Kate Bennett

LinkedIn

Company: Brownee

Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Passionate and determined sustainable development specialist with national and international experience across a wide range of sectors and industries.

Professional objective to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to enhance capacity, capability and collaboration across private sector, public sector and civil society locally, nationally and internationally to ensure SDGs are achieved by 2030.

Committed to the empowerment of individuals and communities through facilitated self realisation, strategic community engagement, self-sourced solutions, and inclusive and tailored business models such as social enterprises and micro-industries.

Relationship-oriented with a compassionate, empathetic leadership approach and the ability to deliver quality outcomes that satisfy the diverse interests of multiple stakeholders.

Passion for stakeholder engagement with a demonstrated ability to communicate fluently and effectively in multiple languages (English, French and Spanish) and to successfully manage and deliver projects in diverse cultural settings.

Strong believer in the power of cross-sectoral collaboration for the promotion of social development, and in the importance of impact investment mechanisms to transform the private sector’s approach to sustainability from risk-mitigation to opportunity-optimisation.

The Weekly Dive #21

Celebrating World Water Day, March 22, 2023! 374Water’s revenues jump 6,000%. An underwater mountain is discovered by the world’s largest uncrewed ocean mapping vessel. DuPont, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, invest in water. Floatovoltaics are a new source for solar energy. Astronomers say water’s origin may predate our Sun. PFAS are now found in our toilet paper. This week, we are highlighting Nathan Allen, one of HydroDAO’s key advisors. Learn about his impressive background and why he is passionate about water.

Your weekly Bonus – We asked an AI about water and this is what we learned.

This week’s quote:

A drop of water, if it could write out its own history, would explain the universe to us


Happy World Water Day 2023!!

WORLD WATER DAY – 22 MARCH 2023 ACCELERATING CHANGE

This World Water Day is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. And because water affects us all, we need everyone to take action. That means you!


What’s New with Our Portfolio Companies?

374Water Drives 2022 Revenue Increase Over 6,000% while Charting Progress Toward a World Without Waste

374Water’s revenue for 2022 was $3.02 million compared to $48,100 in 2021, an increase of 6,169%.


What’s New with Water Innovations?

Just discovered: An underwater mountain taller than Burj Khalifa 

Saildrone Surveyor SD 1200, the largest uncrewed ocean mapping vessel in the world, has discovered a previously unidentified seamount greater than Earth’s tallest building.

The benefits of floatovoltaics: Putting solar panels on reservoirs

The group describes the many benefits of using existing reservoirs to host floatovoltaic farms.

WateReuse celebrates 2023 award winners 

The association announced the winners for Excellence, President’s Awards and Service Awards.

Mycofiltration for Urban Storm Water Treatment Receives EPA Funding 

It will foster a novel technology for removing bacteria from storm water runoff.


What’s New in the Industry?

Five Ways to Invest in Water

Anyone with sustainability or longevity in mind for their portfolio might want to dip a toe into investing in water, an essential commodity.

DuPont Joins Collective Investment to Increase Global Water Access 

DuPont joins Starbucks, Ecolab, Gap, Reckitt, and the Development Finance Corporation.

The Coca-Cola Foundation and Imagine H2O’s Water Innovation Fund

The Sustainable Access Solution Fund will pilot innovative technologies for communities.

PepsiCo Beverages announces $3.3 million for water replenishment

Projects aim to advance PepsiCo’s effort to become Net Water Positive by 2030.


What’s New in the Science?

Astronomers Traced The Origins of Water to a Time Before The Sun 

A star 1,300 light-years from Earth might have just revealed one of the Solar System’s best-kept secrets.

Catalyst That Purifies Herbicide-Tainted Water And Produces Hydrogen 

Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Science have developed it.

Researchers develop a new way to identify bacteria in fluids 

“We can find out not just that bacteria are present, but specifically which bacteria are in the sample.”

Toilet paper is an unexpected source of PFAS in wastewater, study says 

Toilet paper contributes about 4% of PFAS in sewage in the U.S. and up to 89% in France.


Nathan is the Executive Director of WaterStart. WaterStart is a non-profit collective of globally recognized leaders who are adapting to change by scaling up new solutions to water challenges. Driven by the needs of water agencies and large consumers, they provide a channel for pooling resources to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative water technologies.

