Our Story
Our Story
SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 2016, CURRENT HAS PUT WATER INNOVATION FRONT AND CENTER AS AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND SOLUTION TO A DEEPENING CLIMATE CRISIS.
We’ve helped raise more than $45M dollars to support water innovation and inclusive economic development; launched 10+ technology pilots; supported the commercialization of technology at 30+ water tech companies; and educated more than 30,000 people through our events and convenings.
Chicago is our sweet, freshwater home, but our partnerships stretch across Illinois, the Great Lakes region, and the world.
“Everywhere you turn right now, there’s a drought. China’s got a massive drought. Europe’s got a massive drought. The West has a massive drought. And Chicago has an abundance of water. That has a value when you’re thinking long term.”
— Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago
Our Strategy
Simply put, our strategy is to convene the right players, not for talk, but for action. Together, we win funding for water innovation work and then quarterback the execution.
Why Water? We will feel climate change most acutely when our water dries up. And if things don’t change quickly, it will.
Companies on the forefront of preventing water crises will win. Our job is to ensure that the Great Lakes region becomes a global leader in protecting our scarce water resources from both pollution and misuse.
Key
Strategic
Wins
We needed greater regional collaboration on R&D…so we created Great Lakes ReNEW; one of 10 awardees nationwide in a first-ever National Science Foundation competition for up to $160 million in funding.
We won funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce for Upstream Illinois, the nation’s first inclusive blue economy strategy.
We needed a water-tech accelerator, so we won funding for one, also from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It will launch in 2024.
Our Partners
Our Team
Venkat Atluri
Board Chairman – Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Richard Assmus
Board Secretary – Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
MarySue Barrett
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
Randy Conner
Ex Officio – Commissioner, Chicago Department of Water Management
Michael Fassnacht
President & Chief Growth Officer, ClayCo
Dr. Joanna Groden
Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Illinois Chicago
Paul K. Kearns
Director, U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory
Dr. Steven Kloos
Partner, Burnt Island Ventures
Andy Martin
Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Technical Services & Innovation Center, Greeley and Hansen
Dr. Susan Martinis
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Nadya Mason
Dean, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
Brian Perkovich
Ex Officio – Executive Director, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Dr. Eric Perreault
Vice President for Research, Northwestern University
Thru Shivakumar
Board Treasurer - CEO, cohesionIB
Dr. Jay Walsh
Interim Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation, University of Illinois
Dr. Steven Kloos
John Robinson
Dr. Lindsay Birt
Mark Bertler
Michael Reardon
Dr. Terry Mah
Dr. May Wu
Todd Fein
Chris Sosnowski
Dr. Dev Gavaskar
Dr. Rafael Simon
Pierre Côté, Ph.D.
Dr. Kam Law
Alaina Harkness
Executive Director
Kalindi Parikh
Strategy Director
Brian Spangle
Operations Director
Hannah Henderson
Program Manager
Dr. Melissa Pierce
Technical Program Director
Aamer Ahmed
Field Program Manager
Haylee Gemeiner
Communications Manager
Preeti Iqbal
Events Contractor
Carolyn Rothmann
Community Sampling Coordinator
John Leavell
Community Sampling Coordinator
Dale Landmann
Community Sampling Coordinator
Bill Sheets
Community Sampling Coordinator
Careers
Joining our team is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where innovation and creativity thrive. We value diversity, teamwork, and a shared commitment to excellence. See openings below.
Administration & Operations Manager
Current seeks a full-time Administration and Operations Manager to support Current’s administrative and operational excellence. As a key member of Team Current, this role supports the Executive Director/CEO, Leadership Team operations, and management of Boards and Advisory Committees.
The complete job description is available at this link.
Interested applicants can upload a resume and cover letter and apply for the position at this link.
Senior Finance Manager
Current is looking for a full-time Senior Finance Manager to join the team and support Current’s financial and compliance excellence. As a key member of Team Current, this role reports to the Operations Director, supports the Leadership Team, and provides management support for all programs and activities.
The complete job description is available at this link.
Interested applicants can upload a resume and cover letter and apply for the position at this link.
RFPs
Workforce Consultant
Current is seeking a Workforce Consultant to support the development and design of a wastewater sampling job training program and map related career pathways. This is a 2-year contract role for the planning phase of the project and does not include curriculum delivery and implementation. The primary goal for this role is to form and lead a working group to advise on the project, develop inclusive curriculum for the training program, and collaborate with partners to map career pathways for wastewater-based epidemiology.
The complete RFP is available here.
Expressions of interest are due 5:00 pm CT on Friday, April 5, 2024.
Full proposals are due 5:00 pm CT on Monday, April 15, 2024.