#398 Brian Sheng of Aquaria on Turning Air into Water

Author

Charlie Cichetti
September 19, 2025

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This week’s episode goes beyond bricks and beams. Brian Sheng, co-founder and CEO of Aquaria, is tackling one of the planet’s most overlooked sustainability challenges: water.

His team is building clean water infrastructure by literally harvesting water from air — a breakthrough that could redefine how communities access one of life’s most critical resources.

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🌱BREAKING DOWN TRADITIONAL BUILDING

In this episode, Brian Sheng revolutionizes traditional thinking about water and infrastructure:
[Key Insight #1] Water is the overlooked frontier of sustainability

  • What's outdated: Infrastructure projects are stalled by insufficient access to clean water.

  • The innovation: Aquaria generates water directly from air, creating a new and abundant supply chain.

  • Impact: Reliable, decentralized access to clean water for homes and communities, reducing strain on existing systems.

[Key Insight #2] Startups can shift how infrastructure is built

  • What's outdated: Water infrastructure is costly, slow, and dependent on outdated systems.

  • The innovation: Aquaria approaches water like solar — distributed, scalable, and technology-driven.

  • Impact: Faster deployment, more resilient communities, and the potential to scale from individual homes to entire cities.

[Key Insight #3] Mission-driven innovation requires intentional culture

  • What's outdated: Founders often struggle to balance speed with sustainable talent growth.

  • The innovation: Brian builds teams with intentional mentorship, complementary co-founders, and a mix of in-person and distributed collaboration.

  • Impact: A resilient, mission-aligned company culture that scales alongside the tech.

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