How did it start?
Rolf-Ørjan Høgset founded In The Same Boat in 2017 as one of three beach cleaning enthusiasts developing the initial idea, and has stayed as the leading force of the organisations since.
He was raised on an ecologic farm, living in close harmony with nature. He was at young age fascinated by technology, and has a long career in business development, software development, and communication. The last years before becoming a full-time beach cleaner, he also became a recognized photographer and filmmaker, and an innovator in the Norwegian blogging and influencer industry.
Until 2017 his career and life had been all about marketing and sales – with a goal of making people buy as much stuff as possible they don’t really need, a lot of it eventually ending up as trash, some of it even in the oceans.
While producing a live streaming TV show from a sailboat, Rolf was invited to a beach cleanup with some enthusiasts cleaning plastic debris on a severely polluted beach at Skrova, Lofoten.
At first, he could not believe the trash was not dumped right there on the beach, but when he realized that the sea actually brought it in there, he got a vision with a strong urge to fix the problem.
Rolf joined the group, that was already running a cleanup project, and developed it from a project to a long term ambitious plan, and a structured organisation.
It’s important to credit also this group, that had the initial idea, and openly included Rolf in the project!
Seeing the pollution on close hold, Rolf realized the circumference of the plastic pollution problem. Making more people experience and see the problem is now an important part of In The Same Boat’s strategy.
Moving his whole life onto the 15 meter sailboat, Fonn, and then the 20 meter Qilak, Rolf has spent the last 10 years building one of the most effective beach cleaning organizations in the world.
Among the objects he found on Rolf’s first beach cleaning, were bottles with ketchup and mustard from the Norwegian brand “Idun.” He recently worked with this brand, producing commercial campaigns for the grocery industry.
The idea was born, and the rest is history.
Rolf sold his cameras and bought the first of In The Same Boats sailboats. From there, he built the organization with engaged volunteers and eventually a team of professional skippers and team leaders.
