charity: water


Scott Harrison.

Harrison graduated from New York University in 1998 with a B.A. in Communications. After a 10-year foray into special event planning and promotions, he began a small upscale event planning and nightclub consultancy. His clients included MTV, VH1, ABC, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Xbox (Microsoft), Universal Records, RCA, Island Records, Dunkin Donuts, Bacardi USA, Nike, Anheuser-Busch and more. In August 2004, he left the event business to serve for a year as a volunteer photojournalist onboard the Mercy Ship Anastasis in impoverished Liberia, West Africa. In September 2005, returning home to NYC, he tested the idea behind charity: water by producing a large exhibition of his photographs and videos called Mercy. Despite opening in the midst of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Harrison’s Mercy show was a success. Visitors contributed more than $96,000 towards providing medical procedures and freshwater wells in West Africa. Harrison returned to West Africa for another 6 month journey in October 2005, before returning to Manhattan in the spring of 2006 to found charity: water.

Gian-Carlo Ochoa, Ph.D.

Ochoa is a analyst for Aslan Advisors. He also acts as a a consultant for Andre Meyer Ventures (AMV) a venture capital group. Prior to joining Aslan he was a senior healthcare analyst at P.S.D Capital Advisors and an analyst at S.A.C. Capital. He received a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Yale University, a M.S. in biochemistry from University California at San Francisco and his B.A. in Psychobiology from New York University. His scientific findings are published in a number of top health care journals including twice in the prestigious Science Magazine. He is a senior leader and member of the network team of Christian City Church Manhattan where he and his wife Grazia Sorice Ochoa lead Pathfinders business forum. The Ochoas live in Bronxville, New York with their son Alessandro Elia Ochoa.

Gordon Pennington.

Pennington is the Managing Director of Burning Media Group. He is a marketing communications consultant and strategic planning advisor to organizations, corporations and government groups internationally. Pennington served as the Director of Marketing for clothing giant Tommy Hilfiger and has served clients that include Chase Manhattan Bank, J.P. Morgan, Apple Computer, British Airways, CBS, The Coca-Cola Company, Equinox Fitness and Rollerblade. He is currently a Scholar in Residence for the UBS think tank at Wolfsberg in Switzerland.

Brant Cryder.

Brant Cryder is the Vice President of Miu Miu and has worked for the for the PRADA Group for a total of 11 years. He has 3 children: Ellie 6, Baylor 4, Hudson 2 with his wife Mary. Prior to that, he also worked for GUCCI, Saks Fifth Avenue and Armani Exchange. He studied Business and Communications at Miami University in Oxford Ohio. Brant is also active in his church and is a distinguished DJ who has played at major parties, events and fashion shows in Bali, Italy, LA and NYC. Cryder has appeared at numerous speaking engagements discussing faith in relation to the fashion industry including CCC Manhattan and Paradox.

Valerie Donati.

As founder of Brand Building Communications, Valerie has spent the last 15 years creating high-impact awareness campaigns for everything from prestigious cultural organizations to global lifestyle brands. Moving to New York from her native Miami, she was an account executive for several of the city’s most respected public relations firms before heading up an in-house agency at a well-known branding agency. She founded Brand Building in January 2007.

Michael Wilkerson.

Michael Wilkerson is a Managing Director in the investment banking group at Lazard, one of the world's preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms. At Lazard, he provides advice to management teams and boards of directors on a variety of financial and strategic matters including corporate strategy, capitalization and financial policy, corporate governance, and valuation. Mr. Wilkerson was named in 2008 as one of the "40 under 40" by Dealmaker magazine. Prior to joining Lazard in 1999, Mr. Wilkerson served as Director of International Operations for Teen Mania and as an Associate at Southport Partners, a technology investment and advisory firm. Mr. Wilkerson serves on several nonprofit boards and is a Corporate Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.A. from Yale University and a B.S. summa cum laude from Oral Roberts University.

Brenda Koinis.

Brenda Koinis is the founder and executive director of The H2O Project, an initiative that seeks to educate and challenge the public to respond to the water crisis. She also serves as an informal liaison among a variety of organizations seeking to alleviate the need for clean water. Brenda, along with her husband Steve, is an active member of Northwest Bible Church in Houston, Texas. She holds an M. Ed. from the University of Houston and a B.S. from Oral Roberts University.