Julie Barbier Bularzik

Throughout Julie's career, she has worked with young people who want to make a positive impact on the world. From organizing for fair working conditions in Immokalee, FL with the Student/Farmworker Alliance to working as a Program Coordinator at the Center for Civic Engagement at the College of Charleston, education has been central in her work to create social change. Outside of education, Julie played a pivotal role in opening the first LUSH Cosmetics shop in South Carolina. It was in this setting that she dove into all aspects of opening and running a business, including marketing, hiring and developing a strong team, and managing inventory. Additionally, she became a regional manager for LUSH's robust sustainability program, supporting more than 40 stores at a time in developing plans to make their shops more environmentally friendly. Julie was promoted to co-manage the western region’s flagship store in Scottsdale, AZ, where she had a staff of up to 100 retail employees. Wanting to make the move to Tucson, Julie began working at The University of Arizona’s THINK TANK in 2019 and in August 2022 joined the team at FORGE.  

Julie grew up in St. Louis, MO, where from a young age she volunteered at local grassroots nonprofits and organized student bus trips across the country to social justice actions and conferences. She attended The College of Wooster in Ohio, where she earned a B.A. in anthropology. Julie believes that the power of creative ideas can lead to endless possibilities for building strong communities.