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This story appears in the
March 2026
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When I cofounded a water company in 2017, I wasn’t trying to reinvent water. I was just trying to build on a simple belief: People are inherently good. If you give them a clear way to act on that goodness, I believe they will. That’s why we have a 1:1 model: For every bottle sold, we provide clean water to someone in need.
One day, we heard from a youth basketball coach. He wanted to teach his kids that their choices matter — even small ones, like which water they drink. We shipped him a case every month. He said it helped them bond as a team and feel united around a mission. When his team won a championship, he sent me a championship ring. I kept it in my desk drawer, as a source of pride for a job well done.
In 2019, that ring took on a whole new meaning.
At the beginning of the year, my team planned to install a water filtration system at an elementary school in Haiti. The local kids were getting sick from dirty water, and we were eager to help. But then civil unrest erupted there, and we had to cancel the trip. I was crushed.
Related: ‘When I Can Afford That Card’… How an $80 Baseball Card Changed This Entrepreneur’s Life
To mourn, our founding team decided to fast for the five days we would have spent in Haiti. I would look at the championship ring often, reminding myself of what we’re working for. Then, during that fast, my team discovered something unexpected: There wasn’t a hydration formula designed to help people who were fasting or had limited access to food. So we made it ourselves. It’s called FAST:RX, a line of functional beverages for people who fast.
Now, whenever I see the championship ring, I appreciate how wise that coach was. Yes, choices matter. When we take actions to support others, we think more deeply about their needs. That helps us identify new ways to support them.
We provided clean water to people in need, and found others with that same mission. That coach chose our water to help unite his team, which helped them win a championship. We fasted, and it helped us create a new product.
In other words: When we choose to help others, we also help ourselves.
Related: I Built a Business Around a Product That Didn’t Sell — All Because Nobody Wanted to Offend Me
When I cofounded a water company in 2017, I wasn’t trying to reinvent water. I was just trying to build on a simple belief: People are inherently good. If you give them a clear way to act on that goodness, I believe they will. That’s why we have a 1:1 model: For every bottle sold, we provide clean water to someone in need.
One day, we heard from a youth basketball coach. He wanted to teach his kids that their choices matter — even small ones, like which water they drink. We shipped him a case every month. He said it helped them bond as a team and feel united around a mission. When his team won a championship, he sent me a championship ring. I kept it in my desk drawer, as a source of pride for a job well done.
In 2019, that ring took on a whole new meaning.
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