ClimaCareers - About Us
OUR MISSION: To empower and guide those who strive towards making positive change in the world - with a particular emphasis on addressing the global climate emergency.
We believe that prompt and dramatic action at all levels is needed to avoid the worst-case climate outcomes.
It will take the hard work and talents of people from all over the world, with highly diverse backgrounds to mitigate the effects of climate change. It is this belief that led to the creation of ClimaCareers.
More specifically in the United States: we must reach across the aisle of political ideology and party and make good-faith compromises to avoid these worst-case climate outcomes.
It is in this spirit that Mike Rhodes and Carl Harden created ClimaCareers.com. While coming from different backgrounds and holding differing ideologies, Carl and Mike have been able to find common ground and, over time, found a mutual desire and ability to make change on the climate front.
At the chemical level, energy generation is non-partisan. We believe that we can follow in the footsteps of our predecessors and create energy solutions that will power a nation and world forward - but without the massive carbon footprint.
We must involve as many people as possible in renewable energy jobs and those adjacent (e.g. green tech, conservation awareness, disaster relief, youth empowerment, etc.), as soon as possible.
Let us never forget: we are our own best assets in the fight against climate change.
From the Co-Founder
When I began my career ten years ago as a fresh economics graduate I was naive (perhaps willingly) about the scope and urgency of the climate emergency. I spent those first 10+ years growing my skill sets as a software developer and data scientist in other venues.
Once I began to fully understand the scale and nature of our problem, I found it highly distressing. Interestingly enough, it was the movie The Martian that helped me digest the problem. In the words of the fictional astronaut Mark Watney:
"At some point, everything's gonna go south on you and you're going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That's all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem and you solve the next one, and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home."
When I feel discouraged about our progress, I try and think of this quote.
While the beast at the gates may be a formidable opponent, we have a distinct advantage: our scientific knowledge that can be paired with our ingenuity and ability to work together when times get tough.
I view job board is a small way for me to use my talents to help others find careers in areas we need people the most.
I look forward to working with all of you who want to make the world a better place for ourselves and countless future generations. The old Greek proverb captures it best: "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
- Mike Rhodes
Co-Founder of Rhodes Technologies and ClimaCareers.com
Before starting his own business, Mike Rhodes worked as a data scientist and software developer for a retail analytics company. It was there he built a an industry-leading pricing analytics application, the main focus of his work and research.
Mike graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematical Economics from Marquette University in 2011. He currently resides in Denver, Colorado with his wife, daughter, and dog.
From the Co-Founder
I began my career working for a major retailer where I was responsible for a variety of responsibilities including category management, forecasting, and analytical space development.
After about eight years I moved to the same analytics company as Mike where he and I became partners quickly in developing innovative solutions. Throughout this time we started talking about how we could cultivate these skills we share for the betterment of our society.
In my spare time I am an avid outdoorsman who is passionate about nature and wildlife. In that vein, minimizing the effects of the impact on nature is important to me.
Most of my family and friends are in the blue collar trades. I have a great respect for the trades and am an amateur at several of them myself. In order to ensure the invaluable skills of the nation’s trades people continue to be utilized to their fullest potential, my goal is to help usher in career opportunities as the nation’s needs change such as greener sources of energy. To make these gains as a nation, opportunities must not only be provided for current tradespeople as industry evolves, but it is essential given the need for those skills.
We are in this society together and together is how we will succeed going forward. I believe that there is room for all backgrounds, experiences, and passions to move us forward.
- Carl Harden
Co-Founder of ClimaCareers.com
Carl earned his undergraduate from the University of Arkansas as a double major in Computer Information Systems and Human Resource Management and his M.B.A. from Webster University based in St. Louis. He currently resides in Bentonville, Arkansas with his wife and two cats.