Kevin McGovern

Kevin McGovern is the Chairman and CEO of McGovern Capital and The Water Initiative®, which co-creates customized and sustainable drinking water solutions through innovative partnerships with municipalities, business and local microentrepreneurs in developing and developed countries. The Water Initiative (“TWI”) is the first company in the world to be chosen by municipalities and healthcare companies to install point-of-drinking devices in lieu of central treatment plants and is a recipient of the Artemis Award as a global leader in advanced water technology. TWI has been chosen as exclusive product development partner to leading global municipalities, housewares, utility, healthcare, and mining companies.

Through McGovern Capital and its affiliates, he has co-founded over thirty (30) companies, six of which have become world/category leaders, has been lead negotiator/principal in over twenty (20) global joint ventures. McGovern Capital serves as an investment, strategy and licensing participant and advisor to global businesses. McGovern was a founder of SoBe Beverages, the fastest growing beverage company ever in the US (sold to Pepsi), and McGovern Capital was one of three owners of KX Industries, L.P., the largest manufacturer and worldwide source of carbon water purification filters, having invented and supplied PUR to P&G, the first end-of-tap filter to Brita, and the first refrigerator water filter to Electrolux. He also created the program, supervised and negotiated all licensing of Tristrata’s alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) patents, which technology was incorporated in approximately 40% of all global skin care products, and is sold in approximately 84 countries. He serves/served on many public and private boards including The Sports Authority (Exec. Committee – NYSE).

Mr. McGovern is also known for his nanotechnology involvement, serving as co-chairman of Angstrom Publishing LLC, which together with Forbes publishes a global monthly Nanotechnology newsletter currently entitled The Forbes/Wolfe Emerging Tech Report. He is a member of the National Board of the Smithsonian (the world’s largest research and museum institution) and is a Trustee Emeritus and a Presidential Councilor (highest honor to alumnus) of Cornell University (having served as the Co-Chairman of the Technology Transfer Committee). Mr. McGovern was named the Cornell "Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2007, was given St. John's University School of Law’s "Distinguished Alumni Award" and awarded The East West Institute's "Global Game Changer Award". The Luce Foundation honored him as it’s 2015 Humanitarian of the Year. He also teaches a course on “Global Innovation and Commercialization” at the graduate business school at Cornell University and is a guest lecturer at Cornell NY Tech, MIT, NTU in Singapore, and KAUST in Saudi Arabia. The McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in Life Sciences at Cornell University was recently acclaimed as one of the Top 10 Venture Development Centers in North America.

Mr. McGovern served on the Board of the US Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai and was appointed (only foreigner) to the Expo’s Post-Development Committee. He is also Vice Chairman of the Silver Shield Foundation, providing assistance to families of policemen and firemen who die in the line of duty in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Mr. McGovern is the son of Thomas Edward McGovern from Fenagh in Leitrim County, Ireland.