Tim Agnew
Company: Bold Ocean Ventures
Location: Portland, ME
22+ years in early stage venture capital, and many years of impact finance, both debt and equity. Served on multiple governmental and non-profit boards.
Archive for month: March, 2023
David Aguado
Company: Ibiza Formentera Marine Plasma
Location: Ibiza, Spain
We collect sea water in the sea, in privileged sites for its high stability in the composition of minerals. Sites where sea currents keep the seawater clean and constant salinity, where sea currents are circular type called vortex. There are large concentrations of plankton, second food chain on Earth form, along with the plants, capable of transforming, through a process called marine biocenosis, non bioavailable minerals in bioavailable elements, fully comparable to our body . This Seawater is called MARINE PLASMA.
The Weekly Dive #22
374Water rings NASDAQ’s closing bell. Learn how Aqua Membranes went from garage to 3D printing RO membranes. 30 investors signed an open letter on the water crisis. PFAS is set to be the most expensive environmental hazard in history. The EPA is proposing the first-ever national standard to protect communities from PFAS in drinking water. 6 tactics to reduce your exposure to PFAS. A new water purification membrane can generate electricity as it filters. This week, we are highlighting Mary Eggert, one of HydroDAO’s key advisors. Learn about her impressive background and why she is passionate about water.
Your weekly Bonus – Where are we on climate indicators in 2023?
This week’s quote:
A wise one adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to become the vessel that contains it
What’s New with Our Portfolio Companies?
374Water Inc. Rings the Closing Bell
Watch 374Water ring the closing bell at the NASDAQ on March 24th in honor of the UN Water Week.
What’s New with Water Innovations?
The Garage Start-Up Now 3D Printing Its Own Membrane Path
After covering 3D printing spacer manufacturer, Aqua Membranes, in our most recent Tech Dive, Andrew Godfrey sits down with its CEO, Craig Beckman, to find out more.
Viewpoint: Angela Macoscar On Identifying Problems That Need Solving
It must start with a clear need and someone who wants the problem to be solved.
China nears completion of its highest hydroelectric project at 16,404 feet
The Maerdang plant will have a total installed capacity of around 2.2 million kW.
Optical kit will expose micro-contaminants in water sources
Mekorot invests in Olive Diagnostics to allow early detection of biological or chemical toxins in the Sea of Galilee.
What’s New in the Industry?
Comment: The water crisis is just as urgent as climate change. Investors need to wake up
Last month a group of 30 investors signed an open letter to governments on the water crisis.
USAID targets 1.6m Kenyans in $100mln water security investment
Access to clean and safe water in adequate quantities is enshrined in Kenya’s constitution.
IBM launches RFP to help accelerate global water management solutions
This year’s RFP will be represented by Water.org and the UN Development Programme.
PFAS to be the Most Expensive Environmental Hazard in History
EPA also announced this week it is proposing to regulate four other PFAS as a mixture.
What’s New in the Science?
EPA proposes MCLs for six PFAS in drinking water
The agency announced its long-awaited Nation Primary Drinking Water Regulation, which proposes MCLs for PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, PFHxS, and PFBS.
‘Horrifying’ Plastic Rocks Emerge in Remote Island Paradise
Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Science have developed it.
6 simple tactics can reduce your exposure at home to ‘forever chemicals’.
Eating at home, ditching nonstick pans and carpets, and filtering your water can help.
By flying over atmospheric rivers, scientists aim to improve forecasts
These drenching storms are pummeling the U.S. West Coast, bringing dangerous flooding.
Mary is a self-proclaimed geek, who is passionate about technology transforming our world for good. She founded Global Water Works, an online community dedicated to advancing the adoption of smart and efficient technologies to solve the global water crisis in this generation.
