Roaring through a milwaukee summer
By Dean Amhaus, President & CEO
Last weekend, Milwaukee hosted thousands of motorcycle riders from around the world for a celebration of Harley-Davidson’s 120th anniversary. It reminded us at The Water Council that our Water Leaders Summit, happening at the Harley-Davidson Museum, is coming up soon. As one local publication put it, it’s “one Milwaukee original meeting at the museum of another Milwaukee original.”
Unfortunately for me, we are so busy around here that I’m not finding much time to ride my Harley these days. You’ll see why in the rest of this newsletter.
water leaders summit
Our Water Leaders Summit is Sept. 13-14 – less than two months away! Registration is starting to pick up as we announce our featured speakers and panels centered around “Building Water Resilience.”
Today I’d like to tell you about one of our panels. Resiliency Solutions in Practice will look at how companies in a variety of industries are adopting innovation to build resilience to challenges such as water scarcity, flooding and poor water quality. The panel includes:
- Dr. Lindsay Birt, client solutions manager at Xylem
- Paul McRoberts, regional industry manager for mining, metals and cement, Rockwell Automation
- Michael Samuel, president of Nobel Systems
We are still accepting sponsorships for the summit. Click here to see how you can join other water leaders in raising brand awareness, providing tickets to your employees, and supporting our mission to solve global water challenges through innovation and stewardship.
asian development bank
The following day, we will co-host the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Roadshow with the U.S. Commercial Service-Wisconsin. This event will focus on opportunities for water and energy tech companies to expand in Asian markets with the help of the ADB. It will include a procurement session, case studies and representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Trade & Development Agency, World Bank and others.
Keynoting the roadshow will be Ambassador Chantale Wong, U.S. executive director of the ADB. Wong has a background in environmental engineering with a focus on water and wastewater management. She served in NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Treasury Department and more before her appointment to the ADB in 2021.
This event will have tremendous value for water technology companies looking to expand in Asia and makes a great add-on to the summit.
nsf resiliency engine
We are taking our Resiliency Innovation Engine on the road! Using a development award from the National Science Foundation, we are planning an economic engine in eastern Wisconsin to help manufacturers and utilities build water and energy resiliency. As an early step, we are traveling across the engine’s region to hold informational sessions with manufacturers, utilities, community leaders, universities and more.
Our first event is tomorrow at TitletownTech in Green Bay, co-hosted with New North Inc. It’s not too late to register. We will co-host an event with the Racine County Economic Development Corporation on Oct. 10, and we’re planning additional events in Milwaukee, Kenosha, Madison, Waukesha and northern Illinois. Sign up for our engine mailing list to get all the details.
water stewardship
We are excited to announce another participant in WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified: Primo Water! Primo joins Ecolab, Sloan, Toyota Motor North America and other companies implementing our water stewardship methodology.
Want to learn more about WAVE and its benefits? We are holding a webinar Sept. 6 featuring two of our strategic partners, KPMG and SCS Global Services, and program participants.
Our vice president of water stewardship, Matt Howard, is currently in Nashville, Tenn., taking part in the Water Environment Federation Circular Water Economy Summit. Matt was on the advisory planning group for the summit and is joined there by TWC Board member Emilio Tenuta, who will serve as summit emcee, and Kevin Butt from Toyota, who will speak on Toyota’s water stewardship efforts, including participation in WAVE.
Next Matt travels to Columbus, Ohio, for the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment Innovation Summit. He will lead a panel on water stewardship in the automotive sector with co-panelists from Toyota, Ford and Lear Corporation. In the coming month, Suppliers Partnership and TWC will launch a water strategy framework for the automotive sector. Stay tuned for more information.
innovation update
We are still buzzing about last month’s Demo Day, when our BREW 2.0 innovators from around the world pitched their technologies to an in-person and virtual audience. If you missed the event, check out the recording below.
Watch for the application period for our 2024 BREW cohort to open in fall.
Also in fall, we will be attending WEFTEC, the annual gathering for water professionals, happening this year Sept. 30-Oct 4 in Chicago. Members, please contact Laura Mullen to let us know your WEFTEC plans for inclusion in our “Know Before You Go” guide. I’m pleased to announce that we will be leading sessions on PFAS innovation, featuring several of our members and BREW participants, and how resiliency fits into the ESG (environmental, social and governance) landscape. Stay tuned for more details.
Immediately after WEFTEC, we will hold a business development event in Milwaukee for U.K. and European companies looking to expand into the U.S. Participants will learn more about the U.S. market, the work of The Water Council and our global water hub. Click here for more information.
We are excited to announce a new partnership with the Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA). This partnership will help CSWEA members connect with emerging technology companies, engage in research and piloting opportunities, and get plugged into events and training. It will also help The Water Council gain exposure for our innovation programs and expand our network of utilities for potential pilot sites and participation in our Resiliency Engine. Check out our blog to learn more.
new members
Finally, we are happy to welcome new member PipeSonic this month to the hub Where Water Works!
member news & opportunities
- Event: World Water-Tech North America will take place Oct. 25-26 in Los Angeles exploring the latest innovations, investment and market opportunities across the North American water industry. Register for rich networking opportunities, fresh technology insights and unmissable conversations on: building planet-friendly water systems, implementing reuse and recovery, and futureproofing data-driven solutions. Use code WATERCOUNCIL10 to get an extra 10% off the early bird in-person price.
- Members, remember you can submit your news, job openings, and events for inclusion in a future newsletter!
