Rocky Baier
Product Manager

I spend my Saturdays surrounded by what most people would consider junk. Broken toasters, deconstructed electronics, and frayed clothes litter tables around the room, which is bustling with community members and skilled repairers as they search for the right screwdriver or thread. However, these broken items are not junk, they’re repairable, and we’re changing the way people think about the items they own.
 
Co-founding the Tucson Repair Cafe has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my burgeoning career. It connected me to community members who are also passionate about reducing waste, allowed me to use my skills as a product manager and a journalist, and helped me feel good about the work I was doing to help the environment. My countless hours volunteering both here and with Sustainable Tucson have given me hope for the future and energy to keep making a difference to help our planet.
 
I am currently moving away from my career in journalism to a career focused on helping the environment full time. My career in journalism equipped me with an abundance of important skills which I will carry with me into my next job: writing on a deadline, creating engaging social media content, graphic designing, communicating causes to the media, and more. However, the most important thing it introduced me to was agile and product thinking, which allows me to move quickly to make changes I want to see in my community and my place of business. The product management/ agile sphere excites me, and I am looking for a job where I can use my skills to create a sustainable world.
 
I love my career so far, and I can’t wait to see where it will take me next!