Inspiring People: Stories of Innovation and Service

The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley
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Positive stories of remarkable individuals and organizations making a difference in the world. From entrepreneurs and activists to educators and healthcare professionals, we showcase people who are bringing about positive change in their communities, locally, globally, and digitally. Produced by the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Host: Rushton Hurley Podcast Producer: Elton Sherwin For more information visit our website: rotary.cool or https://www.siliconvalleyrotary.com/

  1. 22h ago

    168. The Future of Freshwater is Subsea

    The world faces a problem of accelerating water scarcity combined with the considerable limitations of conventional coastal desalination. The Norwegian company Flocean, backed by strong US partners such as Xylem and Burnt Island Ventures, introduces a new approach to seawater desalination designed for resilient, low-impact, and cost-competitive drinking water supply. To the rescue is a subsea desalination system: operating at 400–600 meters depth where seawater is naturally clean, cold, and already pressurized. By leveraging these conditions, the system cuts energy use by ~30–50% versus conventional sea water reverse osmosis, reduces pre-treatment needs and coastal land requirements, and avoids chemicals and concentrated brine discharge. This presentation covers the path to scale—standardized, modular plants delivered as ""water-as-a-service,"" including the first commercial deployment, Flocean One, in the second quarter of 2026. Our speaker, Alexander Fuglesang, is an ocean technology entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Flocean, a Norwegian company developing subsea desalination systems that turn deep ocean water into drinking water. He holds a business degree from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) and previously worked as a venture capitalist in London. Raised around advanced pumping systems and a large industrial workshop, he developed a deep understanding of rotating machinery. His connection to the ocean is equally deep: he has training in marine biology, has sailed across the Atlantic, and is an active seaplane pilot and scuba diver. To learn more, go to: https://flocean.green

    168. The Future of Freshwater is Subsea

  2. Sep 7

    167. Grain of Hope: Solving Global Hunger

    Grain of Hope is an initiative started by six people in rural Australia to ship 500 tons of wheat to Sudan in response to the hunger crisis there. If successful, it will feed thousands of people and test a powerful idea - that progress doesn’t have to begin with scale or big institutions. Sometimes it can begin quietly, with a handful of ordinary people who refuse to look away. Both guests are from Leeton, a small rural town in the heart of the Riverina on Wiradjuri Country, about five hours west of Sydney. They are part of the six-person founding team behind Grain of Hope, which is sending 500 tons of Australian wheat to Sudan in response to the global hunger crisis. Rob Houghton is a third-generation irrigator, and his property produces chickpeas, popcorn, cereal crops and cotton. Ken Dachi is the Multicultural Affairs Advisor at Leeton Shire Council where he stewards settlement programs for refugees and migrants. He’s previously worked in international development and is originally from Kenya. To learn more, go to: https://fixthenews.com/p/grain-of-hope To donate to the cause, go to: https://myriadaustralia.org/services/donate/grain-of-hope/ #hunger #Sudan

    167. Grain of Hope: Solving Global Hunger

  3. Aug 31

    166. Saving A Big Cave In A Small Kentucky Town

    The American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA) moved from Richmond, Virginia to the tiny hamlet of Horse Cave, Kentucky in 1986, with the goal of restoring Hidden River Cave and building a national cave education center. At the time, Hidden River Cave was considered the most polluted cave in America. ACCA President David Foster will discuss the challenges of taking on a major environmental cleanup and building an educational facility in rural Kentucky. The project involved raising millions of dollars over several decades and negotiating the ups and downs of local politics, as well as the challenges of surviving and getting the job done in a low-income community. David Foster is the President/CEO of the American Cave Conservation Association, and has worked with the ACCA since 1984. He helped pioneer the development of bat gates, which are protecting federally-endangered Gray bats, Indiana bats, and Big-eared bats at hundreds of cave sites across the U.S. He designed cave management training programs for federal and private land owners, developed widely used education programs and materials, and has cleaned up dumpsites in cave areas throughout Kentucky. David is best known for his work in restoring Kentucky's Hidden River Cave and solving the waste treatment problems that had plagued the cave for decades. Dave directed the planning and development of the American Cave and Karst Center, a national cave education facility which includes the American Cave Museum and the restored Hidden River Cave in downtown Horse Cave. The cave restoration has been featured in Reader's Digest and the New York Times, and is considered one of the best cave restoration success stories in the world. To learn more, go to: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiddenrivercave YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenrivercave1480 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiddenrivercave/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenrivercave

