Charlie Matlack

Overview

Charlie is the technical architect of PotaVida s Smart Solar Purifier. He led the effort that won a Rockefeller funded international design competition. In bringing this novel water purifier to market he saw that many aid interventions suffer from a lack of user uptake and a lack of accurate data on outcomes. PotaVida subsequently focused on capturing accurate behavioral data in the field to address these unmet needs of aid organizations.He has a BS in engineering from Harvey Mudd College and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Washington. His dissertation work was on novel interfaces for enabling individuals to control prostheses and computers using individual neurons in the brain. As a feedback control systems engineer by training he sees in many challenges an opportunity to close feedback loops to create lasting and scalable change.