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Our mission is to promote conservation & make outdoor volunteerism more accessible to all.
values
community-driven
We strive to empower ALL individuals and communities to make a difference for the planet.
Action-based
There is a lot of disheartening news about the environment; we focus on what we can do.
innovative
Our engineers develop cutting-edge technology to ensure we're cleaning the planet efficiently.
Meet the Team
Josh rands
Co-Founder & President
Josh has a diverse background working on systems ranging from autonomous vehicles and lunar rovers to energy. Growing up in Minnesota, he developed a passion for sustainability and entrepreneurship while spending time outdoors camping, hiking, and exploring forests. Josh has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Colorado School of Mines, where he was heavily involved in leadership and innovation. His technical background and creativity have allowed him to bootstrap the Litter CleanUp platform. Josh also enjoys rock climbing, traveling, and tinkering with new technology.
Mik kauma
Co-Founder & Director
Mik has a deep-rooted passion for protecting the environment and promoting public health. Having grown up in the beautiful state of Minnesota, Mik spent her free time on the lakes - swimming in the summer and skating in the winter. She holds a bachelor's in public health and a master's degree in nonprofit leadership and management. In 2020, she blended her passions in conservation and community work to co-found Clean Planet Project. With diverse experience across various nonprofit organizations, Mik brings her skills in nonprofit leadership, grant writing, outreach, and research to further the CPP mission.
Hannah niesen
Marketing Manager
With her emotional-support water bottle in tow, Hannah has an obsession for slow fashion, sustainable reusables, and how we change our actions to become a better steward for the earth. When she is not creating content for Clean Planet Project, she is constantly gathering more content. Hannah is frequently on the go, Northern Minnesota being her best and most favorite place for inspiration, and finds ways to road-trip through the rest of the United States. With a bachelor's in Art History and an associate's in Web and Graphic Design, Hannah crafts an undeviating aesthetic for CPP's imagery and narrative on social media platforms, website content, and whatever else she can get her hands on.
Angel tobin
Volunteer Manager
Angel has over three decades of experience in environmental education, interpretation, and volunteer management. Her passion is to bring awareness through education and to inspire others to take action towards sustaining the natural environment. She loves to engage and support volunteers who are dedicated to do the same. She enjoys walking, hiking, camping, traveling, music, dancing, and spending quality time with family and friends. Angel is very excited to work with volunteers and CPP in community-based conservation for a cleaner and healthy environment.
Nia-Nicole mitchell
Program Development Manager
With a background in environmental health, Nia is our Program Development Manager supporting new and existing programs at Clean Planet Project. Nia is passionate about engaging and creating meaningful experiences for our volunteers. Outside of work you can find her traveling, going for a run, or going to a farmers market.
professional volunteers
GERALD KAUMA
Senior Software Engineer
With nearly 3 decades of software engineering experience, Gerry has provided valuable insights on the design and architecture of the Litter CleanUp platform. In addition to providing technical help, Gerry has been a generous donor to Clean Planet Project. CPP Would not be the organization it is today without Gerry's contributions!
TRACE DELANGE
Software Engineer
Trace has volunteered his time to further CPP's mission several times. A software engineer by trade, Trace has provided assistance with the technical development of the Litter CleanUp app and supporting web applications.
University volunteers
Anastasia Velychko
Software Engineer
minnie her
Software Engineer
jarret daffern
Software Engineer
connor mcgovern
Software Engineer
briar martin
Software Engineer
sean keeney
Software Engineer
our story
Hi there! Our names are Josh & Mik, and we founded the nonprofit Clean Planet Project in the summer of 2020. At the time, we both started to work from home and began going on a lot of walks around the pond by our apartment. With the pandemic, social unrest, and not to mention all of the negative things about the environment constantly on the news and social media - we started to brainstorm ways that we could help people and the planet.
We decided to start small and pick up the litter we saw on our walks. Then we thought, "It would be nice if there was an app that tracked our progress and let us encourage other people who clean up..." and so began the early stages of the Litter CleanUp app! Little did we know that this app we created would grow into a volunteer network of awesome litter-picker-uppers around the world. Years later, we are overjoyed that thousands of people joined us on this journey - dedicated to a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.
Although our app is no longer available, we are incredibly grateful for all of the progress we made, and we will continue to clean up the planet alongside this awesome community!