    166. Saving A Big Cave In A Small Kentucky Town

  4. Aug 24

    165. Inspire, Collaborate, and Create a Lasting Impact

    "In this talk, District Governor Geeta Kadambi speaks to what matters about the work of Rotary. Our district includes 63 clubs, and eleven are more than a century old. The world changes, and yet Rotary keeps building communities, finding solutions, and training leaders, all under the banner of the Rotary motto, Service Above Self. As people of service, Geeta encourages us not simply to have an impact with our service, but also to make the stories of this service all the more visible to people locally and globally. Invisibility cannot be a strategy for the future; people want to belong and know that their contributions matter. So we are challenged to know what we care about and what problems we would like to solve. This is the conversation we can have with each other and all those seeking meaning in how they use their time. For the bio here, we'll do something a bit unusual with this recording, and bring in Aggie Freeman, one of our newest members (though not new to Rotary) to share her story of knowing Geeta: "It is truly my pleasure—and on a personal level, a very special privilege—to introduce our 2026–2027 District Governor, Dr. Geeta Kadambi, at today's e-Club zoom meeting. "Geeta and I share a Rotary connection that goes back more than a decade. Geeta joined the Niles Rotary Club of Fremont in 2015, just one month before I did. That is where we first met and began our Rotary journeys. It makes today's opportunity to introduce her as our District Governor especially meaningful to me. "Geeta's Rotary journey since then has been remarkable. She went on to become Charter President of the Rotary Club of Fremont Bridge and has served District 5170 in numerous leadership roles, including District International Service Chair, District Membership Co-Chair, and Area/Assistant Governor. She chaired the Avenues of Service event in 2023 and was recognized that same year as District 5170 Rotarian of the Year. International service has been an important part of Geeta's Rotary life. Her areas of particular interest include disease prevention, education, clean water, and preventable blindness, and she has participated in 11 Rotary Global Grants around the world.

    165. Inspire, Collaborate, and Create a Lasting Impact

  5. Aug 17

    164. How To Build A Non-Sexist City

    Can a city be sexist? Definitely. For decades, urban design policies have overlooked the needs of women and other marginal groups. The French city of Nantes is trailblazing efforts to make itself a "non-sexist" city, from redesigning public spaces like school playgrounds and installing breastfeeding stations, renaming streets after women, reallocating spending and inaugurating France’s leading center to counter gender-based violence. Our speaker, solutions journalism reporter Peter Yeung, recently visited Nantes to see how efforts were progressing and to what extent other cities can learn from it. Peter Yeung is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Paris, France, who covers a broad range of beats including climate, global health, migration, human rights, biodiversity, Indigenous cultures, and cities, often through a critical, solutions-orientated lens. He specializes in on-the-ground reporting about under-covered issues involving and giving a voice to the world’s most marginalized groups. Peter has worked and written for a number of leading media outlets including The Guardian, National Geographic, The BBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, The LA Times, Reuters, The Financial Times, Wired, CNN, The Atlantic, and Bloomberg. To learn more, go to: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/nantes-france-non-sexist-city/ https://www.peter-yeung.com/

    164. How To Build A Non-Sexist City

  6. Aug 10

    163. Angel Flight West Pilots: And Those They Serve

    Angel Flight West and the 1,800 pilots who volunteer their time and the cost of the flights so that complete strangers can get to life-saving medical appointments for free. These passengers need to travel hundreds of miles to reach their critical medical treatments, or are unable to afford the cost of flying, or face a long drive which itself could be life-threatening. Hear about the impact that these flights have had on several of our passengers. You'll learn the story of one pilot, who has flown a particular passenger more than 300 times. For the passengers, the flights are life-savers. For the pilots, "every flight is a rewarding journey that reminds us how fortunate we are, and the importance of helping those in need." Our speaker, Clay Ross, recently became the Northern California Wing Leader for Angel Flight West, an organization whose volunteer pilots provide free medical transportation to patients in need. He has been flying patients for more than five years and is very passionate about the mission and the organization. He is excited to share some of his experiences with Angel Flight West, and to use his new role to help expand the impact of the organization and serve more people. Clay is an instrument-rated private pilot who has been flying for more than 40 years. Outside of Angel Flight, Clay has been a very active volunteer in the Scouting America organization, serving as scoutmaster for a decade, and in leadership roles in the scouting district and council for seven years. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth and is committed to mentoring today’s youth to be strong leaders and good citizens. In recognition of his service, he has received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver Award, one of Scouting's highest honors. To learn more, go to: Angel Flight West: https://angelflightwest.org/ Watch a passenger testimonial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLfwVqRKCDI Watch "Flying with Angels": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgGd-Lkp9Kg Air Care Alliance: https://aircarealliance.org/

