Team & Board

About us

Meet our team & board!

Way of Working

Our team includes specialists from different backgrounds: science, corporates, marketing, and NGOs. These are our core values:

Ambitious – Optimistic – Active – Collaborative – Entrepreneurial

We create major impact through close partnerships with local and international volunteers, organizations and corporations. From other NGOs to advertising agencies: By joining forces with small and large partners we scale-up our regreening programs and campaigning activities as fast and efficiently as possible.

Want to be part of our team?

Take a look at our jobs

Meet our Team Team

Marjolein Albers

Managing Director

'‘Our planet is what we all have in common, so let’s unite and take action to re-green and restore the earth, when it is still possible.''

Samwel Jakinda

Technical support landscape restoration

“I am enthusiastic about ensuring sustainable access to water and sanitation for all with special focus in rural communities. The use of landscapes for rainwater harvesting for human, livestock, wildlife and plants is something that has always interested me. I am therefore delighted to make my contribution to the Justdiggit restoration programme which uses sustainable models to restore degraded lands.”

Dennis Karpes

Co-Founder

"When we damage the Earth, we damage ourselves. At last, most of us are aware of this, because of the huge awakening that we are in. We human beings are as vulnerable as any other living species, and we depend on healthy ecosystems, and the services that Mother Earth provides. We are building a global restoration movement that has never been seen before, and it will only succeed if everyone will play their part! So why not join us? Dig in."

Ayoub Asenga

Monitoring & Evaluation Expert Tanzania

“Working with our hands, mind, hope and being interconnected is among the highest evolution of our species. With that we can provide critical means of livelihood to communities and climate change resilience through restoration of ecosystem functions and services.”

Angelina Tarimo

Young Expert Monitoring & Evaluation - Tanzania

''We have degraded our environment for decades and we are responsible to restore it, I join the combined effort and a positive outlook for Earth to be greener again. Earth has hugged us, it's time to hug it back.''

Nadia de Waal

Global Manager Marketing & Communications

"Hope, optimism, positivity and action for a greater good, all in one organization. It's a privilege working here!"

Niels Dierckx

Programs Director

"Every day we are being flooded by negative news. Justdiggit gives a backlash: We can take action to make the world a little better!"

Godlove Kihupi

Communication & Marketing - Tanzania

"Because we have the power today to change tomorrow."

Rebecca Blinston-Jones

UK Head of Marketing & PR

"What I love about Justdiggit is how they use positive storytelling to drive change amongst the communities they work with. With climate change being at the top of the agenda for governments, businesses and consumers alike, this role is an amazing opportunity for me to be part of something that is making a real difference."

Ruth Wamugi

Program Finance Officer Nairobi

"I look forward to waking up and enjoying a green scenery around me. So, let’s join hands to make our world a greener place and conserve our environment."

Milga Liban

Manager Impact Communication Africa

Stuart Taylor

Country Director UK

"The natural world is suffering and climate change is the most urgent issue of our time. The Justdiggit solution is proven, scalable and makes a long term impact by hitting the sweet spot in helping people, wildlife and the planet. It's a privilege to be part of this amazing team."

Reinhard Nyandire

Manager Marketing & Communications Africa

“Transforming scars into vibrant landscapes."

Adriaan Kauffmann

Head of Justdiggit Regional Office East Africa

"Very excited to contribute to a greener planet."

Sander de Haas

Landscape restoration & innovation expert

"By taking action we can really make an impact for the communities, the environment and the climate!"

Sharon Kogo

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

"I have always been passionate about the environment, and I feel privileged to contribute towards landscape restoration with Justdiggit. My role in the MEL team allows me to assess the impact of our programs and provide evidence that our interventions are positively impactful"

Merel Rikveld

Manager Communications Europe

Cindy van der Top

Finance Director

"Just digging it to work for this wonderful organisation full of enthusiastic and professional people, doing good for Africa!"

Samri Leulseged

Project & Communication Coordinator Ethiopia

So I quote, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Let us re-orient our view of nature so that the trees and green plants are worth more alive than dead. They are after all the lungs of our beautiful world and everything inside it.

Ongidi Kevin Otieno

Program Manager Impact & Communication

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

Mary Sengelela

Landscape restoration manager – Tanzania

“If our landscapes are degraded, sustaining our lives is jeopardized. This is the decade of doing; DIG IN!”

