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Hosted in collaboration with Nike, the Forum brings together a select group of partners and contributors including Xylem, Nijhuis Saur Industries, Veralto, and XPV Water Partners — organisations actively shaping the future of water through innovation, investment, and global leadership.
Set against the theme From Lighthouses to Tipping Points, Ignite brings together a carefully curated group of global leaders working at the intersection of water, climate, design, and corporate stewardship.
From scaling access to safe water (Water.org), to rethinking urban systems (Lo—TEK), to advancing industrial water strategy and ecological design, the programme explores how bold ideas move beyond pilots and into real-world impact.
Rather than isolated innovation stories, the focus is on what it takes to shift systems: aligning capital, corporate action, policy, and design to accelerate change at scale.
The audience will include senior leaders from global brands, utilities, investors, and solution providers—alongside practitioners and thinkers shaping new models for water resilience. The strength of this group lies not only in expertise, but in the diversity of perspectives brought into the room.
Built on the momentum of the BlueTech Forum Unplugged series, Ignite represents a deeper collaboration with Nike, creating a high-trust environment for open, strategic dialogue.
BlueTech Forum Ignite is a working forum designed to challenge assumptions, surface new thinking, and catalyse partnerships that extend well beyond the room.
Participants can expect a highly curated programme of keynotes, moderated discussions, and peer exchange, designed to connect ideas with action, and ambition with execution.
Over two days at Nike’s global headquarters, the programme moves from spotlight to scrutiny. From celebrated lighthouse projects to the harder question of what it actually takes to reach tipping points.
The opening evening brings leaders into the room with visible proof of progress. Breakthrough case studies in water reuse, corporate water stewardship, microfibre mitigation, semiconductor water strategy, decentralised treatment, data centre cooling and energy transition are placed on display. Not as trophies, but as starting points. The conversation quickly shifts from “what worked” to “what’s next” and, more importantly, “what’s in the way.”
By the second day, the format becomes more demanding. Keynote interventions frame the scale of the opportunity, the emphasis moves toward peer-level working dialogue. In curated roundtables and facilitated exchanges, corporate water users, technology innovators, investors and sustainability leaders examine where momentum is building, and where it is stalling.
The programme is structured to test assumptions, surface friction and expose the structural barriers that prevent innovation from scaling. Because lighthouse projects alone do not transform systems. Alignment does. Capital does. Courage does.
The full agenda, including confirmed session leads and thematic deep dives, will be released shortly.
“No civilization, no society, no economy has ever developed without having a reliable source of water. It’s the foundation. Yet so many people are living without it.”
— Gary White, CEO & Co-Founder of Water.org
Gary White is a globally recognized expert in the water and sanitation sector with more than 30 years of experience working to solve the global water crisis. As CEO and Co-founder of Water.org, and Co-founder of WaterEquity, and WaterConnect, he has been at the forefront of developing sustainable, scalable solutions that have empowered millions of people with lasting access to safe water and sanitation.
Gary is a trusted advisor to global organizations, including Inditex, Reckitt, Amazon Web Services, Bank of America, and the Water Resilience Coalition, offering strategic guidance on solving the water crisis. His work has earned him accolades such as the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, inclusion on the TIME100 list, and the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship.
Gary holds three degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Missouri University of Science & Technology.
“We envision a day when everybody has access to clean water and sanitation, and we envision that in our lifetime.”
— Matt Damon, Actor and Co-Founder of Water.org
Matt Damon is Co-Founder of Water.org, a global nonprofit organisation focused on expanding access to safe water and sanitation through innovative, market-based solutions.
Since co-founding Water.org in 2009 with Gary White, Damon has helped advance a model that moves beyond traditional aid, enabling millions of people to gain access to affordable financing for water and sanitation solutions. Through initiatives such as WaterCredit, the organisation has reached tens of millions of people worldwide, empowering households and communities to secure lasting access to these essential services.
Damon’s involvement is rooted in a long-standing commitment to addressing the global water crisis and its connection to poverty. Through Water.org’s work, he continues to advocate for scalable, sustainable approaches that improve lives by unlocking access to safe water and sanitation.