Mary grew up on Water Street in Watertown, Wisconsin, and was giving speeches on water pollution by the age of 12 – aghast at the 30-foot piles of sulfites that accumulated on the Rock River that ran through her family’s back yard. She naively assumed the Clean Water Act of the 1970s and the disappearance of visible pollution piles meant that our waters were safe and abundant.
She found herself in the middle of the largest gathering of water technologists on the planet at WEFTEC 2015. She was amazed to learn that we are just 14 years away from where demand for water could exceed supply by 40% (SEE: http://bit.ly/2030Report)..Mary was motivated to take action learning that all marine life could cease to exist by 2048 if we don’t reverse the current trajectory (SEE: http://www.therevolutionmovie.com). These were harrowing statistics that prompted Mary to switch careers and focus on applying all of her talents, connections and resources on ensuring water safety and health.
Thank you Mary for your work and leadership connecting the water industry and for your support to our HydroDAO community.
What’s in the Future?
The state of the climate in 2023
In the last few years, the world has experienced extreme weather, record temperatures and rapid ice melt. Where are we on key climate indicators?
MTS Journal: Call for Papers
Submit Your Manuscript Now!
The MTS Journal is looking to share ocean-related research in their publication. Submit your manuscript now!
Nathan Allen
Company: WaterStart
Location: Reno, Nevada
Nathan Allen is the Executive Director of WaterStart. Since joining in 2014, Nathan developed the initial program model and grown the organization into a globally recognized water innovation hub. He led the development for online innovation knowledge sharing portal, CHANNELS, and opened up WaterStart to its first international office located in Queensland, Australia. Nathan has also served on the U.S. Department of Commerce Environmental Trade Advisory Committee and regularly speaks internationally on water innovation.
Newsha Ajami
Company: Berkeley Lab
Location: Berkeley, California
Newsha K. Ajami, Ph.D., is the Chief Strategy and Development Officer for Research at the Berkeley Lab. She is a hydrologist specializing in sustainable water resource management, water policy, the water-energy-food nexus, and advancing uncertainty assessment techniques impacting hydrological predictions. Her research throughout the years has been interdisciplinary and impact driven, focusing on the improvement of the science-policy-stakeholder interface by incorporating social and economic measures and relevant and effective communication.
Dr. Ajami is a gubernatorial appointee to the Bay Area Regional Water Quality Control Board. Before joining Berkeley, she was the director of Urban Water Policy with Stanford University’s Water in the West and NSF-ReNUWIt initiatives. Previously, she worked as a senior research associate at the Pacific Institute from 2011 to 2013, and served as a Science and Technology fellow at the California State Senate’s Natural Resources and Water Committee where she worked on various water and energy related legislation. She was also a post doctorate researcher with the Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley. She has published many highly cited peer-reviewed papers in predominant journals, coauthored two books, and contributed opinion pieces to the New York Times and the Sacramento Bee. She was the recipient of the 2005 National Science Foundation award for AMS Science and Policy Colloquium and ICSC-World Laboratory Hydrologic Science and Water Resources Fellowship from 2000 to 2003. Dr. Ajami received her Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Irvine, an M.S. in hydrology and water resources from the University of Arizona, and a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Tehran Polytechnic.
David Balsar
Company: Mekorot
A lawyer and economist with a MBA from INSEAD (France) and a MA in Philosophy.
David has experience working in different business development roles for international corporates such as FOX (Newscorp) and Endemol Shine in London.
Later he became an entrepreneur who founded two start-ups, acted as CEO including fund raising, management and execution.
Currently is the General Manager of Innovation and Ventures in Mekorot (Israel’s National Water Company). For the last 4 years, he has been managing the company’s investment strategy and execution. Screening hundreds of startups from which Mekorot has invested in 10 companies.
A former professional athlete with passion for doing good. He was an Intern in the UN DESA in NYC and a volunteer in the World Food Program (WFP) in Africa.
Larissa Balzer
Company: Ocean Sewage Alliance
Location: Oklahoma
A mixed Mary Poppins bag of project management and development, coordination and creation of digital content for web and social media marketing.
