Wes Meier’s path to becoming a GSB alum started on the back of a donkey, as he picked his way along mountain trails to remote communities in Nicaragua.
Wes joined the Peace Corps after college. In that role, what he saw in those rural communities never left him: people living without basic infrastructure that could transform their lives. He imagined an organization of creative engineers who could bring practical technology solutions to the people he’d come to care about so deeply.
Then came the meeting that changed everything.
In Nicaragua, Wes crossed paths with Jorge Fernandez, MBA ’80, who was there on behalf of Compatible Technologies International (CTI), a Project Redwood grantee building affordable food and water technologies. Jorge became Wes’ mentor and friend, helping him turn a rough idea into a real organization that created solutions and jobs for rural Nicaraguans: Cova (formerly known as EOS International).
By 2016, Wes made a bold call: to go all-in on safe drinking water in Nicaragua. With Project Redwood grants fueling growth, Cova expanded its water systems and won the trust of local communities, governments, and other Project Redwood members.
That trust came full circle. Project Redwood nominated Wes for a scholarship to the Stanford Executive Program. He won it, completed the program, and in 2022 became a GSB alum himself.
Wes didn’t just take the inspiration and run; he came back and joined Project Redwood, completing the circle from grantee to GSB alum and Project Redwood supporter.
Then Project Redwood nominated Cova for the Rippleworks portfolio, which helps scale high-potential social enterprises. That single nomination blew the doors open. Two and a half years later, Rippleworks has invested over $4 million to help Cova keep scaling.
The result? Cova has provided safe water solutions to over 2 million people across three Central American countries.
Wes puts it simply: Project Redwood didn’t just fund him. It believed in him, mentored him, and made the introductions that changed his trajectory. One conversation. One nomination. A ripple that reached more than 2 million people.