Photo credit: Brian Bloom
Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to writing one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 21 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn). They have been translated into 40 languages.
His latest book is THIS IS STRATEGY. It was featured in the Harvard Business Review and became a nationwide bestseller.
His previous books include The Song of Significance and The Practice, which creatives everywhere made into a bestseller. He is also the founding editor of THE CARBON ALMANAC, a bestseller now available in 7 languages.
Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!). He’s credited as the inventor of email marketing (the good kind). Seth has given five TED talks, including two that rank as the most popular of all time.
By teaching about everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and our responsibilities as leaders, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.
In May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame. He’s also a canoeing instructor and an improving juggler.
In 2005 Li An Phoa canoed the full length of a river in Canada, the Rupert. All along the way, she could drink water straight from the river. Three years later, Li An came back and she could not drink from the Rupert anymore. The river was polluted as a result of dams and mining. Fish died, people got ill. The delicate balance in the ecosystem was destroyed.
Li An realised that drinkable rivers are an indicator of healthy living. Indeed, when we can drink from our rivers, it means that a whole ecosystem is healthy and in balance. Rivers can only be drinkable when all actions and relations in an entire watershed contribute.
We propose to use drinkable rivers, as a guiding principle for our societies, as a replacement of economic growth. Drinkable rivers as an ancient and new compass, guided by the following, simple question: “Does this behaviour, this measure, or this innovation contribute to drinkable rivers?”
Rivers are vital for all life on earth, rivers are our lifelines. We cannot live without water, we are water. All living beings are part of a watershed, so we will all benefit from drinkable rivers.
Rubenstein is an adjunct Professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University (2015 to present) and was a Visiting Associate Professor at the School of Art, Design, and Media at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, 2007-18.
In 2011, Meridel conceptualized The Eden In Iraq Wastewater Project as a symbolic restoration of the fabled Garden of Eden with social practice in the Mesopotamian Marshes of S. Iraq. She serves as Project Director for Eden in Iraq which uses environmental engineering and design, and wastewater to make a restorative garden for health, cultural heritage, and environmental education. Eden in Iraq received its first substantial research funding in 2013 from NTU.
Meridel is an internationally recognized artist/photographer. Her artwork has been featured in exhibitions and publications worldwide, and has received numerous grants including a Guggenheim Fellowship. She began her professional career in the late 1970’s evolving from single imagery to creating extended photographic works, multi-media installations, and social practice. Her artwork explores intersections of nature and culture in relation to ecological and social imbalances – in places where her country has been at war: Los Alamos, Vietnam, and Iraq.
Rubenstein’s photoworks and videos from Iraq have been featured in many exhibitions, including the solo exhibition, Eden Turned on its Side, at the University of New Mexico Fine Art Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, (2018), with a monograph (UNM Museum Press) featuring an essay by environmental writer Alan Weisman. His new book, Hope Dies Last, (2025 Dutton, NY) features The Eden In Iraq Wastewater Project. Notably, Meridel’s first monograph, Belonging:Los Alamos to Vietnam was published in 2004 by St. Anne’s Press, LA, featuring essays by art and cultural critics: Rebecca Solnit and Lucy Lippard. In 2024 she received the Anonymous Was a Woman Environmental Grant.
“Water innovations take longer than IT innovation, but are more important for our future.”
— Prof.dr.ir. Cees Buisman, Wetsus
Prof.dr.ir. Cees J.N. Buisman holds a MSc and PhD (1989) degree from Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands. Until 2003 he was director Technology and Business Development at Paques B.V.
Since 2003, he is Professor at the department of Environmental Technology at Wageningen University, The Netherlands, in the field of biological reuse and recovery technology. His current focal point is on bio-recovery of organics and minerals from waste streams for reuse in industry and agriculture.
He combines his position of Professor with his position as Executive Board Member at Wetsus, European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology (Leeuwarden, The Netherlands). The objective of Wetsus is to create a business driven international multidisciplinary research program for all aspects of water technology.
