He Built a Drone Delivery Network That Can Reach 10X More Customers & Restaurants Are Taking Notice

Keller Cliffton, co-founder and CEO of Zipline, is helping transform delivery through autonomous drone technology. What started with delivering life-saving medical supplies in Rwanda has expanded into restaurant delivery, helping operators reach more customers faster.

Watch now to learn about autonomous delivery, reaching customers farther away, and the future of restaurant logistics.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[01:12] - Zipline Started in Rwanda

[06:27] - Why Zipline Turned Off Marketing

[10:24] - Reaching 10 Times More Customers

[11:38] - Making Delivery Feel Like Teleportation

[29:17] - Entrepreneurship and Rock Climbing

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

PEPSICO IS A SPONSOR OF THE RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS PODCAST —

Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders.

Check out PepsiCo Foodservice

Episode Links:

Keller Cliffton LinkedIn

Zipline LinkedIn

Zipline YouTube

Zipline Instagram

Zipline Facebook

Zipline TikTok

Key Takeaways:

The Real Innovation Was Logistics: Keller Cliffton believes delivery isn't a food problem, it's a logistics problem. By rethinking how products move from businesses to customers, Zipline is expanding delivery range while improving speed and quality.

Customers Adapt Faster Than You Think: While food arriving by aircraft sounds futuristic, Cliffton says the novelty disappears within days. What remains is a new expectation for convenience that changes how often people order and what they order.

Big Breakthroughs Take Time: Before delivering meals in Dallas, Zipline spent years proving its technology through life-saving medical deliveries in Rwanda. Cliffton’s journey is a reminder that what looks like an overnight success is often built through years of testing, setbacks, and persistence.

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ABOUT KELLER CLIFFTON —

Keller Cliffton is the co-founder and CEO of Zipline, the world’s largest autonomous delivery company. Under his leadership, Zipline has completed millions of deliveries across multiple countries, helping transport everything from life-saving medical supplies to restaurant meals. Cliffton is helping redefine logistics through AI, robotics, and autonomous aviation.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media