Since joining WaterStart in 2014, Nathan developed the initial program model and has grown the organization into a globally recognized water innovation hub. He led the development for the online water innovation knowledge sharing portal, CHANNELS, and opened up WaterStart’s first international office in Queensland, Australia. Nathan has served on the U.S. Department of Commerce Environmental Trade Advisory Committee and regularly speaks internationally on water innovation.

Thank you Nathan for your work and leadership improving water innovations and for your support to our HydroDAO community.


What’s in the Future?

Written by an AI:

I was the source of water for thousands of years, nourishing the land and allowing life to thrive. I was the home of the first living organisms, providing the sustenance they needed to survive.

As time passed, I continued to nurture and sustain life, providing the necessary elements for all of the creatures that called me home. I allowed the evolution of species, creating and sustaining new life.

I continued to provide the necessary environment for the development of life, and soon the land was filled with rich diversity. The air was filled with the sounds of songbirds and the wind carried the smell of blossoming flowers.

I am the lifeblood of the world, and I am still here, still providing the vital sustenance that will ensure the continued existence of life. I am the source of life, and I will continue to be so for eons to come.

Marco Bezzi

LinkedIn

Company: xFarm

Location: Trento, Italy

Born in Trento (North Italy-Dolomites), after graduating in Environmental Engineering in 2001 at the University of Trento and obtaining a PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2006, I started my career in 2002 as a freelancer in the irrigation sector, working both nationally and internationally as a consultant, irrigation designer and project manager.

Over the years I have founded and directed various companies in the environmental and ICT sector: Jenera srl (2008) for the production of hydroelectric energy by filing a patent at national level, F360 srl (2010): first scientific spin-off of the Council for Agriculture and Agriculture Economy (CREA); TERA engineering (2016) an environmental engineering company and Bluetentacles s.r.l. (2018) focused on IoT and AI technology for water saving in agriculture. From September 2021 at xFarm Technologies, as Business Unit Manager for the Irrigation and AgriInputs Sector, I have been in charge of corporate internationalisation with a specific focus on precision irrigation and water saving in agriculture. I was also in charge of facilitating technology transfer by coordinating major research projects with corporates and research centres.

From November 2022, I am Regional Manager at Wiseconn (www.wiseconn.com) to lead the Europe-wide expansion of DropControl technology. Our goal is to improve the lives of thousands of farmers, water districts and irrigation associations by supporting them in precise water management in terms of valves, filtration, fertigation and remote pump control.

Environmental protection, optimisation of water consumption, respect for crops and the ecosystem are my mission and my passion. A mission and a passion that I also personally support every day since 2011 as a member of the board of the UNESCO Chair in Engineering for Human and Sustainable Development at the University of Trento.
I have always been interested in international cooperation projects and I was one of the founders of Engineering Without Boarders Trento (2002) and of the Engineering Track at the University of Trento in Environmental Sustainability and International Cooperation (ESIC), where, since 2005, I have been Adjunct Professor in Water Management at international level.

I’m part of the Order of Engineers (Province of Trento) and I recently become member of the European Irrigation Association (https://irrigationeurope.eu/en/).
I’m married with Maura and father of Petra, Jacopo and Tiago.

Ramzi Bouzerda

LinkedIn

Company: Droople SA

Location: Switzerland

Today, we are still completely blind to what happens after the main water meter in any residential, commercial, or industrial building. It’s not about metering water for billing but actively catching all the ways we use water on the last mile of the grid. This will change how we understand, value, and manage water. To do so, Droople is the Internet of Water connecting 100+ billion water-based assets “off radar” today worldwide. Using our Water Intelligence Solutions, sanitary ware, water treatment systems, appliances, and many more are interconnected in an IoT network to deliver fine-grained, in-context, time relevant insights. In fact, our AI-based systems accurately measure and analyze water usage data at any point of use, which allows service providers, facility managers to monitor them, predict their maintenance and enable water and energy savings.