Prof. Buisman is member of the Netherlands Academy of Engineering and advisory board member of many organisations like Aquatech/RAI, Dutch Topsector Watertechnology (TKI), KWR – The Netherlands
Hope Yu is Chairwoman of Turenscape USA, carrying forward the legacy of her father, Kongjian Yu, a pioneer of ecological civilization in China and a global leader in nature-based solutions and sponge city theory. She is leading Turenscape into a new era defined by the integration of artificial intelligence and ecological design, advancing climate-adaptive cities and resilient landscapes worldwide.
With a background in software engineering, Hope Yu previously served as a Senior Software Engineer where she led large-scale product integrations and developed robust systems for performance and reliability. Bridging technology and landscape architecture, she is developing AI-driven tools for rapid design iteration, ecological simulation, participatory planning, and climate-responsive decision-making.
Her vision is to democratize the capabilities of “Sponge City” and “Sponge Planet,” enabling citizens, designers, and governments to co-create water-resilient, nature-based urban environments. Under her leadership, Turenscape continues its global mission to restore ecosystems, rebuild healthy water cycles, and address climate change through nature-based solutions, guiding cities toward a more resilient and regenerative future.
“The coming century needs to be one where we intelligently restore the health of our global biosphere, acting with urgency as if our lives depend on it, which they do.”
— Mark Nelson, Ph, D.
Chairman Emeritus, Director, Institute of Ecotechnics (UK/US)
Director, Wastewater Gardens International
Mark served from 1982-2024 as the head of the Institute of Ecotechnics (UK/US) whose goal is to develop a new scientific discipline harmonizing the worlds of life and technology.
The Institute consults to challenging demonstration field projects in varied biomes. Mark has worked in desertified New Mexico, the tropical savanna Kimberley region of West Australia and the Puerto Rican rainforest.
IE helped create the world’s first mini-biosphere, Biosphere 2, a new kind of laboratory for studying its fundamental processes. Mark was a member of the “biospherian” crew for its 2-year initial experiment. He managed and researched its constructed wetlands which treated and recycled all the nutrients in the facility’s wastewater.
After working with H.T. Odum, the father of ecological engineering, while getting his PhD at the University of Florida, Mark launched Wastewater Gardens International, which has implemented biodiverse wetlands in 14 countries, changing our paradigm about wastewater. Its newest project is the Eden in Iraq Wastewater Garden project for 8,000 Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq.
Mark’s books include: “Pushing Our Limits: Insights from Biosphere 2” (2018), “The Wastewater Gardener: Preserving the Planet One Flush at a Time” (2014) and “Life Under Glass: Crucial Lessons in Planetary Stewardship” (2020).
“We’re excited to join this year’s BlueTech Forum to showcase how time-tested, trusted onsite and distributed solutions are being packaged, automated, and reimagined to serve multiple industries including supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure.”
— Zach Gallagher, P.E., LEED AP, Natural Systems Utilities
Mr. Gallagher is a licensed Professional Engineer holding BS and MS degrees from Rutgers University in Bio-Resource and Civil/Environmental Engineering. He is currently President & CEO for Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) and formerly served as Vice Chair for the Board of Directors of the U.S. Green Building Council, NJ Chapter.
With over 40 years of innovation and leadership in the water industry NSU operates one of the largest bases of distributed treatment and direct water reuse systems in the United States. NSU is now a part of Saur, a pure-play water and essential services provider with over 12,000 employees and 20 million customers served worldwide in over 140 countries.
Mr. Gallagher has over 25 years of experience with onsite water treatment and reuse systems, has been published by Forbes and Rutgers University Press and serves as a Guest Lecturer on the subject at multiple universities across the Country.
Julia Watson is an Australian-born designer, educator, author, TED speaker, and transformative thought leaderof Greco-Egyptian-Welsh heritage, shaping climate-resilient design through Indigenous knowledge systems.
From an early age, she engaged with First Nations ecological perspectives, developing a deep understanding of how human and natural systems co-evolve—a worldview that guides her work. She is the author of thebest-selling, award-winningbooksLo—TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism(TASCHEN, 2019) andLo—TEK Water: A Field Guide for TEKnology(TASCHEN, 2025), and pioneered the global Lo—TEK movement, reframing nature-based technologies as essential solutions to the planetary crisis.
