Meaningful Conversations with Annyse

Annyse Balkwill
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Meaningful Conversation is a heartfelt series of discussions led by Annyse Balkwill, featuring inspiring female leaders from the water industry and beyond.With warmth and compassion, Annyse and her guests explore the possibilities for a future shaped by equity and inclusion, envisioning a world we want our sons and daughters to thrive in. Together, they delve into what our homes, systems, and organizations could look like if they genuinely valued and embraced women of all backgrounds.By stepping into a space of imagination, these conversations allow us to pause, reflect, and uncover our true desires. In this creative state, we unlock the potential to envision—and ultimately create—a future that reflects the power of inclusion and possibility.

  1. 6d ago

    Water is Power - A Conversation with Melissa Meeker

    Guest: Melissa Meeker, CEO, The Water Tower  About this episode What does it look like when a 35-year water industry veteran finally steps fully into her power and decides to use it to change everything? In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Meeker, CEO of The Water Tower, a nonprofit water innovation centre in Georgia, to talk about workforce transformation, community healing, women in leadership, and why water might just be the most powerful force for human change we have. Melissa chose the Power card and what unfolded was a conversation about what becomes possible when we stop pretending we don't have any. In this episode, we cover Why so many leaders spend their careers not quite owning their leadership and what shifts when they finally doThe difference between Big “L” and little “l” leadership, and why the little l matters mostHow The Water Tower is transforming lives through non-traditional workforce recruitment in the water sectorThe systems-level vision: connecting water utilities, social services and community health into one self-sustaining cycleWomen in water - the post-pandemic leadership gap and what it's really telling usWhy language is generative, and how naming new kinds of roles could change who steps into themMelissa's one piece of advice for every young professional just starting outGuest bio Melissa Meeker is the Chief Executive Officer of The Water Tower, a nonprofit water innovation centre based in Georgia. With more than 35 years of experience in water resources management, Melissa has worked across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, with a focus on water supply diversity and resilience through alternative sources including reuse, stormwater, and desalination. Her expertise spans public policy, regulation, innovative technologies, workforce development, and public engagement. Quotes from this episode "Water is a purifying factor - so why can't we use it to give people a fresh start?" "School cannot be all things to all people. We need different ways to serve people with different perspectives if we want to create the world, we actually want to live in." "Language is generative. It generates the future. When we get clear about that and talk about things out loud - that starts to matter." "Do it. Even before you feel ready." Resources & links mentioned The Water TowerReSoLve Philadelphia Workforce Hub

    37 min

  2. May 4

    Moving at the speed of trust

    A conversation with Carolina Garcia, Co-Founder & CEO, Myzelio Episode summary In this episode, we sit down with Carolina Garcia - sustainability leader, Antarctic explorer, and founder of Myzelio - to explore what it really takes to drive transformative climate and nature action. Carolina draws on nearly a decade at AB InBev, four years at the WWF and her work building Myzelio to make a bold argument: the planetary crisis we face is, at its root, a spiritual crisis of disconnection. And the antidote is not more alarming data - it’s wonder, trust, and love. About Carolina Garcia Co-Founder & CEO of Myzelio — embedding on-demand teams that execute, finance, and scale climate, nature, and circularity solutions across value chains.Nearly 8 years at AB InBev, including leading the global 100+ Accelerator and serving as Global Director for Nature.Almost 4 years at the World Wildlife Fund, contributing to climate advocacy and international negotiations.Homeward Bound Fellow (Antarctic Explorer) and Aspen Institute First Mover Fellow.Recognised as one of the Women of the Future Initiative’s 50 Rising Stars in ESGOne Young World Ambassador and leadership team member of the Mundo Común foundation. What we cover in this episode Carolina chose the “Trust” card and what moving at the speed of trust actually means in practice.The planetary crisis as a spiritual crisis: how disconnection from nature is driving systemic collapse.Why the apocalyptic narrative is counterproductive and what to do instead.How Myzelio reignited wonder in a PepsiCo strategy session before touching a single KPI.The concept of refugia from ecology and how it applies to human communities and organisations.Daughters for Earth: what 24 women protecting seven ecosystems taught us about dispensable leadership.Dissolving the hero paradigm and why that is freeing for everyone, regardless of gender.How Myzelio operates as “a practice of the future, in the present”: self-organised, non-hierarchical, and trust-led.Mythical time, outrageous joy, and why work does not have to feel like a box of scarcity. Key concepts mentioned Planetary boundaries — humanity has breached 7 of the 9. Scientists now refer to this as the Anthropocene era.Refugia from ecology: geographical areas where species survive periods of severe environmental change. Used by Mundo Común as a metaphor for communities that hold and regenerate possibility.Islands of Coherence - spaces where people can breathe, reimagine, and reconnect before re-entering the noise of the system.The hero paradigm - the dominant leadership model of the indispensable, all-knowing individual at the top. Carolina argues we need to dissolve this to unlock collective, regenerative leadership.Mythical time - Carolina’s concept for those experiences where time seems to expand, everything flows, and the work is joyful. A signal you are doing the right work, in the right way.Speed of trust - the idea that when trust is genuinely present, transformation accelerates. Carolina contrasts this with the transactional, extractive mode most organisations default to Podcast mentions Myzelio Anthropocene geological era - What is the Anthropocene and why does it matter? | Natural History MuseumHolocene geological era - Holocene epoch | Causes, Effects, & Facts | BritannicaUniversity of Derby – Human connection to nature has declined 60% in 200 years, study finds -