Phyllis Ndiinu

Operations officer

"The earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Moses M. Maesya

Landscape Restoration Enterprise Manager

"The Earth is one giant supercomputer. Everything is interconnected. Everything is related. Justdiggit is like one white cell and we are the granulocytes and the non-granulocytes inside that white blood cell. It is therefore imperative that we do our part in healing this ailing planet."

Jackie Kemboi

Landscape Restoration Quality Coordinator

"I’m motivated by the challenges in the rangelands that need solutions. Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. It’s high time we Just Dig, restore the ecosystem and cool down the planet."

Thijs van der Zaan

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

“One of the biggest challenges of our time is figuring out how to live as a part of nature, instead of working against it. Contributing to solving this problem is one of the greatest motivators there is!"

Margot Frederiks

Project manager Digital Regreening

"Regreening land and positively impacting people and climate. I can’t think of a better work motivation!"

George munyao Kingola

Project Coordinator Kuku

"As a natural resourcist, I am appalled by the degradation of biodiversity caused by human activities. With my passion for nature and the experience I have, I am sure together we are going to give this planet a new lease of life. Climate change is real and has no boundaries!"

Jackson Mwato

Project Coordinator Amboseli

"I am deeply concerned about the necessity of capturing the skills of the Maasai elders (before it is too late). I want to share (transferring) the wisdom and culture of the Maasai with the world and provide avenues of community empowerment - economically, socially and culturally. I am a conservationist committed to bringing conservation solutions to preserve the wildlife and empower and sustain the people."

Lana Muller

Senior program manager

Tjeerd van der Hulst

Art Director

"I can’t think of a better mission than to help nature flourish again and to create a future full of abundance. I’m grateful to be part of this beautiful team and will use my passion for creativity to boost this positive movement!"

Njamasi Chiwanga

Regreening Programs - Tanzania

"Born and raised in Dodoma, central Tanzania, I always hear old people saying that the place was once like the garden of Eden with lots of harvests, trees and all-season rivers. This has remained a history and there is a threat of it to become a desert in the near future. I have always wished to return the environment back to its original condition. Through the opportunity I have got to work with Justdiggit, I believe my ambitious dream of regreening Dodoma region is becoming a reality."

Lucy Liwa

Regreening Programs - Tanzania

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

Romy de Groot

Social Media Manager

I grab my shovel out of the barn to preserve nature and biodiversity. We need to take care of our planet! Or as Audrey Hepburn said: "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

Chris de Jong

Finance

‘‘An effective response to climate change is of unprecedented importance. Now more than ever! It is amazing to work together in an ambitious team to support the inspiring mission of Justdiggit: 'positively impacting nature, climate and people by regreening Africa.’’

Carl Lens

Head of Digital Regreening

"Within Africa's rapidly advancing internet adoption, let us harness the power of digital technologies to foster a greener world, smarter, faster and better than ever before."

Kizzy Pemberton

Office manager

Thysa Beekman

Communications Coordinator Africa

Mbolatiana Rakotoarimalala

Project and Communication Coordinator Madagascar

“Being part of this incredible program in Madagascar is a dream come true for me. I am truly thrilled to have the opportunity to be involved in the important work of regreening my country. It is an honor to contribute to such a worthy cause and I am excited to see the positive impact we can make together.”

Tessa Witte

Senior MEL expert

“A little less conversation, a little more action!’ This quote represents the key reason why I love working at Justdiggit. My personal mission is to ensure that also Justdiggits’ MEL system is Inspirational, Actionable, and Empowering. The MEL function aims to provide evidence that our approach to regreening works, inspiring others to act and join the movement."

Maxime Kosterman

Business Development & Partnerships manager

Luna Beeker

Junior Designer

"I’m super excited and proud to be working for a company whose mission is to regreen and restore degraded land in Africa, to ultimately bring back climate change. Like Jane Goodall once said: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Hillary Rotich

Northern Landscape Coordinator

"Nature is beautiful, preserve and restore it to realize its ecological, economic, and social benefits."

Fridah Makau

Chyulu Landscape Coordinator

"Lets unite efforts for a greener and cooler planet!"

