Greg Newbloom

/in , , /by

LinkedIn

Company: Membrion

Location: Seattle, Washington

If sustainability was simple, cheap & low-risk – it would be irresistible. Multi-dimensional innovation across technology, services, policy & business models is the path to frictionless & broad adoption of sustainable best practices, but even so we’re not moving fast enough to correct the past. That’s why I’m passionate about accelerating innovation towards irresistible sustainability.

My background blends technology development (10+ years), entrepreneurship (10+ years) and management (7+ years) with an emphasis on bringing together counter-intuitive innovations to deliver extraordinary value (financial & sustainable). I’m an action-oriented believer in building diverse teams, fostering a people-first culture, and enhancing idea meritocracy. My efforts have been recognized with numerous awards including prestigious alumni awards from both my alma maters, professional society early career recognition, and national/regional innovator awards.

Most recently, I’ve had the privilege of building Membrion – a company focused on recovering water from “impossible” waste sources. In 6 short years, I founded the company, raised >$10M & built a diverse 20+ person team that invented, scaled & commercialized a world-changing technology.

Dennis Nwatu

/in , /by

LinkedIn

Company: Hydro Wind Energy

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

As head of the business development team, I identify and evaluate new business opportunities, develop and implement new business strategies, manage relationships with customers and partners, and generally leverage my expertise to drive the growth and success of the company.

Jack Pan

/in /by

LinkedIn

Company: NASA, Ocean Motion

Jack Pan is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Motion Technologies, Inc.. He is also a NPP Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Jack received his Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO, UCSD). Prior to SIO, he worked as a consultant and team lead at JPL and led the development of satellite remote sensing projects on coastal ocean monitoring. Jack has also participated in several polar research expeditions to Antarctica and is a recipient of the Antarctica Service Medal for his instrumentation work and sampling in extreme environments. Jack is also an avid traveler and photographer.

Nicolaas Pannekeet

/in , /by

LinkedIn

Company: PureTerra Management Cooperatief U.A

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Over 20 years of entrepreneurship in China has allowed me to gain knowledge about its business and investment landscape.

My most notable endeavor, Van den Berg Roses China, developed into being China’s leading flower business. In 2014, my team and I were awarded the Cathay Pacific award for Best Dutch Entrepreneurs in China.

I’ve also been co-founder and investor in a multitude of global business ventures and I’m highly passionate about mentoring other entrepreneurs. I am an active member of the global Entrepreneurs Organization network. I have managed both their Shanghai Mentorship and Accelerator program and am currently volunteering to establish the Shanghai chapter’s Social Impact Program.

I reside with my family in Shanghai, but one of our favorite places is Kenya, where the abundance of nature and wildlife makes us feel incredibly enriched.

In October 2018, I completed my first full IRONMAN in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Weekly Dive #11

/in /by

A revolutionary technology in China cools power plants without using any water. Can cloud computing become greener with underwater data centers? US Congress allocates billions to water projects. Accenture invests in KETOS to advance water intelligence through real-time monitoring. Not drinking enough water may lead to serious health risks. The US wants to test airline wastewater to track emerging COVID variants. This week, we are highlighting Robert Bowcock, one of HydroDAO’s key advisors. Learn about his impressive background and why he is passionate about water.

Your weekly Bonus – How to turn water into the key solution in 2023?

This week’s quote:

Dive into the ocean
It’s calling your name
It’s waves rise and fall
It’s never the same

And you are a bubble
Within this vast sea
You’re rising and falling
In this Life, to Be

A bubble of Joy now
Your breath takes you home
Take hold of those bubbles
Expand them, see them grow

For as you are the bubble
You are also the sea
The walls of the bubble
Dissolve and you are set Free

What’s New with Water?

China claims ‘revolutionary breakthrough’ in cooling power plants 

The technology system will enable the Yanghuopan Power Station to save 24,500 tonnes of coal and cut 54,100 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Off-Shore Wave-Powered Desalination Gains Traction

Norwegian firm Ocean Oasis has developed an off-shore wave-powered floating desalination solution, currently tested in the Canary Islands.

Dutch Expertise Helps To Solve Argentina’s Arsenic Challenges 

A new collaboration is helping to bridge Dutch water sector expertise to Latin America to help solve groundwater quality challenges. 

Could Underwater Data Centers Make Cloud Computing Greener? 

How much could underwater data centers do to alleviate emissions from our cloud usage?

What’s New in the Industry?

Congressional Spending Bill Allocates Billions To Water Projects

The latest major spending bill passed by U.S. Congress has demonstrated the growing importance of clean, abundant drinking water for the country.

Interior invests $84.7M for 36 drought resiliency projects

The latest WaterSMART program investment will support the development of innovative drought resilience efforts for 36 communities in the West.

Accenture to Invest in KETOS

KETOS is the latest company to join Accenture Ventures’ Project Spotlight to advance water intelligence through real-time monitoring.

Spain will invest more than €29 billion to improve water management

The country is facing enormous water-related challenges causing 70% of rivers to have high water stress levels.

What’s New in the Science?

Not Drinking Enough Water Linked to Serious Health Risks, Study Warns 

A new study provides a few more good reasons to stay well-hydrated – including fewer chronic health conditions and a greater chance of living a longer life.

U.S. considers airline wastewater testing as COVID surges in China

The U.S. is considering sampling wastewater taken from international aircraft to track any emerging new variants.

Researchers develop eco-friendly materials capable of purifying water

Professor Park Chi-Young’s team developed a polymer material that can completely remove phenolic organic contaminants in water.

Scientists have revealed a link between drinking enough water and aging

According to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) new study, drinking water also links people to age in a healthy way.