    52 min

  3. Apr 20

    We Are Custodians, Not Owners - Victoria Edwards on Endurance, AI, and Reimagining Water

    In this episode of Meaningful Conversations, Annyse speaks with Victoria Edwards - former concert pianist, founder of FIDO Tech, and CEO of K622 Tech. Victoria is using acoustics and AI to revolutionise how we detect and manage water loss, and she brings one of the freshest perspectives in the global water conversation. Victoria drew the Endurance card and what unfolded was a powerful discussion about what it truly means to be a custodian of water, why real collaboration needs a commercial backbone, and how the sector must urgently reposition itself as the most compelling career destination on the planet. In this episode we cover: Why "custodian" is a more powerful framing than "owner" and what it demands of all of usHow FIDO built catalytic communities around stressed watersheds, including the Colorado River BasinWhy commercial constructs are not a compromise — they are the engine of lasting impactAI in water: the difference between a precision tool and "Wikipedia on steroids"The talent crisis in water and the seatbelt law analogy that reframes how we solve itWhy everyone knows the price of oil but almost nobody can tell you the cost of waterAbout Victoria Edwards: Victoria Edwards is the Founder Emeritus of FIDO Tech and CEO of K622 Tech. A winner of the Earth 05 Prize and member of the UK's Future Fifty, she specialises in innovative models for accelerating technical responses to the water crisis and building cross-sector catalytic communities at scale. Mentions  Fido Tech - FIDO AI: Advanced water leak detection and managementColorado River Basin / FIDO initiative - Meta launches AI water program in Farmington, NM Water neutral - What Is Water Neutrality?Water positive - Definition –Slow water movement - Erica Gies – Slow Water — by Erica GiesMaya civilisation and water  - Technology, Rainwater, and Survival of the MayaDigital Twins - What Is a Digital Twin? | IBMAI Hallucinations - What Are AI Hallucinations? | IBM Quantum AI - Quantum AI: What it is and why it matters | SAS IrelandBluey cartoon character - Bluey Characters | Learn More About Your Favourites!| Bluey Official Website

    46 min

  4. Apr 8

    Wisdom, water & the courage to ask why — with Cindy Wallis-Lage

    What does it mean to be truly wise about water? In this episode, host Annyse speaks with Cindy Wallis-Lage, a long-career water sector leader, about indigenous knowledge, the danger of solving the wrong problem, and why water needs to become a want — not just a need. Cindy chose the Wisdom card and from that single image of waves and flowing water, an expansive conversation unfolded. Drawing on her experience as a former president at Black & Veatch Water and decades working across the sector, Cindy challenges some of the water industry's most embedded assumptions: about how we solve problems, who we invite to the table, and what relationship we want to have with water at all. From the One Water movement and tribal community knowledge to the importance of vulnerability in leadership, this episode weaves together systems thinking, indigenous wisdom, and a powerful reframe - what if we stopped treating water as an entitlement and started treating it as something worth truly desiring? Show Notes  US Water Alliance – Vision for a One Water Future - US Water AllianceTrue root cause analysis - What is Root Cause Analysis (RCA)? | ASQ5 Whys - 5 Whys - What is it? | Lean Enterprise Institute Cindy L. Wallis-Lage, Retired C-Suite Executive Cindy Wallis-Lage has served in the water industry for over 39 years through a combination of her work at Black & Veatch and service to public, private and non-profit industry organizations. Throughout her career, her focus has been on helping public and private entities successfully develop, enhance and manage their water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure via a variety of solutions and delivery methods. Prior to her retirement, she served as Executive Director, Sustainability and Resilience for Black & Veatch to accelerate an enterprise-wide focus on sustainability and resilience solutions to support clients in the water, energy and telecommunications markets. Previously Wallis-Lage served as the President of the company’s global water business between 2012 and 2021 where she was responsible for the leadership and management of the company’s global water business. She also served on Black & Veatch’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors from 2012 until her retirement. Currently Ms. Wallis-Lage continues to engage in the water industry by serving as a board member for several companies and co-leading ReSoLve, a non-profit focused on empowering and retaining women in the water industry. Using her position, passion and knowledge, she is a champion of the Sustainable Development Goals and seeks to educate how holistic systems thinking can provide the needed long term human infrastructure to achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability goals.

