About Wilder Blue Planet
Curious about who we are and how and why we got started? Read on!
Our Founders and Their Vision
The founders of Wilder Blue Planet have always had a love for animals, particularly ocean species. We are a 100% minority owned company and female owned company. Carolyn Christian Bass is the President & CEO and founder. She worked in corporate America most of her career in marketing, market research, business strategy, and business development. She also has a creative side. She wrote and self-published a middle grade fiction book, What Lies in the Deep, that provides the marine animals’ perspective of life and challenges created by the Terras (humans). She began sketching her characters and expanded her work to include animals from multiple habitats and tribal art that are now the subjects for the unique graphic designs for the Wilder Blue Planet product line.
Christian J. Johnson, Carolyn’s son, is the COO and co-founder. He also has a love and respect for animal life. Biology and field studies were always a favorite in high school. He participated in the Worthington Field Studies program that took him across the US and Puerto Rico to study geologic, animal, and plant life. Like his mother, he became a PADI certified diver. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology at the University of California San Diego and now pursues a career as a researcher for the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), studying marine life at the microbial level within phytoplankton communities.
Why We’re Doing This
Carolyn and Christian are painfully aware of the impact that pollution has on the planet as is most of the world. It is a major topic these days gaining more and more attention. Instead of constantly talking about how bad it is and hoping that recycling would be enough (hey, but it’s a great start!), they got off the sidelines and put their heads together to come up with an idea that could help. They decided to combine Carolyn’s artwork and business experiences with Christian’s scientific knowledge and connections in the marine science world to create an e-commerce site that allows customers to express their unique style through our original designs and products, with a message that promotes environmental responsibility and an avenue to donate a portion of sales to support non-profits dedicated to making the planet a safer, cleaner place to live.
Who We Support
We’re starting out supporting two well-known and recognized non-profit organizations whose dedicated work has made a tremendous impact on the environment. Through your continued support and purchases, we hope to expand our base.
- The Surfrider Foundation runs numerous campaigns to protect coastal spaces and ensure our oceans remain wild and diverse. Alongside their 57,000 volunteers, they run regular beach cleanup operations to remove harmful plastics and other trash items from our coastlines.
- The Nature Conservancy (TNC) founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. With more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of their diverse staff and over 400 scientists, TNC impacts conservation in 76 countries and territories. In the next decade, they are working to protect people and our planet by conserving 650 million hectares of healthy land, 30 million hectares of freshwater, and 4 billion hectares of oceans. Through protected areas, sustainable fishing, forest management, and working with Indigenous peoples, TNC is taking action to shape a better future for people and the planet.
Thank You
So, thank you for visiting our site, purchasing and products, and sharing with your friends. We hope you love our designs, support what we do, and most importantly, feel good knowing that your purchase is contributing to a safer, cleaner environment for all!
Thank You, Merci, Danke, Gracias, Mahalo, Dhanyavad, and to all my Cape Verdean family Obrigadu! (I wish I knew more, but you get it!).