Why poor sanitation is no laughing matter
There is nothing glamorous about sanitation. Talking about faecal sludge can be something of a conversation stopper. The initial response when mentioning World Toilet Day is often a smile.
Brian Arbogast is Director of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He leads the foundation’s effort to bring groundbreaking innovations in sanitation technology and new ways to deliver sanitation products and services to people in the developing world.
Arbogast was previously a corporate vice president at Microsoft Corporation, leading an international portfolio of research and development projects. More recently, he concentrated in cleantech and international development, driving market solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. He served as a senior advisor with The Boston Consulting Group and as a board member of the Northwest Energy Angels and of Water1st International. He is a founding board member of Progress Alliance of Washington and an advisor to Upaya Social Ventures.