Meet the Team Behind The Climate App
We're expert climate scientists, developers, psychologists, designers and activists...
...passionate about bringing the world together to fight climate change.
Our experience comes from NASA, Airbus, Sky, Meta, IBM, NHS, Skyscanner, Rapid-Scale Start-Ups, XR and many more.
Want to help or join our project? Get in touch
Samuel Naef
CEO/Founder
Sam has been an entrepreneur for the last ten years, most notably creating 8billionminds, a free live-learning platform. Sam taught the sciences and maths while travelling the world, holds a physics degree and space studies masters, and has worked at NASA and Airbus. He has earned several entrepreneurial awards including for a new propulsion system for spacecraft. His current focus is ensuring the success of The Climate App.
Tim Coombe
Development Lead
Tim has been a software engineer for thirty years. Working in a diverse range of industries such as Finance, Insurance, Publishing, News, Broadcast Media and Entertainment has given him a deep understanding of the application of technology. His most recent experience has been at Sky helping to architect and design leading edge solutions. He has followed the climate change 'debate' for almost as long as he has been writing software and hopes to help The Climate App become a huge success.
Paul Dixon
Animator
Paul is an award-winning freelance motion graphics designer and animator based in and around London. In a career spanning 20 years he has helped develop Brand idents, UI for pioneering Video-on-demand TV channels, TV ads and digital marketing. He is currently involved with designing the crowd-funding video for The Climate App. He feels that helping The Climate App to become a world-wide success will make a very significant contribution to changing our future for the better.
ZhongHao (Sergio) Lin
Android Developer
Sergio is a software engineer currently working at IBM as Cloud Microservices Engineer. Previously, he completed a master's degree in Computer Science and worked for Saber Interactive as a backend programmer for AAA video games. He has also been participating in multiple tech startups. In order for The Climate App to be a success, he is mainly developing the App for Android devices.
Xingjian Ye
Android Developer
Xingjian is a software engineer with many years of experience in building android apps. She has completed a CS bachelor degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and has worked on an IoT platform as an intern. She is helping to develop The Climate App.
Tiffani Lewsley
Community Builder
Tiffani has worked in live TV broadcasting for the last 17 years and teaches yoga in her spare time. Tiffani is an animal rights activist, keen environmentalist and fosters her strong interest in sustainability by growing her own food in her allotment. She joined Extinction Rebellion last summer after realising that the public have to take action now into our own hands to avert a climate catastrophe. Tiffani believes The Climate App will be a key way for everyone to do their bit and more for our planet going forward.
Marina Clowes
Community Builder
Marina is a UK-based marketing and comms expert with 15+ years of digital and brand strategy experience. Passionate about supporting start-ups, she believes in solving problems through clear vision and community. Her global travels and conservation work reflect her commitment to practical environmental solutions.
Vanessa Sangiorgio
UI/UX Designer
She is a friendly, creative and enthusiastic UI/UX Designer with a great eye to details and great ability to develop wireframes and task flows based on user needs. She loves collaborating in a team of designers and developers to create usable and accessible products. She has two rescue dogs from Italy and she has been a vegetarian for more than 5 years. Her main concern at the moment is the urgency to help to save our planet before it's too late.
Kristin Murray
Android Developer
Kristin is an Android developer originally from the USA but currently based in London. She has over 5 years of experience building apps on a variety of mobile platforms. She is passionate about tackling the climate crisis and empowering individuals to make a change.
Arkadiy (Arky) Matsekh
Physicist
I hold a PhD in physics obtained from the Institute of Thermophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences with a major in thermal physics and theoretical thermal engineering. I worked as a postdoc research fellow at Kyushu University, Japan studying applied superconductivity for energy applications and later moved to Australia to join a privately-funded project of a large superconducting homopolar generator. Currently I design and study electric propulsion systems. I am particularly interested in light electric vehicles in general and electric bicycles in particular, and I see them among the key components of sustainable transport. Also, I love cycling and ride push bikes a lot!