    44 min

  5. Mar 23

    Nicole Brown — Water is Life, and It's Time We Act Like It

    About this episode What happens when a sector becomes so good at its job that it makes itself invisible? In this episode, Annyse sits down with Nicole Brown, a nationally recognised water leader, equity champion, and founding Vice President of the Black Water Professionals Alliance, for a conversation that is equal parts practical and profound. Nicole brings 27 years of experience in the water sector to a question that goes far deeper than infrastructure: how do we build a new story for water - one rooted in abundance, reverence, and belonging - and who gets to be part of telling it? What we explore in this conversation Why Nicole chose curiosity as her word for right now and what it means to choose forward motion over steady stateThe water sector's "invisibility problem" — how decades of operational excellence have disconnected the public from the value, the wonder, and the careers behind their tapThe scarcity mindset that runs through water conversations and why Nicole is intentionally refusing itRobin Wall Kimmerer's The Serviceberry and what an economy of gratitude, reciprocity, and community could look like in the water spaceWhat it means to be a steward of water and why abundance and reverence are more connected than we thinkThe Black Water Professionals Alliance, the Fairmount Water Works, and the power of exposure in building the next generation of water professionalsWhy constructs don't need to be destroyed - they can be dissolved, and something better built in their placeA moment that stayed with us "The water sector has done a great job at being invisible. We've been so good at what we do that we've made water seem like magic - and when something seems like magic, people stop asking how it works." About Nicole Brown Nicole Brown is the Area Growth Lead for the Water Sector at GFT, where she helps utilities align innovation with meaningful public engagement. She is the founding Vice President of the Black Water Professionals Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to workforce equity and community connection in the water industry. In 2024, she received the WEF Mentorship Award for her dedication to growing the next generation of water professionals.   Show notes  The Serviceberry – Robin Wall Kimmerer - Robin Wall KimmererBlack Water Professional Alliance Philadelphia - Black Water Professionals Alliance - Home PagePhiladelphia Fairmount Water Works - Fairmount Water Works – Discover. Connect. Act.Epigenetics - Epigenetic Inheritance of Trauma Across Generations: A Review of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Epigenetic Mechanisms, Challenges and Implications for Today’s World | OxJournal

    51 min

  6. Mar 11

    What if the most important decision you make today won't be fully understood for 50 years?

    Guest: Kristen Atha | Director of Columbus Water & Power, City of Columbus About This Episode In this episode, Annyse sits down with Kristen Atha, Director of Columbus Water & Power for the City of Columbus, a leader who thinks in generations, leads with her whole self and is quietly doing some of the most important infrastructure work in America right now. Appointed by Mayor Andrew Ginther in May 2022, Kristen leads an organisation of over 1,400 employees and provides essential water, power and water reclamation services to more than 1.5 million customers across Central Ohio and 26 suburban partners. She brings 25 years of engineering consulting expertise to a public sector role at one of the most pivotal moments in her region's history. This is a conversation about legacy, leadership, humanity and what it truly means to build for people you will never meet. We also learn what being a mother of triplets has taught Kristen about leadership and it is one of the most beautiful stories we have ever heard on this podcast. We think you will leave this episode wishing Kristen was your boss — or maybe even your mum! The Big Idea What if the most important decision you make today won't be fully understood for 50 years? That is the question at the heart of this conversation. Kristen and her team think about legacy every single day, not as an abstract concept, but as a living, breathing responsibility that shapes every infrastructure decision, every partnership and every dollar invested in Central Ohio's water future. What We Cover In This Episode The Clarity Card: Kristen chose the Clarity card and saw in it a stream flowing through a field, a watershed with muddy edges. It sparked a powerful reflection on what clarity means in her work: clarity about water sources, about responsibility, about the legacy her team is creating right now for future generations. Building for People You'll Never Meet: Columbus is growing at extraordinary speed. Semiconductor investment, data centres, AI and population growth are transforming the region. Kristen takes us inside what it means to plan a $1.6 billion water treatment plant while keeping legacy and humanity at the centre of every decision. Slowing Down to Speed Up: When Kristen arrived as Director, the organization was in a difficult place post-Covid. Rather than racing forward, she slowed down, grounding her team in the history, care and incredible DNA of the organisation. It was counterintuitive. And it was exactly right. The Triplets Story: Kristen is the mother of triplets. When her son struggled to breathe after birth, placing him between his two sisters was all it took. She carried that story into her leadership, because we all need each other's presence to feel safe, to function and sometimes literally to breathe. Everything Happens Through People: A profound exploration of what it means to build cohesion in a team, stitch the past to the present and knit both to the future, consciously and intentionally. The Circular Water Economy: Kristen's team is exploring how recycled wastewater can serve incoming industries, protecting the drinking water supply for residents while enabling economic growth. In the Midwest, this conversation was unimaginable just a few years ago. Writing a Playbook That Doesn't Exist Yet: There is no template for how cities handle the water demands of AI and data centres. Kristen and her team are projecting into the future and making educated decisions that will become the new normal for growing cities around the world. Widening the Responsibility Circle: How Kristen has broadened decision making beyond the utility, inviting in partners, developers and community organisations to share responsibility for stormwater, infrastructure and affordability. Why it is

    38 min

  7. Feb 23

    Be Bold. Regenerate. Leave It Better Than You Found It.

    In this episode of Meaningful Conversations, Annyse sits down with Dr Angela MacOscar, Head of Innovation at Northumbrian Water — a visionary leader with a PhD in physical chemistry and a passion for building cultures where innovation can truly thrive. Angela chose the Bold card, and from that simple starting point, a rich conversation unfolded around regeneration, roots, diversity, and what it really takes to create lasting change in the water sector. What We Explore in This Episode Regeneration as a Leadership Philosophy For Angela, regeneration is about strong roots and solid foundations. Without purpose and diversity, nothing sustainable grows. It’s about planting the right seeds now for a future we may not immediately see. The Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival Now approaching its 10th year, the festival has grown from six design sprints and 900 attendees to: 53 sprints3,000+ participants39 countries45 sectorsOne early sprint led to the creation of the UK’s National Underground Asset Register, now a government-run platform improving safety and saving billions. Proof that bold ideas, nurtured well, create real impact. Innovation Is a Contact Sport Angela shares why innovation must be done with people, not to people. From engaging senior leaders to empowering frontline teams, culture is everything. With a central team of nine, they’ve built a network of over 200 Innovation Ambassadors across the organisation. Today, innovation is a core pillar at Northumbrian Water, with a measurable goal: 40% of employees actively involved. Creating the Conditions for Innovation Compassionate leadershipFamily-first valuesA four-day working weekSpace for thinking and reflectionUsing AI to remove repetitive tasksPsychological safety to ask for helpAngela reminds us that tired, stressed humans struggle to innovate. Space and empathy are not soft extras — they are strategic necessities. A Wiggly Career Path From leaving school at 16 to earning a PhD, working at Procter & Gamble, launching a product still on shelves 26 years later, building a lifestyle business, and eventually finding her home in the water sector — Angela’s journey is a powerful reminder that careers don’t need to be linear to be impactful. Key Themes Regenerative leadershipDiversity as a driver of innovationDesigning environments where bold ideas can growStewardship of water and natural systemsLeaving organisations and people better than you found themShow notes  Northumbrian Water - Northumbrian Water | Supplying water and Sewerage Services in the North East of EnglandNorthumbrian Water Innovation Festival - The FestivalOfwat funding – Water innovation competitions - OfwatDerek Siver, how to create a movement - Derek Sivers: How to start a movement | TED TalkNational Underground Asset Register (NUAR) - National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), Northumbrian Water Group and a Culture of Innovation – Geospatial Insights

    43 min

  8. Feb 9

    What truths are we avoiding in the water sector?

    In this episode of Meaningful Conversations, we sit down with Alisha McFetridge, founder of Rainstick, for an honest and timely conversation sparked by one simple prompt: Truth. Alisha shares an analogy many of us know too well  - coming home from a great vacation and avoiding checking your bank account. In the water sector, we often do something similar: prioritising short-term costs and quarter-by-quarter wins, even when we know those choices carry long-term consequences. We explore how today’s infrastructure still benefits from leaders who thought 100 years ahead and why returning to cathedral thinking feels both difficult and necessary right now. This conversation touches on: Why real innovation takes timeHow systems change requires educationWhy policy often lags behind what’s possibleAnd why bold decisions rarely happen aloneAlisha’s journey building Rainstick offers a grounded reminder that progress doesn’t come from pretending we have all the answers.  It comes from honesty, courage, and collective effort. There is hope.  Municipalities are asking better questions.  Communities are coming together differently.  And more leaders are willing to say: we need to do better together. This episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and create space for the real conversations the future of water demands.

    51 min
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About

Meaningful Conversation is a heartfelt series of discussions led by Annyse Balkwill, featuring inspiring female leaders from the water industry and beyond.With warmth and compassion, Annyse and her guests explore the possibilities for a future shaped by equity and inclusion, envisioning a world we want our sons and daughters to thrive in. Together, they delve into what our homes, systems, and organizations could look like if they genuinely valued and embraced women of all backgrounds.By stepping into a space of imagination, these conversations allow us to pause, reflect, and uncover our true desires. In this creative state, we unlock the potential to envision—and ultimately create—a future that reflects the power of inclusion and possibility.

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