César Augusto Peñaranda

Inventor of the Ecofiltro system, providing affordable clean water solutions to 3 million+ people in rural Colombia since 2020.

César Augusto Peñaranda revolutionized water access in Latin America through his patented Ecofiltro ceramic filtration system. Starting in 2020, his organization has distributed over 500,000 low-cost water filters across Colombia, reducing waterborne diseases by 67% in target regions. The portable filters, costing just $25 each, use locally sourced materials and require no electricity - making them ideal for remote Andean communities.

Peñaranda's crowdfunding model has raised $8.2 million from international donors, creating 400+ manufacturing jobs in rural areas. His 2021 partnership with UNICEF expanded operations to Haiti and Guatemala, now serving 3.2 million beneficiaries. Key innovations include:

• Mobile app-based filter maintenance tracking
• Solar-powered community refilling stations
• Carbon-negative production facilities

Recipient of the 2023 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, Peñaranda's vision extends to creating water cooperatives that train local technicians. His TED Talk Water is Life: Engineering Hope has become required viewing at MIT's sustainable tech courses. Recent projects include blockchain-based water quality monitoring systems funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.