{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Brian Sheng on Turning Air into Water","description":"\ud83c\udfaf The Green Impact Report Quick take: This week\u2019s episode goes beyond bricks and beams. Brian Sheng, co-founder and CEO of Aquaria, is tackling one of the planet\u2019s most overlooked sustainability challenges: water. His team is building clean water infrastructure by literally harvesting water from air \u2014 a breakthrough that could redefine how communities access one of life\u2019s most critical resources. \ud83e\udd1d Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Brian Sheng is the co-founder and CEO of Aquaria, a company pioneering atmospheric water generation at scale. A first-generation American who grew up in New York, Brian studied at Princeton before building a career as both an entrepreneur and investor in future-focused technologies. After leading Fresh, an early-stage venture firm that backed AI, climate, and government tech, Brian shifted to operating in climate innovation. At Aquaria, he\u2019s on a mission to make reliable, abundant, and sustainable water accessible to communities everywhere. \ud83c\udf31 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Brian Sheng revolutionizes traditional thinking about water and infrastructure \ud83e\udde0 Key Insight #1: Water is the overlooked frontier of sustainability. The Challenge: Infrastructure projects are stalled by insufficient access to clean water. The Solution: Aquaria generates water directly from air, creating a new and abundant supply chain. ROI: Reliable, decentralized access to clean water for homes and communities, reducing strain on existing systems. \ud83e\udde0 Key Insight #2: Startups can shift how infrastructure is built. The Challenge: Water infrastructure is costly, slow, and dependent on outdated systems. The Solution: Aquaria approaches water like solar \u2014 distributed, scalable, and technology-driven. ROI: Faster deployment, more resilient communities, and the potential to scale from individual homes to entire cities. \ud83e\udde0 Key Insight #3: Mission-driven innovation requires intentional culture. The Challenge: Founders often struggle to balance speed with sustainable talent growth. The Solution: Brian builds teams with intentional mentorship, complementary co-founders, and a mix of in-person and distributed collaboration. ROI: A resilient, mission-aligned company culture that scales alongside the tech. \ud83c\udf0f Sustainable Soundbite "We are like solar, but for water \u2014 energy from the sun, water from the air." \u2013 Brian Sheng \ud83d\udccc Your Green Building Action Plan: Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Evaluate where water access could bottleneck your building or community projects. This Quarter: Explore distributed water solutions like atmospheric generation to reduce risk. This Year: Build partnerships with innovators that scale sustainable infrastructure, not just energy, but also water. \ud83d\udd17 Connect & Learn More \ud83c\udf3f Access full episode resources here \ud83d\uddd2 Read the transcript here \ud83d\udd17 Connect with Brian Sheng: Website: https:\/\/www.aquaria.world\/ Brian on: LinkedIn Brian on: Instagram Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. \ud83d\udc49 Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https:\/\/www.greenbuilding.news\/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc \u00a9 2025 | Good Green Fun.   ","author_name":"The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti","author_url":"http:\/\/gbespodcast.libsyn.com\/website","html":"