We held a Financial Innovations Lab on New Models for Financing Water Sustainable in California. The Lab was sponsored by The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, Blum Capital Partners, LP, Jacobs Investment Company LLC, Leichtag Foundation, and the Arison Group, under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Israel NewTech., and the California-Israel Global Innovation Partnership. The Lab focused on the following key questions: How to build a system for technology development, transfer, and deployment of sustainable water systems in California and Israel? How to organize program, project, and policy initiatives that will accelerate relevant sustainable water solutions? The Lab focused on the challenges and solutions, including new financial and business approaches for Israeli companies and California cities, farms, and water districts. It also included two days of tours and site visits to research and water management facilities in Kibbutz Sde Boker, Gihon-Jerusalem Water Utility, and desalination and treatment plants. Over 70, Israeli and California government, investment, and technology leaders present, the international visitors included: Prof. Yoram Cohen, Water Center, UCLA; Prof. David Sunding, Water Center, UC Berkeley; Kathleen Brown , Manatt Phelps and Phillips, Former Head of Goldman Sachs Public Sector and Infrastructure Group, Former California State Treasurer; Scott Houston, West Basin Municipal Water District; Robert Feyer, Orrick; Kristen Victor, Sustainability Matters, San Diego Water Task Force; Prof. James Famiglietti, UC-Irvine, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA;Tim Strobel, Opterra Energy; Dr. Lori Glasgow, Budget Director, Los Angeles County; Lisa Armony, Orange County Hillel; Michelle Moskowitz, Office of the Chancellor, UC Berkeley.
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