December 10, 2025
WaterStart today announced the addition of Karsten Heise, Senior Director of Strategic Programs & Innovation at the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), and Dr. Sean McKenna, Executive Director of the Hydrologic Sciences Division at Desert Research Institute (DRI), to its Board of Directors.
These two appointments strengthen WaterStart’s foundational ties to two of its earliest public partners and marks an important milestone as WaterStart continues to expand its impact in water innovation.
“GOED and DRI have been integral to WaterStart from the very beginning, helping shape our mission and our commitment to advancing water innovation,” said Rebecca Shanahan, Executive Director of WaterStart. “We’re excited to welcome Karsten and Sean to the board and look forward to re-engaging their leadership and expertise as we chart the next chapter of WaterStart’s growth.”
At GOED, Heise oversees innovation-based economic development for the state, drawing on a global career spanning capital markets, international business, and technology commercialization.
Heise was instrumental in designing and launching Nevada’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), Battle Born Growth, and continues to serve as Nevada’s SSBCI Program Manager for the newly reauthorized $112.9 million program. He also administers Nevada’s Knowledge Fund, advancing commercialization and applied research initiatives across the state’s higher-education institutions.
“Being one of the first projects originally created by the Knowledge Fund, WaterStart has been proven to be a shining example of how some of Nevada’s key challenges, such as scarcity of water, can be effectively addressed through innovation,” said Heise. “I’ve been fortunate to support the program’s development through my years here at GOED and I’m excited to continue that work as a member of the board.”
At DRI, Dr. McKenna oversees approximately 120 faculty, researchers, post-doctoral scholars, and students working across groundwater, surface water, climate impacts, snowpack, and hydrologic modeling. His 30-year career spans academia, national laboratories, and global industry.
Before joining DRI, Dr. McKenna led water and energy research initiatives at IBM Research in Europe, applying Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and AI to “smart city” water-system management. His work focuses on translating complex scientific challenges into applied solutions that strengthen water reliability and resilience for communities and industries.
“WaterStart has an amazing history of bringing innovative technology from around the world to Nevada to test under real-world conditions. I first met with WaterStart when I was working in Europe, and I am excited to join the Board and work to further WaterStart’s mission.”
Founded in 2013 as a public-private partnership, WaterStart has grown into an internationally recognized platform for accelerating the adoption of water-technology solutions. The return of leadership representation from both GOED and DRI to the WaterStart board reinforces the organization’s commitment to strategic guidance rooted in Nevada’s long-standing innovation ecosystem.