Our HydroDAO Advisors: Robert Bowcock

Bob Bowcock founded Integrated Resource Management, LLC in 1997 after serving as a Water Utility Manager in Azusa and Huntington Park, California. Prior to that, Bob worked for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and as a U.S. Army Civil Affairs Team Leader designing and constructing water treatment and distribution systems for federal branches of government in Southeast Asia and South America.

Bob has been appointed to serve on numerous Watermaster Boards by California Superior Courts since 1990. He is a licensed California Grade V Water Treatment Operator. He routinely provides expert witness work to legal firms in water resource management. Notably, Bob works alongside Erin Brockovich eradicating water pollution and improving water for low income communities throughout the US. PFAS remediation is one of Bob’s key areas of focus and expertise.

Bob has been a valuable speaker, educator and water expert to WIA and WE. Dive back into our Knowing Your Drinking Water video where he and Erin Brockovich shared with us how to ensure you are drinking the best water for your health and wellbeing. Thank you Bob for your extraordinary support, work and leadership in the water industry and our water community.

What’s in the Future?

2023, the year in which water must be the solution 

We must continue to move forward to turn water and sanitation from a problem into a solution.

Alissa Peterson

/in , , /by

LinkedIn

Company: SeaAhead

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

At SeaAhead, we work with startups that will have an impact in ocean health and sustainable ocean industries. SeaAhead manages a vibrant innovation community, with an incubator, BlueSwell, an accelerator, Gulf Blue Navigator, and facilitates seed-stage investments through our Blue Angels investor group and soon SeaAhead Ventures.

SeaAhead catalyzes the intersection of innovation + sustainability + the oceans – what we are calling Bluetech. The increased stress that our growing population & industrialization is placing on the ocean presents an acute need, as well as an opportunity, for scalable new technologies and ventures to improve ocean sustainability. We are designing SeaAhead to be a nexus, bringing together technologists, scientists, startups, corporations, governments and other ocean stakeholders to create impact in areas including greener shipping and ports, aquaculture and fishery processes, offshore alternative energy, coastal resiliency, ocean plastics and smart cities.

SeaAhead has launched by supporting new startups, working with corporations to facilitate their interaction with new ventures and events to galvanize the community. We will seek in the near future to include a venture investment fund as well.

Alissa Peterson

/in , , /by

LinkedIn

Company: SeaAhead

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

At SeaAhead, we work with startups that will have an impact in ocean health and sustainable ocean industries. SeaAhead manages a vibrant innovation community, with an incubator, BlueSwell, an accelerator, Gulf Blue Navigator, and facilitates seed-stage investments through our Blue Angels investor group and soon SeaAhead Ventures.

SeaAhead catalyzes the intersection of innovation + sustainability + the oceans – what we are calling Bluetech. The increased stress that our growing population & industrialization is placing on the ocean presents an acute need, as well as an opportunity, for scalable new technologies and ventures to improve ocean sustainability. We are designing SeaAhead to be a nexus, bringing together technologists, scientists, startups, corporations, governments and other ocean stakeholders to create impact in areas including greener shipping and ports, aquaculture and fishery processes, offshore alternative energy, coastal resiliency, ocean plastics and smart cities.

SeaAhead has launched by supporting new startups, working with corporations to facilitate their interaction with new ventures and events to galvanize the community. We will seek in the near future to include a venture investment fund as well.

Millicent Pitts

/in , , /by

LinkedIn

Company: Ocean Exchange, Inc.

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Milly is the executive director of OceanExchange, that gives non-dilutive funding to innovative start-ups that support healthy oceans and a sustainable Blue Economy. She previously was an executive in the chemical/materials industry for 30 years.

In addition to her role at Ocean Exchange, she is a mentor with Creative Destruction Labs (Oceans) in Halifax, is on the Leadership Team of OceansVisions.org, and has previously mentored or judged in collaboration with other partners such as Clean Tech Open and NREL. She leads the Ocean Exchange efforts to grow and communicate with the community of ocean and blue tech innovators.

She holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sandra Ponce de León

/in /by

LinkedIn

Company: More Women in Crypto

Location: San Francisco, California

Sandra Ponce de Leon is an entrepreneurial marketer and veteran start-up executive that has launched brands and supported startups through several successful company exits. She has a broad marketing background that crosses consumer and business markets. Her expertise spans SaaS, ad-tech, social business, consumer mobile and AI. She is a strategic marketer with an influential and extensive network. Sandra’s long history in Silicon Valley has enabled her to forge friendships and business relationships with the industry’s top tech leaders and influencers. Her expansive marketing toolkit includes brand development, GTM, acquisition and retention. She has led corporate marketing strategy, demand generation and product marketing activities that have fueled company growth and trajectories.
Sandra’s side hustles include the Popping the Bubbl podcast, SF New Tech, SF’s long running tech event and actively contributing content to #LatinaGeeks.

• Digital marketing vet with influential tech network and strategic business development perspective
• Extensive know-how in development and implementation of data driven marketing programs
• Significant experience leveraging all social media tools: blog, social networks, twitter, video

Follow me @sandramp

Specialties: Broad B2B marketing experience: Online (search, email, media), social media, direct mail, mobile – android and iOS, mobile advertising, mobile commerce, consumer technology, display advertising, social business, innovation.
Experience working across organization from engineering to sales.
Extensive lead life-cycle management, infrastructure, CRM integration, marketing automation, lead nurturing, email

Heather Potters

/in /by

LinkedIn

Company: PharmaJet, Inc.

Location: Evergreen, Colorado

Former PE fund manager, founder of a medical technology company, and sometime board member and investor in other health and tech companies.