TMF PREVIEW | Make Friends with Scott Harrison

What if one of the world’s most solvable problems remains unsolved… simply because most of us never have to think about it?

In this preview episode of Travis Makes Friends, Travis sits down with Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water, to unpack a staggering reality: 700 million people still lack access to clean water—and the biggest barrier isn’t technology, it’s attention and funding. Scott shares how his organization has already helped over 21.6 million people across 29 countries, and why that progress, while meaningful, is still just a fraction of what’s possible.

Scott breaks down the evolution of the clean water movement—from early challenges around sustainability and infrastructure to today’s highly effective, locally tailored solutions. With a portfolio of over a dozen technologies, from wells to solar-powered systems, the problem is no longer how to deliver clean water—it’s how to scale it. And according to Scott, the number is surprisingly within reach: about $100 billion could bring clean water to everyone on Earth in as little as a decade.

The conversation highlights the hidden cost of water scarcity, especially for women and girls. In many communities, they spend hours each day walking to collect unsafe water—time that could otherwise go toward education, work, or building businesses. Scott shares powerful data and stories showing how access to clean water can reduce disease by up to 80%, keep girls in school, and unlock entire local economies almost overnight.

Travis and Scott also explore why this crisis remains so underfunded. In developed countries, clean water is so accessible that it’s virtually invisible—something we use dozens of times a day without a second thought. That disconnect, Scott explains, is the core challenge: people don’t rally around problems they’ve never experienced.

You’ll also hear how charity: water is rethinking philanthropy through initiatives like The Spring, a subscription-style giving model that allows everyday donors to contribute monthly and see exactly where their money goes. With billions of dollars sitting in donor-advised funds, Scott makes the case that solving the global water crisis is less about innovation—and more about mobilization.

If you’ve ever wondered how one resource could impact health, education, gender equality, and economic growth all at once, this preview offers a compelling answer—and a clear call to rethink what’s possible.

Hit play to hear why the solution to one of humanity’s oldest problems might already be in our hands—and what it would take to finally finish the job.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices