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Corporate Water Strategy

Digital Technologies to Accelerate Impact and Business Value

Thursday, November 30, 2023

9:00am MT

Digital technologies can quantify and scale investments in solving scarcity, poor quality, inequity in access and loss of ecosystems.  Join this session to learn about digital technologies that accelerate impact and business value.

Supported

by

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Sponsors

OVERVIEW

 

Corporations are under increasing pressure to quantify the impact of water stewardship strategies and investments. These investments can be part of collective action programs or individual actions to address water scarcity, poor water quality, inequity in water access and the loss of ecosystems.

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The emergence and adoption of digital technologies now provides corporations, NGOs and other stakeholders the ability to measure real-time water quantity and quality and the performance of nature based solutions and ecosystem health. Digital technologies such as satellite data acquisition and analytics, IoT sensors, AI and advanced visualization tools provide a range of solutions and datasets previously unavailable.

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Key takeways include:

  • Defining leadership in water stewardship and strategy

  • Updates on commercially available digital water technologies

  • Use cases for digital water technologies.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

 

  • Corporations

  • Digital technology companies

  • NGOs

  • Public sector/utilities

  • Investors

GISP Points

This event may qualify for GIS Certification Institute continuing education credits.

To submit for GISP Points, visit www.gisci.org to self-submit the event curriculum for approval

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AGENDA

Thursday, November 30, 2023

9:00 am - 10:30am

All times listed in US Denver Mountain time

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9:00 am 

Host's Welcome Remarks

Todd Reeve, CEO, BEF

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• Welcome and introduction from the event hosts BEF

• Who is BWS

• Housekeeping notes/agenda overview

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9:05 am 

Introduction/The Players

Will Sarni, Founder & CEO, Water Foundry

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• Who is Water Foundry

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9:10 am 

Introduction/Setting the Stage

Tom Freyberg, Founder & Director, Atlantean Media

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• Why are we here
• The need for collaboration over competition
• Intro to Atlantean

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9:15 am

Scaling Water Stewardship with the Cloud

Will Hewes. Global Lead for Water Sustainability, Amazon Web Services

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Will Hewes will provide an overview of AWS’s water stewardship commitment to return more water to communities than the company uses in operations by 2030. He will highlight in particular how the program is using cloud services to scale the impact of the program and accelerate adoption of innovative technologies, business models, and financing models that can help solve pressing water challenges globally.

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9:20 am

How Corporations can Leverage the Public Sector
for a Resilient Water Future

Kim Nelson, Chief Operating Officer, True Elements

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An overview of corporate water strategy leveraging the public sector, from True Elements' Kim Nelson

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9:25 am

Basin-Scale Data for Continuous Watershed Monitoring & Analytics

Ivan Lalović, Founder and CEO, Gybe

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Gybe enables corporations, governments, and environmental organizations to make better data-driven decisions for water.  We will discuss how we are replacing the traditionally laborious process of water sampling, analysis, and information sharing, using satellite imagery, machine learning, and software automation. We will also explain how we deliver new real-time datasets for any location globally that may have limited or no historical monitoring data, and simplify the comparison of trends across different basins to quantify the ecological benefits of water stewardship investments.

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9:30 am

Leveraging Technology to Solve Water Challenges

Eliza Roberts, Water Lead, Microsoft

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An overview of the 5 pillars of Microsoft's 2030 Water Positive goal with examples of how Microsoft is leveraging technology to maximize our impact, and What's next?

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9:35 am

Unconventional Alliances, Much More than the Sum of their Parts

Victoria Edwards, CEO, Fido Tech

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Ingrained practices, risk aversion, poor change skills, low resource … the reasons water utilities don’t adopt transformative technologies reads like a list of opportunity for corporates who want to thrive in a drier future. By helping accelerate and scale tech which delivers immediate, local and above all quantifiable water replenishment, water positive businesses like Microsoft future-proof their LTO, secure long-term profitability and unlock multiple environmental, social and economic outcomes for all.”

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9:40 am

Panel Discussion / Audience Q&A

Facilitator: Tom Freyberg, Founder & Director, Atlantean Media
Panelists:
Will Hewes. Global Lead for Water Sustainability, Amazon Web Services
Eliza Roberts, Water Lead, Microsoft
Kim Nelson, Chief Operating Officer, True Elements
Ivan Lalovic, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gybe
Victoria Edwards, CEO, Fido Tech

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A panel discussion, with live audience question-and-answers:

• Quick highlights of water tech solutions helping to address shared water challenges
• What’s needed to advance solutions for shared water challenges and what are their stewardship objectives for? 
• Here’s why these are important to meet our shared water challenges? 
• Building a catalytic community in the CRB. 
• Share boundaries of what corporate partners can do and what they need to see. 
• The company's perspective on what they need? 
• How to get multi-sector partners to put $ into the WF and BWS work? 
• How do we quantify the impact?

