Who We Are

Tiny Tote is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization with the mission of reducing plastic waste in the United States.

How We Do It

Tiny Tote operates a trifecta of influencing change:

GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM

We believe in the power of collective action. This is why we take a “boots on the ground” approach to interface with consumers at the source of consumption, empowering them to know that one small change can make a huge difference, simply by bringing their own bag to the grocery store or farmer’s market.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

In addition to in-person events, we educate people on the effects of plastic waste and how to minimize it through social media campaigning on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube.

We partner with organizations with similar missions to increase the breadth and depth of our reach, enrich our communities, and to foster fellowship with individuals and groups who share our values of protecting our Earth.

POLITICAL ADVOCACY

We interface with local, state, and national government to support environmental legislation, and provide resources for people to contact their representatives.

Our Story

Tiny Tote was founded by Wendy Martin, a former Army aviation officer with a passion for the environment. While stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, she observed the tremendous effects of plastic bag waste when a training flight was cancelled in her unit due to a plastic bag being sucked into the spinning rotor blades of a helicopter. Since it’s inception in 2020, Tiny Tote has since grown and expanded to a national presence, sponsoring events and educating people about the effects of plastic waste throughout the nation.

The Tiny Tote Team

  • Wendy Martin

    FOUNDER/PRESIDENT

    Wendy works at a zero-waste bulk refill store and is a board member of two other nonprofits. Her formal education includes a B.S. in Human Resource Education and Workforce development, and an M.S. in Transformational Leadership, however, she believes that the most important education is learning to connect with oneself and with nature. She is also a certified Zero Waste Associate through Zero Waste U.S.A.

  • Raquelle Allen

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Raquelle is an herbalist, entrepreneur, and certified Reiki practitioner. Healing is her passion, and devotes her life to sharing the healing powers of the natural world and tuning into intuition. She views her role as Vice President of Tiny Tote to ensure our actions as an organization remain in harmony with our mission and values, and to offer expertise and perspective from a holistic viewpoint.

  • Caitlyn Colvin

    TREASURER

    Transparency matters. That’s why Caitlyn signed up to keep track of the finances. Her years of experience keeps Tiny Tote accountable to ourselves, the public, and the IRS. When she’s not crunching numbers, you can find her working in her public service career, “momming,” or singing karaoke from the comfort of her living room.

  • Kathryn Carter

    VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

    Raised on the coast of Florida, Kathryn has a lifelong relationship with the ocean. Since childhood, she has had a love for sea turtles, and became especially concerned about marine debris when she learned how badly plastic pollution was affecting sea life. With a degree in Human Resources, her passion for galvanizing others to achieve a mission and her skills to equip people with tools for success serendipitously landed her in the role of Volunteer Coordinator. When she’s not interfacing with people for events, you never know where she might be on her next international adventure, with a crochet project in hand!

  • K T-J

    SECRETARY

    With a passion for social change and a background in biology, K T-J combines her experience in global travel with her innate strengths in EQ and leadership to serve her community on a local and global scale. She helps our organization navigate new opportunities while staying on track to our core mission and values. Oh, and she is a pro at keeping our meeting minutes!