Gary White is an observer, an innovator, and a passionate problem-solver. As CEO and Co-founder of Water.org, WaterEquity, and WaterConnect, he has developed solutions that have empowered millions of people in need with access to safe water and sanitation.

Through innovative and complementary approaches, Water.org, WaterEquity, and WaterConnect work together to solve the global water and sanitation crisis. Gary pioneered Water.org’s core solution, WaterCredit, which empowers people living in poverty with access to affordable financing for water and sanitation. Building on this foundation, he launched WaterEquity, an impact investment manager focused on mobilizing private investments in water and sanitation across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Most recently, WaterConnect was introduced to build on these efforts by developing opportunities for investment in climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure, ensuring lasting impact for future generations.

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

Named in TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people, Gary has received numerous honors, including the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, a seat on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water, and recognition as a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur and a Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneur.

Gary holds three degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Missouri University of Science & Technology.