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10:25 am

Closing Remarks

Todd Reeve, CEO, BEF
Tom Freyberg, Founder & Director, Atlantean Media
Will Sarni, Founder & CEO, Water Foundry

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Session wrap-up and audience take-aways.

Conference Format

Hosted on an exciting and interactive virtual event platform, this event series features a virtual auditorium, plus audience interaction via Q&A and Polls.

Agenda

PRESENTERS 

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Todd Reeve

CEO
BEF

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Todd Reeve is CEO of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and founder of Business for Water Stewardship (BWS). For more than 20 years, Todd has led work with companies to understand business risk and leverage growing opportunities to advance water stewardship and conservation outcomes. Todd has worked collaboratively to develop corporate environmental water strategies and has published numerous articles profiling pathways to achieve improved water solutions. Through this work, Todd has led partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and NGOs to build a corporate-led water stewardship movement. Collectively, Todd has overseen the development and funding of more than 400 corporate-funded environmental water stewardship projects and partnerships across the U.S. states and internationally. He co-created the Water Restoration Certificate® (WRCs) Program and is co-creator of Change the Course, a national water campaign founded in partnership with National Geographic and Participant Media.

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Tom Freyberg

Founder & Director
Atlantean Media

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Tom Freyberg is an experienced environmental journalist, having worked across a variety of business-to-business titles. Since joining Pennwell in 2010, he has been influential in developing international partnerships for the water brand and has overseen digital developments, including 360 degree video case studies. He has interviewed high level figures, including NYSE CEO’s and Environmental Ministers. A known figure in the global water industry, Tom has chaired and spoken at conferences around the world, from Helsinki, to London and Singapore. An English graduate from Exeter University, Tom completed his PMA journalism training in London.

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Will Sarni

Founder & CEO
Water Foundry

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Will is an internationally recognized thought leader on water strategy and innovation. He has authored numerous books and articles and presented on: the value of water, innovations in digital water technology, the circular economy, and the energy-water-food nexus. He has been a water strategy advisor to private and public-sector enterprises and NGOs for his entire career.

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Will Hewes

Global Lead for Water Sustainability
Amazon Web Services

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​Will Hewes is the Global Lead for Water Sustainability at Amazon Web Services (AWS), a role he has held since 2019. In this role, Will is pursuing his passion for sustainable water systems by leading a global water stewardship program that reduces AWS’s global water footprint and support projects to restore watersheds and expand water availability in communities where AWS operates. Prior to joining Amazon, Will held roles at two mission-driven organizations related to his values and passion for water sustainability. He served as director of Table Rock Infrastructure Partners from 2013-2019 and as Associate Director for American Rivers from 2006-2011. He received his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley in 2013 and his BA in International Environmental Policy from Brown University in 2005.

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Eliza Roberts

Water Lead
Microsoft

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Eliza is the global water lead at Microsoft and is responsible for Microsoft’s Water Positive commitment. In this role, she leads investments in replenishment and water access and sanitation projects across the globe, advises businesses across the company on reducing water use, and advises Microsoft’s $1B Climate Innovation Fund (CIF) in making water-related investments. Prior to this role, Eliza was the water lead at WSP where she provided corporate water stewardship consulting services to a range of clients across apparel, food and beverage and technology sectors. Eliza led the water and agriculture program at Ceres, where she worked with investors and companies to tackle water challenges and developed the organizations’ bi-annual Feeding Ourselves Thirsty report benchmarking companies on their water management practices. Prior to Ceres, she implemented replenishment projects for Coca-Cola in India. Eliza has a BA in Environmental Policy and a MBA from the George Washington University School of Business

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Kimberly Nelson

Chief Operating Officer
True Elements

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Kimberly Nelson joined True Elements in Januarly 2022 as Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, Public Sector. Previously, she was Senior Director of Microsoft's U.S. Public Sector's State and Local Government Solutions business. Her focus for over 16 years was to work with Microsoft's partner ecosystem to develop repeatable online solutions that reduced cost, risk, and time for public sector clients in key sectors such as Critical Infrastructure and Health. Prior to Microsoft, Kimberly had a 22-year career in public service in both state and federal government. She served as the Assistant Administrator and Chief Information Officer for the Office of Environmental Information at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she was responsible for environmental information policy. This was a Presidential Appointment confirmed by the U.S. Senate. At the state level, she served as Executive Deputy Secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection with responsibility for Policy, Communications, and Operations. Kimberly has a bachelor's degree in Political Science (Shippensburg University) and a master's degree in Public Administration (University of Pennsylvania).

