Meet the team that powers AguaClara LLC

Maysoon began working with the AguaClara program as a student at Cornell University in the summer of 2009. Moved by the impact of the project and the enthusiasm of her teammates, she continued with AguaClara as part of her Masters of Engineering and beyond, eventually becoming a Design Engineer for the program. As the AguaClara technology improved and interest increased, the team committed itself to forming a social enterprise that would be able to deploy the systems on a global level. Thus, in 2012, Maysoon became a founding member of AguaClara LLC. In the summer of 2013, Maysoon left for India to take on AguaClara's first project as a company. She worked to pilot AguaClara's Enclosed Stacked Rapid Sand (EStaRS) filters in two villages in the state of Jharkhand. Since then, she has been working to spread these and other AguaClara technologies throughout India.

Maysoon began working with the AguaClara program as a student at Cornell University in the summer of 2009.  Moved by the impact of the project and the enthusiasm of her teammates, she continued with AguaClara as part of her Masters of Engineering and beyond, eventually becoming a Design Engineer for the program.

As the AguaClara technology improved and interest increased, the team committed itself to forming a social enterprise that would be able to deploy the systems on a global level. Thus, in 2012, Maysoon became a founding member of AguaClara LLC.

In the summer of 2013, Maysoon left for India to take on AguaClara's first project as a company. She worked to pilot AguaClara's Enclosed Stacked Rapid Sand (EStaRS) filters in two villages in the state of Jharkhand. Since then, she has been working to spread these and other AguaClara technologies throughout India. 

Maysoon Sharif

Co-founder & Managing Director

 
Chuck's intention in life is to create a more equitable world. While pursuing his BA in Global Studies at UCLA ('08), he acted as Vice President of a student-led nonprofit that promoted entrepreneurship and financial skills training in rural Honduras. He later became a Field Officer for Organizing for America, advocating for greater engagement in the political process and more inclusive policies. In the summer of 2011, Chuck returned to Honduras as a consultant for the AguaClara program out of Cornell. Over the course of the next year, he and a team of MBA candidates at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies ('12) wrote the business plan that laid the foundation for AguaClara LLC. After submitting the plan in 2012, he went on to work as a Corporate and Foundation Grants Specialist for Kiva.org before returning to the AguaClara floc. Chuck is excited to be part of the growing AguaClara LLC team, heading up business development and strategic planning from its new office in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Chuck's intention in life is to create a more equitable world. While pursuing his BA in Global Studies at UCLA ('08), he acted as Vice President of a student-led nonprofit that promoted entrepreneurship and financial skills training in rural Honduras. He later became a Field Officer for Organizing for America, advocating for greater engagement in the political process and more inclusive policies. 

In the summer of 2011, Chuck returned to Honduras as a consultant for the AguaClara program out of Cornell. Over the course of the next year, he and a team of MBA candidates at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies ('12) wrote the business plan that laid the foundation for AguaClara LLC. After submitting the plan in 2012, he went on to work as a Corporate and Foundation Grants Specialist for Kiva.org before returning to the AguaClara floc. Chuck is excited to be part of the growing AguaClara LLC team, heading up business development and strategic planning from its new office in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Chuck Brown

Director of Planning & Development

 
Richa graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay ('11), with a degree in Chemical Engineering. She began her career working with an analytics startup in Bangalore, but her true passion continued to lie in chemical engineering. This is what led her to pursue her Master's at Cornell University ('14) and eventually to discover AguaClara. Just in the nick of time, she attended an AguaClara informational session during her final semester and was impressed enough to apply for an internship role. Her interest in the technology and the vision only deepened from there, and upon graduating she applied to become a full-time engineer. Richa is a passionate engineer who loves the technical challenges this role has thrown at her. She believes that AguaClara offers the rare opportunity to work on something that is both intellectually rewarding and provides the emotional satisfaction of making a positive impact on others.

Richa graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay ('11), with a degree in Chemical Engineering. She began her career working with an analytics startup in Bangalore, but her true passion continued to lie in chemical engineering. This is what led her to pursue her Master's at Cornell University ('14) and eventually to discover AguaClara. Just in the nick of time, she attended an AguaClara informational session during her final semester and was impressed enough to apply for an internship role. Her interest in the technology and the vision only deepened from there, and upon graduating she applied to become a full-time engineer.

Richa is a passionate engineer who loves the technical challenges this role has thrown at her. She believes that AguaClara offers the rare opportunity to work on something that is both intellectually rewarding and provides the emotional satisfaction of making a positive impact on others.

Richa Gwalani

Project Engineer

Sarah's passion for using innovation to improve the lives of others led her to the AguaClara program Cornell University. She followed that passion to Honduras in 2009 when, after graduating with her BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, she worked with the NGO Agua Para el Pueblo in design, capacity building, and the implementation of several AguaClara plants. During her time in Honduras, Sarah learned the importance of combining engineering with grassroots community development to make a lasting impact. After nearly three years of both challenging and rewarding field work, Sarah returned to the US in 2012 and teamed up to form AguaClara LLC and bring these technologies to the world. Now based in India, she is working with the team to establish a permanent presence in the region. Sarah envisions AguaClara as a catalyst for community development. She is dedicated to establishing AguaClara as a leader in providing clean water to under-served communities everywhere.

Sarah's passion for using innovation to improve the lives of others led her to the AguaClara program Cornell University. She followed that passion to Honduras in 2009 when, after graduating with her BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, she worked with the NGO Agua Para el Pueblo in design, capacity building, and the implementation of several AguaClara plants. 

During her time in Honduras, Sarah learned the importance of combining engineering with grassroots community development to make a lasting impact. After nearly three years of both challenging and rewarding field work, Sarah returned to the US in 2012 and teamed up to form AguaClara LLC and bring these technologies to the world. Now based in India, she is working with the team to establish a permanent presence in the region. Sarah envisions AguaClara as a catalyst for community development. She is dedicated to establishing AguaClara as a leader in providing clean water to under-served communities everywhere. 

Sarah Long

Co-founder & Managing Director

 
Guneet graduated from Panjab University, Chandigarh ('11), with a BS in Chemical Engineering (Honors), and started her career as a Process Engineer with Kellogg Brown & Root. Two years later, she decided to pursue he Masters in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University ('14), where she was first exposed to the AguaClara program. Inspired by the spirit and mission of the team, she decided to work with AguaClara's Design Team as the focus of her Masters Project. Upon graduation, she signed on as a Project Engineer and joined the team on the ground in India. Growing up in India herself, where the challenge of providing access to clean drinking water is evident, Guneet understand true value of the AguaClara technology. Driven to have a positive impact on society through the power of engineering, she believes that AguaClara has the potential to make a lasting impact.

Guneet graduated from Panjab University, Chandigarh ('11), with a BS in Chemical Engineering (Honors), and started her career as a Process Engineer with Kellogg Brown & Root. Two years later, she decided to pursue he Masters in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University ('14), where she was first exposed to the AguaClara program. Inspired by the spirit and mission of the team, she decided to work with AguaClara's Design Team as the focus of her Masters Project. Upon graduation, she signed on as a Project Engineer and joined the team on the ground in India.

Growing up in India herself, where the challenge of providing access to clean drinking water is evident, Guneet understand true value of the AguaClara technology. Driven to have a positive impact on society through the power of engineering, she believes that AguaClara has the potential to make a lasting impact.

Guneet Sandhu

Project Engineer