Hayden Postle-Floyd
Clean Energy Specialist
Hayden's career has been focused around clean energy technology, working on a wide variety of projects across the globe, from microgrids and island systems to grid-scale projects that include award-winning developments. With an academic background in climate change analysis and some published work, Hayden sees no greater problem to solve than that of the impending climate crisis.
Nayomi Illansinhage Don
Community builder
Nayomi is an enthusiastic researcher working on genetically modifying the main vector for malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Anopheles gambiae mosquito. Passionate about global health and environmental and social justice issues, Nayomi has experience in outreach and fundraising for NGOs (such as Doctors Without Borders), volunteering in her local community both in Italy (where she grew and studied) and in London, especially with Extinction Rebellion which she joined in 2019. She hopes to be part of the change that our planet so desperately needs, and she sees in The Climate App the opportunity to bring widespread positive change in our lives and environmental impact.
Nikhila (Nikki) Chaudhari
Developer
Nikhila is an experienced software engineer (for 6+ years) and will be helping take forward our Android App! She's from the outskirts of Mumbai (Dombivli) and currently lives in New York - working for Meridian Link (on a loan origination project connecting dealers and financial institutions). She also loves origami and hiking (having hiked most of the nearby mountains in NY). She hopes to help resolve the climate crisis and leave this world in a better place!
Aditya Verma
Developer
Aditya is a final year Undergraduate Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology Student at King's College London. Through his time at The Climate App, he wishes to try and play a part in what he believes is the need of the hour. He is enthusiastic about tackling environmental issues and wants to save "the only home we've ever known". He is always ready and eager to learn new things! He loves reading, writing poems, and stargazing too.
Chen-Chen Tung
Community Builder
Chen-Chen is a senior sustainability consultant at Bridge Partners, advising Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund on impact investing. She has worked at the World Bank, think tanks, and in venture capital, managing the first carbon fund for forest protection and contributing to the launch of the Bank's Environmental and Social Framework. She believes nature must be central to climate solutions and teaches yoga to promote mind-body-nature connection. Chen-Chen holds an MA from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a BA from National Chengchi University.
Alexis Issaharoff
Advisory Board
CEO at Antah Solar | Board Director | Accelerating Clean Energy Transition | Sustainability & Environment Advocate. Alexis is currently CEO of Antah Solar (APAC region), and has been working in the solar & renewable energy sector for the last 14 years: as VP for the Nasdaq US firm Premier Power, VP for the German Holding WSTECH (Wind & Sun Technologies), and 10 years previously as Senior Corporate Executive for HSBC in LATAM.
Ann Gibson
Community Builder
Ann's 20 plus year career spans the built environment; commercial real estate sales, and commercializing energy efficiency technologies in buildings with the U.S. Department of Energy. She brings her writing and project management skills to develop social media content, and strategy and assist with partnership development. Outside of work, you'll find Ann cooking, hiking with the dogs and traveling.
Muhammad Asim
Animation Director
A goal-oriented animation director, CG generalist, and experienced photographer with over 18 years in the industry. Known for delivering strong results with limited resources, I've progressed from character animation to directing acclaimed animated series, commercials, documentaries, and short films.
Mary Songal
Software Engineer
Mary is a Software Engineer with over 5 years of experience in the IT industry. She has been a C++ Software Developer, an Android Developer and a Frontend developer in her career, always trying to learn new technologies and to grow professionally and never hesitating to dive into something unknown to her. She cares about the world she lives in and is always ready to act, be it a small thing like going to a tree planting event or joining a protest against construction works in places with unique wildlife, which should be protected, not destroyed. She wants to make the world a better place, and is always ready to help and use her skills for the greater good.
Mehedi Hasan
Backend Developer
I am a full stack developer from Bangladesh, currently living in Ontario, Canada. I am passionate about programing, and love to read fictions. I have worked in various technology like Node Js, Spring boot, React and Angular. I am a big fan of software development best practise and Test driven development. In free time, I like to play with my daughter and watching movie.