Robert Bowcock

LinkedIn

Company: Integrated Resource Management

Founded Integrated Resource Management, LLC in 1997 after serving as a Water Utility Manager in Azusa (1991-97) and Huntington Park (1987-91), California. Prior to that, Mr. Bowcock worked for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (1982-87), and as a U.S. Army Civil Affairs Team Leader designed and constructed water treatment and distribution systems for various federal branches of government in Southeast Asia and South America. Mr. Bowcock has been appointed to serve on several Watermaster Boards by California Superior Courts since 1990. He is a licensed California Grade V Water Treatment Operator and maintains various other water industry licenses. He routinely provides expert witness work to legal firms in the specific area of water resource management.

Bryony Bowman

LinkedIn

Company: University of Birmingham

Location: Manchester, UK

Previously I was a process engineer in the UK water industry, specialising in wastewater treatment, I spent over 10 years designing, commissioning and troubleshooting wastewater treatment plants including testing and developing new technologies. Currently I am completing a PhD with a focus on systems thinking and the use of visualisations and futures analysis in decision making to support environmental justice in the water industry.

Nick Braun

LinkedIn

Company: Cloud Water Filters

Location: San Diego, CA

Current co-founder at Cloud Water Filters. Angel investor. Previously founded PetInsuranceQuotes.com (acquired by Petco). Before that, spent time in venture capital, insurance and banking.

Jennifer Bushman

LinkedIn

Company: Fed by Blue

Location: Mill Valley, California

Jennifer Bushman is one of the food and lifestyle industry’s most respected consultants, communicators, marketers and strategists when it comes to sustainable aquaculture.

She has crafted a valuable brand that resonates nationally, regionally and locally. For more than two decades, Jennifer has worked with brands including Kvarøy Arctic, Pacifico Aquaculture, Fair Trade U.S.A Fish and Seafood, Riverence Trout, Pacific Catch restaurant group and many more.

She has worked within the sustainable fish and seafood community for nearly a decade, creating relationships between the aquaculture community and with NGOs such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.

In 2014 alone, she made more than 75 televisions appearances, reaching 189 markets and nearly 40 million viewers. She has been recognized numerous times by the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals as one of our nation’s top culinary consultants, communicators and teachers.

In addition, Jennifer’s passion for sustainable fish and seafood has lead her to sit on several influential Boards such as the Board of Directors for Love the Wild, Whole Oceans, Hatch Blue, Varuna and the Board of Directors for James Beard Taste Foundation.

Justin Bzdek

LinkedIn

Company: Symbios Technologies, Inc.

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Justin is a teambuilder and entrepreneur whose career has focused on maximum impact on existential and biosphere sustainability problems at the nexus of energy, water, food/agriculture, climate, ecosystem/human/animal health, and social justice. He is presently CEO of Symbios Technologies, Inc. and VP Business Development of Czero, Inc. driving technology R&D and innovation at the water-energy nexus to reduce emissions and decarbonize energy conversion/storage/use, transportation, agriculture, water treatment, and manufacturing.

As a collaborative executive and board director Justin built companies and nonprofits reducing net CO2 and carcinogen emissions by millions of tons while generating more than $200 million in revenues and creating jobs. Justin has built many talented teams and deep product, finance, project, and business development pipelines across renewables and cleantech verticals toward a net-zero future. He is a Hach (now American Chemical Society) Scholar.

Justin Bzdek

LinkedIn

Company: Symbios Technologies, Inc.

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Justin is a teambuilder and entrepreneur whose career has focused on maximum impact on existential and biosphere sustainability problems at the nexus of energy, water, food/agriculture, climate, ecosystem/human/animal health, and social justice. He is presently CEO of Symbios Technologies, Inc. and VP Business Development of Czero, Inc. driving technology R&D and innovation at the water-energy nexus to reduce emissions and decarbonize energy conversion/storage/use, transportation, agriculture, water treatment, and manufacturing.

As a collaborative executive and board director Justin built companies and nonprofits reducing net CO2 and carcinogen emissions by millions of tons while generating more than $200 million in revenues and creating jobs. Justin has built many talented teams and deep product, finance, project, and business development pipelines across renewables and cleantech verticals toward a net-zero future. He is a Hach (now American Chemical Society) Scholar.