Senior Fellow

Founder and President of Leave It Better Than We Found It, LLC, John E. Waters has been committed to developing sustainable solutions since his early work on the world’s first (high volume) electric car, GM’s EV1. In designing and developing a safe, powerful, and economic battery, John realized a fun and affordable transportation vehicle could not only improve the lives of individuals but entire communities.

Since those early EV days, John’s interests have led him to developing additional energy solutions with the production of the first large-format lithium-ion batteries in the U.S., forming a lithium battery joint venture with Delphi, and becoming the founding CEO of Bright Automotive – a new automaker that invented 100-MPG commercial vehicles for the U.S. to reduce fuel costs, foreign energy dependency, create high-value jobs, and to clean up the nation’s polluted skies.

As Vice President, John also created and led Rocky Mountain Institute’s practice in sustainable transportation. It was at RMI, that John launched his passion for whole-system design in biomimicry, energy, economics, the built environment, policy, and transportation – all to improve the quality of life for the earth’s greatest treasure: people.

John is thankful for the mentoring and passionate influence of Dean Kamen, Amory Lovins, Paul MacCready, and Bill Wylam and how these men have all changed our world for the better and will “leave it better than we found it.”

He is currently developing and managing a variety of global sustainability projects in Africa, China, Europe, South America, and throughout the US.