Jingyi Zhou
UX/UI Designer
She is a passionate UX/UI designer with a keen eye for user-centered design. She is a Master in User Experience and Service Design at Loughborough University. She recently completed a short-term team project with Sainsbury's. Through studying UX systematically, she is equipped with relevant knowledge and diverse methods and is confident in understanding users' needs and solving problems. She is described as a fantastic team mediator.
Liam Jones
iOS Developer
Liam Jones is a self-taught junior iOS developer with a background in Physics and Philosophy. He was a member of Extinction Rebellion and has an interest in technologies to avert the climate crisis. He has written several novels.
Leeae Joo
UI/UX Designer
Leeae, a seasoned UI/UX designer with a decade in the fashion industry, adopts a holistic design approach, considering individuals, businesses, and broader entities for shared responsibility and long-term success. Passionate about environmental impact, she joined a climate app to raise awareness about global warming and reduce CO2, emphasizing the power of collective contributions. In her free time, Leeae creates YouTube videos and facilitates group discussions for leadership growth.
Amit Ranjan
iOS Developer
Hi, I'm Amit. I've been developing iOS apps since Apple removed the NDA in 2008 and have released over 3 dozen high profile apps in the UK App Store. Some of these include BBC, Channel 4, Times, British Airways etc. I'm passionate about learning and implementing new coding practices in iOS. I'd like to be a part of the The Climate app and contribute to the community. Looking forward to working with you all.
Adrianus Ruigrok
iOS Developer
Hi, I am Adrian. I have been developing iOS apps since around 2009 when I was working at Apple on the original iPad and I wrote a bunch of UIKit code. After that I went on to lead Pages for iOS until I left Apple in 2017. Since then I have been working on projects all over the world, most often part time. I am based in Vancouver, but for the last year I have been in Europe and Asia while I wait for my Cuban wife to get a visitor visa or residency to come to Canada. At the time of this writing I am back in Cuba. I joined the team to meet some new people and because I would like to help with the climate disaster.
Alana Oleksiienko
QA Engineer
Hey there! I'm Alana, and I've been diving into iOS software testing for more than two years from now. Recently, I made the move to the UK, and it's been quite an adventure. But you know what? Software testing isn't just a paycheck for me; it's something I truly love doing. I'm excited to put my skills to work on projects that really matter, and I can't wait to team up with you all. Let's see what awesome stuff we can build together!
Dom Porter
Software Developer
I'm a software developer with 20 years of experience in everything from low level comms protocols in C, to C# Windows client server apps and most recently full stack web and app systems using JS, TS, and even some Java. I've forgotten more than I currently know, but spent a number of years working for Skyscanner learning about global complex distributed systems in AWS and more recently at MyWorld building a similar app to TCA in React Native. I currently work as a contractor for a power market analysis company building a platform to visualise the world's power generation mechanisms.
%20copy.JPG&w=3840&q=75)
Michelia Wibowo
Outreach
Hi, my name is Michelia. I'm a marine conservation scientist who is passionate about combating climate change. I have nine years of experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and four years of expertise in data science. Alongside my scientific background, I also have skills in marketing and content creating.
Atikur Rahman
iOS Developer
I am an iOS developer with 8 years of experience. Currently, I am working as a Senior iOS Developer at Evangelist Apps. I hold an M.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering and have a strong interest in Machine Learning. I am really happy to be part of the climate app project and looking forward to contributing.
Ana Tereshchenko
iOS Developer
Ana is an iOS developer based in Washington State with a strong interest in sustainability and climate action. Her passion for environmental issues deepened after studying sustainability in the U.S. Outside of coding, Ana enjoys reading, gaming, and camping.
Asha Chakre
QA Engineer
Asha is a software quality assurance engineer based in San Jose, CA. She is an experienced QA professional who has worked in the tech industry for many years. Asha has tested both web-based and mobile applications using industry-standard methodologies and procedures. She enjoys coding and learning new technologies. Recently, she obtained a certification in full stack web development from Berkeley, CA. In her spare time, Asha loves to cook, and she is a culinary enthusiast who enjoys spending quality time with her kids and family.
