Zinnia Kumar

Zinnia is a field conservation ecologist having worked with Little Blue Penguins, invertebrates and wetland birds for the EPA, Birdlife and Department of Environment among others.[14] She is a former Australian Museum science communicator.[4] Zinnia is a CIEEM accredited Ecologist and is the CEO and founder of ecology, sustainability and inclusion consultancy 'The Dotted Line' and is undertaking an MSc in Industrial, Organisational and Business Psychology at UCL.[4]

Zinnia Kumar is a vocal colorism and ethnic representation advocate, with a documentary on the topic currently in production.[5][6][7][15][8][16] Zinnia is interested in decolonising and deconstructing beauty ideals and histories of scientific racism.[17][18][19] She is also a female empowerment and motivational speaker, with a keen interest in access to education as a tool for transformation.[17][11] Zinnia spent a decade empowering refugee and disadvantaged children in Australia, India and Thailand.[20][21] She was selected by the Department of Foreign Affairs as a youth ambassador[22] and is a Rotary Youth Leadership Awardee.[4]

Kumar has published two original scientific research papers on negative frequency-dependant selection on human traits: the first about men's facial hair and the second on women's hair colour.[23] Zinnia's study of attractiveness of facial hair in men was the first time negative frequency dependant selection had been applied to a human trait, since Charles Darwin coined the term.[24] The published paper found that attractiveness varies with novelty, less common facial hair types were considered most attractive by men and women. This research went viral on the internet and was covered by many news outlets BBC,[25] The Washington Post,[26] Time,[27] The Guardian,[28] Science Magazine[29] and Forbes,[30] coining a new social term 'Peak Beard'.

As a fashion model Zinnia has worked for MSGM,[31] Off-White,[32] H&M, Vogue India[33], Inprint, Elle[34], Harpers Bazaar [35], Wonderland Magazine[36], Tank Magazine[36], Notion Magazine[37] and Verve India X Chanel (Cover)[38] among others. Zinnia was named the 50 Most Influential Global Indians by Vogue India in 2019.[39][40][33]