I am Jari Leppänen, a 31-year-old Master's student of Environmental Politics and Regional Studies from Tampere. I come from Jämsänkoski, a small industrial town, but after 10 years of living in Tampere, my everyday life and my dreams for the future are rooted here in Tampere.

In politics, I believe we should not take society for granted but instead strive together to make it fairer. I believe that human community and the ability to work together are superpowers of our species that have carried us through history. I would like to see more of that in politics.

I work on research funding as a coordinator and in my spare time I'm finishing a thesis on just urban transition. As a person I am inspired by meeting new people, working together, good music, films and exciting stories. My family includes my partner and my Romanian rescue dog Ransu.