    163. Angel Flight West Pilots: And Those They Serve

  7. Aug 3

    162. San Jose State Record Clearance Project

    The Record Clearance Project (RCP) promotes justice by providing needed services to those who cannot afford them to foster rehabilitation and reduce recidivism, boasting a 99% success rate in court. To do this, the RCP's legal services program informs people regarding their legal rights to a clear record and provides the legal assistance necessary for them to achieve the second chance that the law promises. The RCP's Path to Expungement Service Navigation Program provides guidance as people leave custody to move forward with their lives. As undergraduates make a difference in the lives of others, they gain the experience and motivation to promote social justice. The RCP is the only legal services clinical education program in the nation taught at the undergraduate level. Emily Benson recently graduated from San José State University with a degree in Justice Studies and a concentration in Criminology. With a passion for community activism, she began volunteering as a teen first responder in high school, working with the San Diego Police Department for two years to support victims in the aftermath of tragedy. Through a semester-long study abroad program in Greece, she volunteered with a local non-profit organization that helped Syrian refugees rebuild their lives. Her experiences have deepened her commitment to social justice both domestically and internationally. Emily is grateful to make a positive impact through her involvement with the Record Clearance Project. Project Assistant Sandra Carrillo is a first-generation college student, who graduated in Fall 2024 with a major in Criminal Justice and minors in Psychology and Forensic Science. Born in Los Angeles but raised in Mexico, Sandra is fluent in Spanish. Sandra seeks to uplift those who are underrepresented in the community and to provide the support they deserve but often lack. Sandra works with the mentoring program, teaches Computers and the Internet courses in Spanish and English to formerly incarcerated participants, and helps with legal services presentations and other RCP work as needed. To learn more, go to: https://sites.google.com/sjsu.edu/sjsu-rcp-landing-page/home To learn more about the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, go to https://rotary.cool

    162. San Jose State Record Clearance Project

  8. Jul 27

    161. Creating Impact Through Technology and Everyday Ideas

    Funda Erdin shares her journey from over 25 years in corporate roles to building her own technology-driven product from the ground up. Drawing on her experience in product, program, and customer success management, she walks through how an idea rooted in personal values—wanting better transparency around health, sustainability, and everyday choices—evolved into GreenIt. Along the way, she reflects on how passion, persistence, and years of experience came together with the support of AI to turn an idea into reality, driven by a genuine desire to help people make more informed choices. Funda also explores the growing role of AI as a powerful enabler, especially for individuals and small businesses who want to build, experiment, and bring ideas to life without traditional barriers. This talk is about more than one app—it’s about rethinking what’s possible, using technology to create impact, and taking the first step toward building something meaningful. Funda Erdin, is the founder of GreenIt, a platform she created to help people make more informed everyday decisions, both for their health and for the environment. After more than 25 years in corporate roles across product management, program management, and customer success, she decided to build something of her own. Throughout her career, she worked closely with developers, turning ideas and business needs into real products, and that experience became the foundation for what she’s building today. GreenIt started from something very personal: wanting not just healthier options, but also to support companies whose environmental values she could trust, and to better understand what happens to products after we’re done with them. Using her product background and the help of AI, she brought that idea to life. Today, she’s on a mission to use technology to connect people, create real impact, and help small businesses grow and succeed by giving them a stronger technological foundation. To learn more, go to: https://www.greenit.app https://anka-technologies.com

    161. Creating Impact Through Technology and Everyday Ideas
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About

Positive stories of remarkable individuals and organizations making a difference in the world. From entrepreneurs and activists to educators and healthcare professionals, we showcase people who are bringing about positive change in their communities, locally, globally, and digitally. Produced by the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Host: Rushton Hurley Podcast Producer: Elton Sherwin For more information visit our website: rotary.cool or https://www.siliconvalleyrotary.com/

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