Tim Scollay

Online Community Manager Germany

Justine O’Moore

Digital Product Owner

Sangeeta van Beemen

Project manager communications

Rico Samson

Manager Finance and Control

“Inspiring and motivating farmers to regreen Africa and creating positive awareness of the opportunities to cool down the planet. That’s a pretty cool business to work for!”

Bernard Gbagba

Project and Communication Coordinator F4F Togo

"Many believe that it is only for a certain group to fight against global warming. However, it is so important to understand that we all must be involved, because its consequences spare nobody."

Jesse Owino

Regreening Expert

“The space to improve our environment resides in the many small actions we take and in such nature changes and we regreen.”

Bart Schuurman

Junior copywriter

"I feel that a healthy, united, and sane future for humanity and the earth isn’t as far out of reach as we might think; and the growing resonance of global restoration movements like Justdiggit is proof of that."

Fey Mallonga

Communications Manager Tanzania

“You are in your current state because it is acceptable to you”

Lilian Kiruri

Program Finance Officer

"Don’t count the days, make the days count’’

Michael Muthui

Head Of Regional Office East Africa

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it."

Xanthe Buruma

Intern communications

Jan Pompe

intern Business Development & Partnerships

Gillis Laernoes

intern Social Media

Daan Verboom

Intern Marketing & Communications

Frederique Bosveld

Intern Fundraising & Business Development

Maya Wiemann

Intern Marketing & Communications

Paulina Kluwig

Intern Marketing & Communications

Meet our Supervisory Board Board of Supervisory

Jos Huijbregts

CFO, strategist and teacher

Eddy Moors

Rector at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education

Harold Knebel (chairman)

CEO & Partner bij IBS Capital Allies

Vineel Agarwal

Managing Partner Havas Africa

‘'I support Justdiggit's mission and I am proud to associate myself and Havas Media with them. With a strong belief in building meaningful connections, as a marketer, I would like to work together with an impact towards such initiatives and social causes.'’

Meet our Advisory Board Board of Advisory

Marlene Wickel

Managing Director at Jean Mineur Mediavision

Volker Schlöndorff

Movie director

''I am happy and proud to join JUSTDIGGIT’s advisory Board. For more than 2 years now I have been criss crossing the Sahel zone, and I can certify: no regreening is more efficient and more fun than JUSTDIGGIT’s! Using the wisdom of farmers and bishops alike, spreading the word by comedians and experts alike, JUSTDIGGIT educates, motivates and simply DOES.''

Wessel Koning

IMPACT ENTREPRENEUR | CO-FOUNDER | FORMER JUSTDIGGIT MT & DIRECTOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS (2016 - 2022)

"For 6 years I've had the privilege to be part of the Justdiggit team to onboard global brands as partners and funders to help Regreen, Cool down the Planet and make lasting impact on Nature, Climate and People. As Entrepreneur and part of the Advisory Board I will keep an eye out for new Justdiggit partners and think of ways how to scale and make more positive Impact"

Judith Peters

Vice President Head of Channels & Marketing at ViacomCBS Benelux

''I find it fantastic to see how Justdiggit fulfills her mission and makes dry land green again - with 'simple' techniques and communication. It has so much impact on farmers and the climate. We should all contribute to this!''

Jenny Elissen

Founder at Giantleapers.com, Founder at theinterdependent.nl

Susan Mashibe

Executive Director at VIA Aviation Limited

Mashiri Zvarimwa

Building entrepreneurial synergies and sustainable ecosystems of innovation The planet Earth and its Nature are a special GIFT to humanity.

''I am super proud to be part of a movement that is giving back to this GIFT that keeps on giving. You too can join the re-greening bandwagon and make a difference today.''

Seynabou Ba

Founder of ESG Africa | 22 years international E&S risk management| Partner with private sector 2 drive impact via SDGs

‘'I dig Justdiggit because it just makes sense, the earth is heating up so let’s cool it. I was attracted by the fact that there is a simple and effective solution that everyone can understand and contribute to. Let’s stop bullying the earth and instead protect trees.'’

Allard Ruyl

CEO @ Talpa Media Solutions

Ignace Schops

Director at RLKM - President EUROPARC Federation

Titus Eikeleboom

Entrepreneur | Consultant in Media, Content & Communications | Investor

Dennis Kuperus

Global Head of Innovation Kinetic (a WPP company)