Building the highest impact water company in the world​

Gary White is a contender for the most successful water entrepreneur in history. He just happens to run a non-profit. We were delighted to host him for a Burnt Island Session, discussing his transformative, four decade career in water.

Gary co-foundered two organizations, Water.org and WaterEquity, with the same goal - to bring water and sanitation to the world, making it safe, accessible, and cost-effective. Water.org, an international nonprofit, has reached more than 60 million people around the world with access to safe water or sanitation through affordable financing.  

WaterEquity, an asset manager,  invests in financial institutions, enterprises, and infrastructure in emerging markets delivering access to safe water and sanitation to low-income communities. Over the past 15 years, Gary, his partner Matt Damon, and their exceptional team have built one of the most effective global vehicles for changing people's lives. It was a tremendous privilege to host Gary White with the Burnt Island community as he walked us through their journey, what they have planned, and how you can support their work. 

Key Takeaways: 

·         Water access unlocks personal and economic potential 

·         Water sits at the base of all other impact objectives 

·         Blending philanthropic and investment capital accelerates solutions 

·         Strong project pipeline and team are critical for investors 

·         Communication and results build momentum, “Running up the numbers” 

·         Huge potential remains in water infrastructure investment 

·         Engaging private capital at scale is imperative to meet global needs 

To learn more about Water.org and WaterEquity’s work and how you can support them, please email Natasha Hafez at nhafez@water.org. For a copy of the full recording, please email Marissa Sterling at marissa@burntislandventures.com.

​Bio  

​Gary White is an observer, an innovator, and a passionate problem-solver. He has created solutions that have empowered millions of people in need with access to safe water and sanitation. Gary is the CEO and Co-founder of Water.org and WaterEquity, nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering people in developing nations to gain access to safe water and sanitation. Gary developed WaterCredit, Water.org’s solution to create new financing options for under-resourced populations to meet their water supply and sanitation needs. He also developed and leads WaterEquity, an impact investment manager dedicated to ending the global water crisis, with an exclusive focus on mobilizing private investments in water and sanitation throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America.  

​Bringing more than 30 years of experience to work on solving the global water and sanitation crisis, Gary is a leading advisor in the water and sanitation space, counseling organizations such as the IKEA Foundation, Inditex, Reckitt, AB InBev, Amazon Web Services, the Water Resilience Coalition, and Bank of America on responses to the global water crisis. He is also a founding board member of the Millennium Water Alliance and Water Advocates.   

​Named to TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people, Gary has been awarded the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship, named to the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water, and selected as Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur and a Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneur.  

​Gary’s educational credentials include three degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Missouri University of Science & Technology.  

About 

Water.org is a global nonprofit organization working to bring water and sanitation to the world. We want to make it safe, accessible, and cost-effective. We have changed more than 60 million lives with safe water or sanitation. We help people get access to safe water and sanitation through affordable financing, such as small loans. We give our everything every day to empower people in need with these life-changing resources – giving women hope, children health and families a bright future. Expanding upon the success of WaterCredit, Water.org offers a portfolio of smart solutions that break down the financial barriers between people living in poverty and access to safe water and sanitation. We work with and through partners to increase access to financing for those who need it most. This will help achieve safe water and sanitation for all.