British-born Brinton says, “The Waterbearers began as an idea when Spryte Loriano and I met in Ecuador. We shared our individual experiences of West Africa and recalled seeing women walking to fetch water–water that was contaminated. Simultaneously, we said ‘water bearers’ and took this as a sign to take action.”

The Waterbearers launched its first fundraising campaign to Get One Million People Access to Clean Water by World Water Day, March 22, 2016. Inspiring 100 women to accept their 30-day challenge resulted in 320,000 people getting access to clean water. That impact had almost doubled the following year, with all proceeds directed to former partner Waves for Water. In 2017, The Waterbearers began to operate as a charitable 501(c)(3) that has since funded clean water initiatives in 34 countries. As Co-founder and Executive Director, Jane continues to distribute and train others in the Sawyer filter systems and has traveled to some of the most remote places on Earth.

Before her humanitarian work, Jane was a serial entrepreneur who started the first mobile discotheques in America and founded a successful music promotion and management company, working with many high-profile clients, including Madonna, quickly earning her a reputation as an industry insider. She entered the world of broadcast media by producing dozens of commercials before partnering with a film director to make a documentary about peace, tolerance and conflict resolution with the Indigenous Tuaregs in the Sahara Desert. “This is where I learned the importance of water or the lack thereof,” says Brinton.

Based in Cuenca, Ecuador, Jane now prefers to be known as a humanitarian and adventurous social entrepreneur helping to improve the lives of others.