Anke Bremer
Backend Developer
I am a backend software developer with 10 years of experience. My tech skills include Java, Spring, SQL (Oracle and Postgres), various AWS technologies, DynamoDB, GraphQL, Docker, Agile methodologies, and more. I enjoy solving complex problems and puzzles and I love to build software that aids communities and positively impacts the world we live in. When I don't code, I work as a voice actor and I teach crochet. In my freetime, I love to cook vegan food, learn languages (currently Tamazight), play the harp (more or less well) and I am involved in various climate groups.
Alper Karatas
iOS Developer
Alper is an iOS and tvOS engineer with over 14 years of experience crafting apps that people rely on every day from streaming at Sky to secure banking at Santander. He's passionate about clean, maintainable code, and has deep expertise in Swift, SwiftUI, and AVFoundation. Alper thrives in collaborative teams, enjoys mentoring fellow developers, and believes in using tech for good. Joining The Climate App is his way of contributing to a cause he truly cares about building a better future through code.
Asel Zhumalieva
iOS Developer
Asel Zhumalieva is a skilled iOS developer with experience building robust mobile applications using Swift, SwiftUI, UIKit, and modern architectures like MVVM-C and Composable Architecture. Currently working remotely as a Software Engineer at Marriott International, she has previously contributed to impactful tech projects at The Climate App and Breez. Asel is passionate about crafting clean, scalable code and has a strong foundation in agile methodologies, unit testing, and modern iOS development tools. She is based in Chicago.
Smaranda Domosaru
Product Manager
Hello everyone! I’ve led product and marketing initiatives across startups, agencies, and industrial firms. At BIMMEX, I redefined brand positioning and redesigned the website, improving key metrics like bounce and retention rates. As Founder of The Sailboat Agency, I delivered tailored strategies for SaaS and service-based clients, managing everything from content to user research. I also launched The BRIEF Case Competition in London, directing a 14-person team and implementing a Scrum-based roadmap to bring 70+ participants together across disciplines. My background blends strategic thinking, project execution, and a hands-on approach to building things that work.
Yuliya Nastiushkina
iOS Developer
Hi! I’m a self-taught junior iOS developer based in Toronto. I’m quick to pick things up, endlessly curious, and never afraid to dig deep until I truly understand how things work. I love exploring new ideas and technologies, especially when they can make a real impact. I’m excited to keep growing as a developer and contribute to The Climate App’s mission for a better planet. Outside of coding, I’ve got plenty of hobbies to balance out screen time — from singing in a choir to trying pretty much anything I haven’t done before. If you’re in Toronto, come check out one of AnnexSingers performances!
Muhammad Riaz
Senior iOS Developer
I am an experienced iOS developer with a strong focus on building high-quality, scalable mobile applications using Swift and SwiftUI. I have worked on multiple real-world projects, delivering architecture patterns, smooth user experiences, and well-optimised performance. I enjoy working in collaborative, remote teams and take pride in writing maintainable, testable code. I am especially passionate about building meaningful products that create real social and environmental impact.
Karolina Ogiolda
UXUI Designer
I’m a UX/UI Designer with about 2 years of experience, currently doing an apprenticeship. I’m eager to grow my skills by working on different projects, especially mobile apps. I’m also interested in AI tools and how I can use them in my work. Outside of design, I love traveling, longboard dancing, and staying active through sports.
Jennifer Russell
Quality Assurance Engineer
Jennifer is a Quality Assurance professional with nearly two years of experience testing web applications in a SaaS environment. Her background includes manual testing, writing test plans, and reporting bugs using GitHub and Confluence. She’s currently expanding her skills into test automation with Playwright and RSpec. Jennifer hopes to contribute to a positive and seamless experience for the app’s users.
Joshua Feingold
Sustainability Impact Analyst
Joshua is a community builder and journalist working toward a Global Leadership and Peacebuilding MSc at King’s College London. He holds a BA in International Relations from the University of San Diego, where he focused on European comparative climate policy analysis. He is an aspiring environmental and human rights lawyer working in the intersection of education, climate justice, and sustainable development. He is grateful to be a part of this team and likes playing guitar (badly) and reading memoirs.