The Team

Alicia Douglas
Founder & CEO
Alicia Douglas
Alicia Douglas is the founder of WaterRising Institute and the visionary behind WaterHouse, a global platform designed to mobilize capital, convene family offices, and accelerate investment in sustainable water infrastructure. With over 30 years of experience in philanthropy, sustainability, public policy, and community engagement, Alicia has dedicated her career to transforming how the world values and invests in water.
She launched WaterRising Institute, a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to advance transparency, stewardship, and inclusive participation in shaping water policy and infrastructure. Under her leadership, WaterRising achieved Guidestar’s Gold Transparency Certification and became a member of 1% for the Planet.
In 2022, Alicia introduced the WaterWoman Project, a WaterRising initiative focused on increasing women’s representation in water leadership and management globally. Her ability to convene global stakeholders also led to the development of innovative strategies for addressing water security through technology and investment.
As the architect of WaterHouse, Alicia is building a nexus for public-private partnerships, family offices, and industry leaders to unlock long-duration capital and deliver measurable outcomes for communities worldwide. Her work bridges local leadership with global governance and capital markets—positioning water as a cornerstone for prosperity and security.
Alicia is a mother of four adult daughters, and her most important focus remains ensuring that her family and future generations have access to healthy, safe water.
Consulting Advisors

The late Guy Williams
Founding Advisor
Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice

Manish Karamshi
Senior Consulting Advisor – East Africa

Maddelina Guaglione
Consulting Advisor – Italy

Neha Khandekar
Senior Consulting Advisor – India
UN Women
Policy Specialist – G20 Secretariat

Ann O’beay
Senior Consulting Advisor
Philanthropic Consulting
Board of Directors

Past Chair
Lloyd Treinish
IBM (Retired)
Distinguished Engineer & Chief Scientist – Environmental Modeling, Weather and Climate
President
Alicia Douglas
WaterRising Institute
Founder & CEO

Treasurer
Jennifer Steffens
Company
Title

SECRETARY
Justin Harris
Climate Equity Collaborative / National Wildlife Foundation
Interim Executive Director & Founding Partner

Director
David Totman
Golden State Water

DIRECTOR
Angela Maria Fasnacht
(Cuellar Trujillo)
Princeton University
Visiting Fellow
Acknowledgements
We’re grateful for WaterRising’s 150 global volunteers and esteemed supporters who have advised and/or served on the Board of Directors. They include Sivan Schlecter, Travis Wagner, Andrew Marconi, Randy Richardville, Charles Shachinda, Lesley Pories, Kabir Singh, Fallon Trujiilo, Amanda Horn, Geof Rochester, Sharon Peters, Pam Elardo, Diana Jones Ritter, Victoria Johnson, Cindy Wallis-Lage, Antra Bhatt, Anna Faith, and so many others.
