ABOUT CURRENT
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 raised over $58M dollars to support water innovation and economic development; launched 11 technology pilots; supported 40+ water tech startups and companies; and educated more than 40,000 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.
Companies and communities 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 abundant, but finite, fresh water resources from both pollution and misuse.
Key
Strategic
Wins
We are leading 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 circular blue economy strategy.
We also secured funding for a water tech accelerator from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It will launch in 2025.
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
Sunny Elebua
Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Exelon
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
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Nina Dudnik
Chief Commercial Officer
Kalindi Parikh
Strategy Director
Brian Spangle
Operations Director
Dr. Melissa Pierce
Technical Program Director
Marisa Lewis
Workforce Development Director
Alexis Levato
Senior Grant Compliance Manager
Luke Aylward
Admin & Operations Manager
Haylee Gemeiner
Communications Manager
Jonathan Goodell
Commercialization & Partnerships Manager
Hannah Henderson
Program Manager
Tyler Stephen
Technical Program Manager
Alek Jaunzemis
Community Sampling Coordinator
Dale Landmann
Community Sampling Coordinator
David Rico
Community Sampling Coordinator
John Leavell
Community Sampling Coordinator
RFPs
Great Lakes ReNEW Use-Inspired R&D and Translation Grant Program
The Great Lakes ReNEW Use-Inspired R&D and Translation Grant Program, launched by Current through our NSF-backed Great Lakes ReNEW initiative, provides funding for cutting-edge, collaborative research to advance water innovation. This program supports projects focused on resource recovery, the removal of harmful contaminants from wastewater, water reuse solutions, and testbed development.
Funded technologies may apply across a range of industries, including municipal, agricultural, food and beverage, mining, data centers, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Have questions? Please access the FAQ below. If the FAQ does not address your questions, email mpierce@currentwater.org.
Key Dates
- Applications Open: March 28, 2025
- Concept Papers Due: May 2, 2025
- Full Proposal Invitations: Week of June 2, 2025
- Teams invited to submit full proposals will be notified during the first week of June. Feedback will be provided with encourage/discourage decision.
- Full Proposals Due: July 11, 2025
- Expected Date for Selection Notification: Week of August 11th
- Anticipated Project Start Date: March 2026
View the full RFP below to learn more about proposal eligibility and requirements.
Additional Support
Missed our RFP Q&A Info Session? Watch the recording here.
PROGRAMS
Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator
Current and mHUB, a leading hardtech and manufacturing innovation center, have joined forces to launch the Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator, a new initiative designed to accelerate early-stage water technology startups across the Great Lakes region and beyond.
As the centerpiece of this partnership, the six-month accelerator program will provide 8 to 10 selected startups with:
- $200,000 in cash and in-kind support
- Access to state-of-the-art prototyping labs at mHUB
- Expert mentorship and business services
- Pilot opportunities with industry partners
- Support with legal, marketing, and commercialization strategy
For information on the upcoming accelerator program, subscribe here to be notified when applications open.
The accelerator is funded in part by Great Lakes ReNEW, our National Science Foundation-backed Regional Innovation Engine.
Before the accelerator launches, we’re kicking off with the Startup Roadmap Series — a free, virtual workshop series starting May 15. Designed for early-stage founders, these sessions will cover key topics like product-market fit, industry alignment, investment strategy, and product development planning — all led by experienced mentors and water industry leaders.
Internships
There are no open roles available at this time.
Thank you to al those who applied for our summer 2025 internships! If we decide to move forward with your application, we’ll be in touch.