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Ivan Lalović

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gybe

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Ivan Lalovic is the founder and chief executive officer at Gybe, a start-up focused on changing how water quality and pollution challenges are tracked, understood, and solved. Before Gybe, Ivan worked with microelectronics manufacturers like HP, Intel, AMD, and Samsung to enable high performance computing and sensing. Ivan's entrepreneurial journey was inspired by an extended sabbatical, sailing close to 10,000 miles on the Atlantic Ocean with his spouse and two young kids. He is driven by his passions, to develop cloud-based technology solutions that transform how we monitor, understand, and manage water issues. Ivan holds a Physics degree from Whitman College, a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Washington, and is an author of more than 50 papers and 24 US patents.

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Victoria Edwards

CEO
FIDO Tech

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​Victoria Edwards is founder and CEO of FIDO, a pioneering tech company whose quantifiable AI is revolutionizing the management of water networks in the face of climate change-induced scarcity. A passionate believer in collaboration, she plays a pivotal role in a growing number of new unconventional partnerships which link utilities with forward-thinking corporations and other non-traditional stakeholders in stressed river basins around the shared goal of water replenishment. Victoria is a charismatic thought leader and passionate speaker on the power of disruptive technologies to drive positive social, climate and economic outcomes. She also co-chairs the joint UK and Indian governments’ water digital working group with KPMG.

SPONSORS and SUPPORTERS

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Atlantean is a global network of like-minded, creative individuals with a single purpose: to deliver premium, deep and detailed content focused on innovation in water. Forget dreary, mass-produced press releases destined for the trash. Instead think targeted business content with personality.  Engaging. Entertaining. Provoking. Results driven. That’s Atlantean.  Led by award-winning environmental journalist Tom Freyberg, the global media company has over a decade of experience, spanning the world and bringing engineering-based content to life across the water, energy, renewables, recycling and waste management fields. From feature-length content and analysis, to video case studies and interviews, conference organisation and public speaking, not to mention social media, the company’s proven track record can help to put businesses on the map, get noticed and grow.

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DIGITAL BLUE is a global ecosystem that gives you unlimited access to the latest digital water innovations, legislation, news and technologies. We promote business and economic sustainability through resilient growth, as well as tackling environmental and social issues head-on. Through supporting the global adoption of new digital water technologies, we will play a vital role in building a sustainable, resilient and equitable society. DIGITAL BLUE is not a traditional industry association. We are a guild; a new wave of professionals and interested stakeholders with the purpose of advancing the adoption of digital water technologies. We pride ourselves on quickly integrating digital solutions to achieve an accelerated speed to market. Our guild develops and shares knowledge, provides access to ingenious digital solutions while supporting digital transformation via aligned action.  

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Our water, climate, and energy challenges are urgent. And solvable. That’s why B-E-F brings together partners across all sectors of society to co-create entrepreneurial solutions that address climate challenges by restoring freshwater ecosystems and catalyzing a renewable energy future for all. Whether you are just beginning your sustainability journey, or pushing for bigger, bolder climate goals across the globe, we can accelerate positive, more equitable and more inclusive impact.

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Water Foundry is a trusted advisor to select global clients in the public and private sectors and technology providers in solving “wicked water” problems. The firm provides advisory services in strategy, technology innovation and investing. The team has over two decades of experience working with iconic global brands, investors, and water technology companies along with development banks, foundations and water technology hubs, accelerators and prize competitions. We have a point of view that the private sector has a unique opportunity to create catalytic communities of diverse stakeholders to accelerate progress in addressing “wicked water problems.” We also believe there are investable water tech companies focused on digital solutions such as remote sensing and AI, off-grid and decentralized water and water treatment and smart water solutions in the built environment. We are committed to accelerating solutions to water challenges at the intersection of agriculture, energy, and climate to contribute to economic development, business growth, ecosystem health and social well-being.

Speakers
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