Make Water Work Podcast

The water sector is one of the most operationally resilient industries on the planet. Systems delivering clean water 24/7 under aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and increasing regulatory pressure — and for the most part, they work. So why doesn't anyone know that? Travis Kennedy has had a front-row seat to this industry for over 20 years — not as an operator or regulator, but as Chief In...

One data center operator hired over 100 people just to solve their water problem. Another operator of equal size hired two. That gap tells you everything about where this industry is right now. Data centers are the hottest topic in water. And over the past several months, we've collected five perspectives from guests who are thinking about this differently — from community planners to state regula...

This week's episode is a special on-location field report from the SWAN Conference — the Smart Water Networks Forum — held in Tampa, Florida. SWAN is a global annual event bringing together utility leaders, engineers, practitioners, and innovators to push the conversation on how the water sector adopts new technology. I had the chance to facilitate a two-hour roundtable with Anthony DeRosa of ASDW...

The water industry doesn't want to be disrupted. And that's not a problem — it's the whole point. In this episode, Isaac sits down with Adam Tank, co-founder and Chief Communications Officer at Transcend, to talk about what it actually takes to build and sell technology in one of the most risk-averse industries in the world. Adam has spent his career at the intersection of water, startups, and des...

85% of water systems in the United States operate with three or fewer employees. They manage treatment, distribution, compliance, reporting, and public communication — often while also handling parks, snow removal, and everything else a small community needs. They are rarely celebrated. And when everything is working, they are almost invisible. This episode is for them. Make Water Work is launchin...

75% of the world's population lives in water-insecure countries. The amount of fresh water on the planet is fixed. And we are spending it faster than nature can replenish it. The UN calls it global water bankruptcy. And according to Rodney Clemente, Senior Vice President of Water at Energy Recovery, the bill is coming due. In this episode, Rodney breaks down what desalination actually is, why it c...

Water is the one infrastructure you cannot live without — and it got a D-minus rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers. In this episode, we sit down with Damian Georgino, Partner at global law firm Dentons and a 30-year veteran of the water industry, to talk about why everything you think you know about water is wrong — starting with the tap. Damian shares his journey from selling wate...

In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Anne Mushow, CEO of Subeca, to explore how smart metering, IoT, and new business models are transforming water utilities. Anne shares her journey from electrical engineering to leading one of the most innovative startups in water tech, and breaks down how Subeca is helping utilities modernize without massive capital...

What does it take to actually scale innovation in water? In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Simon Olivier, leader of Cycle H2O, an impact fund focused on accelerating water technology. Simon shares the personal moment that pulled him into the water space...and how it led to building a venture fund designed to solve one of the industry’s biggest challe...

In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Glenn Barnes to unpack one of the biggest challenges facing the water industry today: affordability. Glenn brings deep expertise from his work helping utilities navigate funding, rates, and long-term infrastructure planning. This conversation goes beyond the headlines to explain why water rates are rising, why small...

In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Chris Miller, Vice President of Digital Services at USALCO and founder of Fontus Blue, to unpack the journey from academic research to startup success and acquisition.   Chris shares how a job in a university water lab led to a PhD, a company, and ultimately a platform helping utilities navigate one of the toughest c...

In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Lia Clark, Community Support Director at Water Finance Exchange and founder of Engineer With Empathy. Lia shares her journey into water, from an orphanage service trip in China to working on some of the toughest water infrastructure challenges in underserved communities across Texas. This conversation dives into: • W...

In this episode of Make Water Work, we sit down with Shellie Chard, former Water Quality Division Director at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, to explore how policy, leadership, and long-term thinking shape the future of water. With a 34-year career in environmental regulation, Shellie shares hard-earned insights on how water policy actually gets made, why trust in water systems i...

What does real leadership in water look like? In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Greg Wukasch to talk about leadership, community trust, communication, and the future of the water industry. Greg shares how water found him, why utilities need to stop being afraid of public engagement, and what it takes to lead with curiosity, empathy, and humanity. Fro...

AI runs on water. But how much? And what does that mean for the future? In this episode of the Make Water Work Podcast, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Peter Yolles (Echo River Capital) and Clara Drysdale (Stanford University) to break down the findings from the new Data Center Innovation Report. As artificial intelligence and cloud computing explode, data centers are becoming one of...

In this episode of Make Water Work, hosts Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Melissa Meeker, CEO of The Water Tower, to talk about the biggest issue facing the water industry that no one is talking about enough: workforce. While the industry focuses on PFAS, AI, lead service lines and climate resilience, Melissa is focused on something even more fundamental...people. 💧 How do we attrac...

Summary In this episode of the Make Water Work podcast, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover welcome Anthony DeRosa, the executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASWDA). They discuss Anthony's journey in the water management sector, the challenges and innovations in modernizing water management, the importance of data management, and the impact of regulatory changes...

In this episode of the Make Water Work podcast, hosts Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover talk with Chris Sosnowski, founder and CEO of Waterly. They discuss the critical importance of data quality in water management, the evolution of Waterly, and the challenges faced by public water systems. Chris shares insights from his journey in the water industry, emphasizing the need for human validation in da...

Summary In this episode of the Make Water Work podcast, hosts Megan Glover and Isaac Pellerin speaks with Michelle Stockness, an influential leader in the water sector. They discuss the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, the challenges of funding infrastructure, and the role of Freshwater in promoting water research and policy. Michelle shares her journey in the water industry, emphas...

Summary: In this episode of the Make Water Work podcast, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover engage with Chad Seidel, president of Corona Environmental Consulting, to discuss the challenges and innovations in the water industry. They explore the importance of accountability in water systems, the journey of Chad in the water quality field, and the founding of Corona to fill gaps in the industry. The co...

In this episode of the Make Water Work podcast, hosts Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover engage with Stacy Jones from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. They discuss the complexities of water regulations, the evolution of regulatory processes, and the challenges faced by water administrators. Stacy shares her journey in the water industry, the importance of effective communication in...

In this episode of Make Water Work, hosts Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Christy Harowski, founder of HCB Strategies and former Chief of Staff at the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans and Value of Water Campaign Director at US Water Alliance.   Christy shares how water professionals can move beyond pipes, pumps, and projects to clearly communicate why water matters, who it imp...

In this episode of the Make Water Work Podcast, Megan Glover and Isaac Pellerin sit down with the former GM of DC Water and current founder of Moonshot Missions, George Hawkins, for a fast-moving conversation about what it really takes to modernize utilities, especially the ones with the fewest resources. George shares how a childhood moment in Cleveland, including seeing a polluted river that lat...

In this episode of Make Water Work, hosts Megan Glover and Isaac Pellerin sit down with Annyse Balkwill, founder of LuminUS Group and host of Meaningful Conversations with Annyse. Together, they explore what it means to “de-robotize” water organizations and create the conditions for real transformation. Annyse shares her journey from chemical engineer at GE Water to global facilitator helping wate...

In this episode of Make Water Work, Megan Glover and Isaac Pellerin sit down with Tom Ferguson, managing partner and founder of Burnt Island Ventures, for a fast-moving conversation on AI, founder market fit, and why water is one of the most overlooked opportunities in climate tech. Tom shares how a pro bono project in London pulled him into water, how Imagine H2O shaped his view of startups, and...