Channels for Innovation by WaterStart

David L. Johnson is the Deputy General Manager of Engineering and Operations for the Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority. Mr. Johnson has been with the agency since 2004, previously holding the position as director of the Water Quality & Treatment department for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Dave Johnson joins the Channels for Innovation Podcast to discuss innovation in the water sector and SNWA's approach to innovation.

Henrick Laursen is the CEO of AMI Global, an international communications and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) company. Henrick was appointed CEO in 2017 to lead the company during its next phase of growth with a specialized focus on international commercialization and business development efforts for AMI's IIoT connectivity solutions. Henrick is a proven executive and global business development professional with experience in customized systems for large industrial manufacturers and has over 15 years of industrial expertise working for flow technology sectors in Europe and North America. As the former CEO for LiqTech Systems, Henrick oversaw project sales and execution, engineering and production, and partner activities across oil & gas, mining, municipal drinking water, power plant, marine scrubbers, and commercial pool markets. Mr. Laursen has also held global business development roles at Grundfos, one of the largest pump manufacturers in the world. About AMI Global: AMI Global is a provider of end-to-end IIoT solutions with locations in the United States and Israel. AMI engineers affordable and secure IIoT solutions for industrial machinery allowing customers to connect remote industrial assets and equipment to the Internet for data collection, predictive analysis, and asset control. AMI has an existing customer base of Fortune 500 clients and global industrial systems and equipment manufacturers.

After working as a startup founder for nearly 15 years, Shewring joins the WaterStart Australia team to further water innovation efforts and help attract more international technology companies to Queensland by working with major water utilities and water consumers across the state. WaterStart Australia was created as a result of the Queensland Government and Nevada (U.S.) becoming Sister States in early 2018, committing to work collaborative across key industries and opportunities including advancement in water technology. That same year, in May 2018, Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) became WaterStart’s first international member. Shrewing is currently also the founder and CEO of The ikiFounder Network, which provides mentorship and financial support to venture founders. His previous experience includes serving as Co-founder and CIO of BizDojo, Co-founder and CEO of Colo, and Head of Mobile Technology Innovation for Air New Zealand.  Nick joins the Channels for Innovation Podcast to discuss: Collaboration between large water utilities and small councils in Queensland, Australia. Water situation in Queensland, Australia The development of the first international branch of WaterStart The benefits to the water sector and water technology industry of bridging Nevada and Australia. How water technology companies can scale after successful pilots

Rebecca Shanahan is the Deputy Director at WaterStart. Prior to joining WaterStart in 2013, Rebecca spent 14 years working on water resources management issues for the Southern Nevada Water Authority gaining an intimate perspective of the challenges in obtaining, treating, and delivering consistently high-quality water to a growing community. While at SNWA, she developed and managed the evaporation data collection and analysis program to support groundwater-basin hydrologic budgets and water-right appropriations, scientific studies for species protected by the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Nevada Revised statutes, and other federal policies, and negotiations for contractual third-party agreements.

Kevin is the Chief Technology Advisor at WaterStart. Kevin has over 30 years of experience in the water industry, including five years in the geothermal and nuclear industries. During this tenure at the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) he was instrumental in the development of the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) Emergency Response initiatives and the innovative SCADA control strategy which balances improvements in water quality with energy management. During his service, LVVWD maintenance practices were documented as being leading edge for the water utility industry.

Nathan Allen is the Executive Director of WaterStart. WaterStart aims to make Nevada a channel for innovation by leveraging the state’s leadership and expertise in water. Allen’s business model involves a joint venture between academic, public, and the private sector. Each of their partners brings together strategic resources and expertise, connecting water management agencies, technology companies, and policy makers in order to spur economic growth in the water sector.