WaterVent Advisor |October 24th, San Francisco

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WaterVent Advisor

Judith Herschell Cole, CEO of Global Water Advisors

Judith has 40 years of experience in water treatment and engineered systems. She is an entrepreneur, having founded Herschell Environmental in 2003 and assuming ownership of Global Water Advisors in 2024. She has served in technical/engineering and commercial capacities at the executive level for large and small companies. She has extensive experience in business development, strategic planning, formulating and driving long-range strategies, introducing new products and services, executing marketing plans and designing small water and wastewater systems.

She holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Biology, and Psychology. Her graduate studies were in Biology. She believes deeply in giving back to the water treatment industry. Her volunteer activities include 26 years volunteering with the American Water Works Association and 17 years with the Marcellus Shale Coalition Research Collaborative. Other volunteer activities include, the Water Environment Federation and the American Membrane Technology Association.

Judith has contributed to many publications as feature article author, bi-monthly column author and technical reviewer for various publications and topics. She has served as a keynote speaker, workshop presenter, technical paper presenter, moderator, and seminar presenter at various national and regional professional events, symposia, and conferences.

WaterVent Advisor

DrCat Shrier | Founder of WaterCitizen.Org

DrCat Shrier is the Founder of WaterCitizen.Org, providing educational media, programs and events for Water Professionals and Entrepreneurs to support them in becoming the Leaders they want to be and having the Impact they want to have. Since founding WaterCitizen in 2012, she has developed internet-based, interactive methods to expand the reach of Water-Related Educational and Community-Building Programs and Events as well as Educational Water Media – with coverage focusing on Innovations, Workforce and Human-Interest Stories. "DrCat" produces and facilitates in-person and virtual events including the Annual WaterPitch! Water Startup Matching Extravaganza and Water Innovation Nation Celebration Virtual Summit, as well as Virtual Transformational Leadership Development Programs and Online Communities e.g. the League of Extraordinary Women of Water and Water Entrepreneurs Leadership Lab (“The W.E.L.L.”) Mastermind Mentorship Memberships.

For more than 30 years, DrCat has worked at the forefront of Innovation for Water, Energy and Climate, with a background encompassing public policy and governance, hydrogeology, environmental management, civil engineering, water planning and management, multimedia journalism, transformational coaching & workshop facilitation, and adult education. She led initiatives on Aquifer Storage Recovery Project Development and Regulatory Policy; Water Reuse and other Alternative Water Supply and Management Methods; the Water-Energy-Climate Nexus; Integrated Water Planning and Management including Water Supplies and Environmental Impact Analyses for Mining, Energy Extraction, Manufacturing, and other Industrial Uses as well as for the Water Sector, Agriculture and Food Production, and Habitat. DrCat served on a National Academy of Sciences Study Committee, Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable, and Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Committee Freshwater Subcommittee.

In 2023, she produced the first Water Startup Matching Extravaganza for the USEPA Cincinnati Labs –in collaboration with WaterVent - and continues to lead this annual event under the WaterPitch brand – hosted by DC Water’s HQO Events. She has expanded WaterPitch! with more coaching and clinics, online profiles and matching opportunities. WaterPitch! draws upon connections and location in Washington, DC, to provide the Water Entrepreneurship Community (including Investors, Funders, Client Innovation Leaders, Entrepreneur Support Programs) with a Washington Insiders Breakfast, Entrepreneurs’ Congressional Briefing, and NEW Workshop for International Partnerships - bringing together the Water Entrepreneurship Community with experts from Federal Agencies, Embassies and various International Organizations with offices in Washington, DC.