About us
JustAir is a small and growing team dedicated to the belief that everyone has the right to breathe clean air. We strive to be true collaborators with environmental justice leaders, resident groups, governments, public health advocates, and industries who are committed to making air quality information more accessible. In collaboration with our partners, we give communities the data they need to create the future we all deserve.
We Value
Community knowledge, culture, history & science.
We balance research and data with local knowledge, culture, and history to support decision-making and drive change.
Justice, equity & inclusivity.
We filter everything we do through a lens of inclusivity and strive to build a more just and equitable world.
Pride & ownership.
We take pride in the work we do and strive to ensure everyone involved - from the team to community partners - are full owners in the work.
Transparency.
We conduct our work with openness and honesty, ensuring information is accessible and straightforward.
Iteration, Process & Growth.
We seek out new knowledge, pilot, implement feedback, and iterate processes to ensure we’re achieving desired outcomes and working in ways that live up to our values.
Yes before no.
We explore ideas and assume the best intentions in our collaborators. We experiment, pilot, and we find a way to work with partners who believe in a hopeful future, just like we do.
Gratitude and recognition.
We say thank you, we recognize that our team and partners are here by choice, and we celebrate our wins, no matter how small. We acknowledge and celebrate the longtime efforts of environmental justice leaders, whose enduring dedication has created the path for our work today.
Creativity.
We innovate, take unique approaches, and work to solve problems in new, impactful ways.
Integrity.
We put our values into practice every day.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to protect the 20,000 breaths each person takes every day. We put air quality data into the hands of communities to increase well-being and drive positive, locally-led change. We do this by building trusted partnerships, providing accessible air quality insights, fostering community-led action, and growing a team that puts our values into practice every day.
Our Vision:
We envision a world where clean air is a universal standard. With our partners, we are changing the narrative on how people organize, collect data, and collaborate to ensure everyone has access to clean, healthy air.
The Just Air Team
Our team is a small but mighty crew of tech aficionados, community organizers, and data-driven decision makers. We are currently hiring highly skilled, Michigan-based and entrepreneurially-minded talent who are passionate about environmental justice.
Darren Riley
CEO
Darren was in his mid-twenties when he developed asthma living in Detroit, one of the most polluted communities in the country. As a skilled coder, serial entrepreneur, and passion for environmental justice, Darren co-founded JustAir to help people across the country breathe cleaner, safer air.
Britney Epps
Head of Engineering
Detroit-based sneaker connoisseur, Britney uses her love for tech to better her community. Britney has been in the STEM industry for over 12 years and holds both a B.S. and M.S. in computer science. Britney is also an entrepreneur, educator, and loves to show people how to style their kicks.
Nate Rauh-Bieri
Head of Projects
Based in Grand Rapids, Nate has been working in the social impact space for more than a decade. Nate brings passion and expertise in advancing equity-centered climate and environmental solutions to JustAir and other community-rooted initiatives he supports.
Sarah Craft
COO & Head of Partnerships
Sarah started her career in Detroit as a community organizer in 2010. Since then, she has been working alongside community leaders, local governments, economic developers, and startup leaders to advance a more equitable, inclusive, and human-centered Michigan.
Kristy Allen
Project Manager
Kristy's background is in social impact, healthcare, and technology. She brings these expertise to her lens of environmental justice and loves working alongside local leaders and environmental experts to make change in her community of Detroit and beyond.
PJ Hall
Lead UX Engineer
PJ is a Georgia-based developer with over a decade of experience as a coder and educator. With a B.S. and M.S. in computer science, he has a deep understanding of UX principles. PJ's passion extends beyond tech to the kitchen, where he excels as a plant-based chef.
Derrick Kennedy
Lead Full Stack Engineer
Derrick has more than a decade of experience in front-end, back-end, dev-ops, and more. He is drawn to this work in order to make a positive impact on health outcomes for underserved communities in Detroit and beyond.
Jacob Steere
AQ Network Manager
Based in Ann Arbor, Jacob’s academic background is in environmental science, data science, and environmental justice. By combining these areas of expertise, Jacob works to communicate environmental data in ways that are accessible and informative to everyone.
Natalie Lambert
AQ Partnerships Fellow
Based in Detroit, Natalie joins the Partnerships team as a Michigan Mobility Fellow, a new program created by the State of Michigan and community partners. Natalie's background in state and local government with expertise in environmental compliance and stakeholder engagement.
Kelsey Hilbers
Product Manager
Kelsey brings a decade of experience in product leadership, with a passion for building thoughtful, human-centered technology. Before joining JustAir, she led product and delivery teams in the software space and also served in the Peace Corps, where she developed a deep appreciation for community-driven work.
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