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.