch. Hu-Thrams is a Waste360 40 Under 40 winner and has spoken at forums such as the Aspen Ideas Festival, advocating for smarter recycling infrastructure as both an environmental and economic necessity. Glacier is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent and continues to advance recycling technology under Hu-Thrams' leadership.