Her work is collaborative, co-creating with Indigenous co-authors and communities, traveling the world to study these technologies firsthand, and sharing their insights globally. Watson founded the Lo—TEK Institute and the Lo—TEK Office forIntercultural Urbanism, advancingTEKnological Urbanism, anapproach to human system and settlements, rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge, reciprocity, and intercultural co-design.
She has taught at Harvard, Columbia, and other leading universities, and collaborated with NIKE, LEGO, Gensler, and Buro Happold, continually redefining sustainability through ancestral wisdom.
David Sedlak is the Plato Malozemoff Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Berkeley Water Center at UC Berkeley.
His research focuses on the fate of chemical contaminants, with the long-term goal of developing cost-effective, safe, and sustainable systems to manage water resources. He is particularly interested in the development of local sources of water, including water reuse—the practice of using municipal wastewater effluent to sustain aquatic ecosystems and augment water supplies—as well as the treatment and use of urban runoff and groundwater from contaminated industrial sites.
Dr. Sedlak is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, chair of its Water Science & Technology Board and recipient of numerous awards including the Paul Busch Award for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research and the Clarke Prize for Excellence in Water Research. He is also the author of “Water 4.0: The Past, Present and Future of the World’s Most Vital Resource” and “Water for All: Global Solutions for a Changing Climate”.
“Addressing water security has never been more urgent. BlueTech brings together decision‑makers and problem‑solvers to tackle complex challenges and drive meaningful action. We’re proud to support these important conversations.”
— David Henderson, Managing Partner, XPV Water Partners
David is a Founding Partner of XPV Water Partners. He is a thought leader and sought-after advisor, speaker, and expert contributor in the areas of water innovation, policy, and investing. In addition to leading the firm, David uses his industry network and knowledge to invest in and rapidly scale water-related companies.
Prior to XPV, David was Vice President with the private merchant bank Kinghaven Capital Corporation (now VRG Capital). He was responsible for executing direct investments in a broad range of industries, M&A transactions, and corporate development value-add work for portfolio companies.
David attended Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Business, specializing in the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development program. He is a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award, the Ontario Premier’s Award of Excellence and Enactus Global Champion and Alumni of the Year Award. He is a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO).
David is an avid golfer and gamer, and he is a diehard hockey fan.
Carolina is CEO and Co-Founder of Myzelio, with over 15 years of experience advancing sustainability and social impact across sectors. At Myzelio, she works with organisations to deliver transformative action on climate, nature, and circularity across value chains, embedding on-demand teams that execute, finance, and scale solutions more efficiently than traditional in-house models.
In parallel, she serves as Chief Impact and Operations Officer at Daughters for Earth, a global fund and movement supporting women-led solutions to restore nature. She is also Partnerships Weaver for the NGO mundo común, where she contributes to building futures rooted in care, interdependence, and collective wellbeing.
Prior to founding Myzelio, Carolina spent nearly eight years at AB InBev, where she led sustainability initiatives at both local and regional levels before managing global operations for the 100+ Accelerator, supporting startups to scale sustainable innovations. She later served as Global Director for Nature, integrating nature-based strategies across the company’s global value chain. Earlier in her career, she worked with the World Wildlife Fund, contributing to climate advocacy and international negotiations.
Carolina holds a Law degree with a specialisation in Economics from Universidad de los Andes and has taught international environmental law and sustainability. She has been recognised as one of the Women of the Future Initiative’s 50 Rising Stars in ESG, and is a One Young World Ambassador, Homeward Bound Fellow (Antarctic Explorer), and Aspen Institute First Mover Fellow.
Snehal Desai, EVP and Chief Growth and Innovation Officer at Xylem, drives enterprise-wide strategies to enhance customer experience, foster innovation, and create sustainable solutions. Leading the evolution of Xylem and Evoqua’s Innovation, Technology, Product, and Digital functions, he positions the company at the forefront of water technology. With over 35 years of leadership in water, commercial strategy, and innovation, Snehal has held key roles at Evoqua, Dow, and NatureWorks. He serves on the Water Reuse Association board and Chatham University’s Executive Committee. Snehal holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a BS in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from Michigan.