The Ocean Sewage Alliance aims to reduce the threat of sewage and wastewater pollution in our oceans and in doing so, increase the health and well-being of humans and nature. We will achieve this mission by collaborating across sectors, synthesizing and sharing knowledge, developing solutions, and raising awareness.
Larissa Balzer
Company: Ocean Sewage Alliance
Location: Oklahoma
A mixed Mary Poppins bag of project management and development, coordination and creation of digital content for web and social media marketing.
The Ocean Sewage Alliance aims to reduce the threat of sewage and wastewater pollution in our oceans and in doing so, increase the health and well-being of humans and nature. We will achieve this mission by collaborating across sectors, synthesizing and sharing knowledge, developing solutions, and raising awareness.
Dan Bena
Company: PepsiCo (previously)
Dan Bena founded his Corporate Purpose and ESG consultancy after a long career with PepsiCo, where he served in leadership roles as Corporate Water Steward, Head of Sustainable Development, Food Safety and Quality specialist, and Head of the company’s first-ever corporate function for Occupational Health and Safety. In addition, he is Senior Consultant for Antea Group USA, and Chair of their Strategic Advisory Board, Advisor to Grimley Capital, Honorary Professor for Glasgow Caledonian University, and Board Trustee of its New York College, which houses the Center for Social Impact and Innovation. Bena advocates for the power of the private sector as a force for good in society. He was recently Senior Advisor to Paul Newman’s charity, Safe Water Network, and serves/has served on the Water Leadership Group of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Steering Board of World Bank’s 2030 Water Resources Group; Steering Committee of the United Nations CEO Water Mandate; the Global Agenda Council on Water Security of the World Economic Forum; US Water Alliance; and Creative Visions Foundation, a non-profit whose signature program, Rock Your World, engages middle and high school students from over 70 countries in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
He serves on the Board of the United Nations Association Westchester Chapter, and on the Advisory Boards for Conrad Challenge, SuperYou Fundation, Artistic Circles, Environmental Leader publications group, and the journal, Water Security. Bena was selected as a mentor for the ThreeDotDash.org Global Teen Leader program; a judge for the University of Notre Dame Corporate Adaptation Prize; and the Penn State Sustainability Case Challenge. He delivered the keynote address at the Swedish Royal Gala, the Our Food, Our Future Summit, in Dublin, Ireland, provided testimony to the US Senate, spoke at the United Nations NGO Conference, “”Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens,” and keynoted the United Nations Youth Assembly to over 1,000 youth delegates from over 100 countries. He received the Light Up the Night Award for youth advocacy and engagement, was honored to have October 24th proclaimed “Dan Bena Day” in New York State; and was recently named a “Global Goals Local Leader” by the UN Association for his role in the partnerships which have provided over 55 million people with access to safe water.
Learn more: www.Linktree.com/danbena and www.danbena.com
Steve Bender
Company: Earth X
Location: California / Texas / Panama
I am an experienced and successful leader in non-profit development and have founded or served on the boards of more than fifteen organizations and volunteer initiatives. I not only have the vision to recognize opportunities to help others, but I understand the business side of establishing sustainable volunteer organizations from charter creation to fundraising to marketing. It has been my pleasure to focus on needs in my local Newport Beach community and find ways to export our successful models to other communities both in the United States and internationally. Causes I support include:
◆ Community and business development
◆ Sustainability and conservation (I’m a certified Naturalist Volunteer with Orange County)
◆ Dental and health care for those in need
◆ Veterans
◆ Special Olympics
◆ Education
A realtor with twenty-five years’ experience, I use the same skills that have brought me professional success to envision, create, develop, and expand these local and international non-profit organizations. My most ambitious project is the “Doc-in-a-Box” series, which sends affordable health care microclinic facilities to countries in need. I serve as President of the Newport Beach Rotary Club.