Our Story
After living in Nicaragua for two years as a missionary, our founder, Tyler Clason, developed a deep love for the people of La Dalia—a rural coffee-growing community in Nicaragua’s northern mountains. During his time there, he witnessed firsthand the daily hardships faced by families in underserved communities.
In 2013, Tyler contracted dengue fever during a devastating outbreak in La Dalia. Although dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes, limited infrastructure and unreliable access to safe water can force families to store water in ways that create mosquito-breeding sites.
Unlike many people in La Dalia, Tyler had access to advanced medical care. His experience strengthened his commitment to supporting rural communities and improving access to safe, clean water.
“It’s simply not fair. There are countless ways we can improve health and safety for the people of Nicaragua, but for me, clean water comes before everything else.”
OneWater is working to fulfill what started as Tyler’s vision—one that is now the shared vision of many more.
Our mission is to provide clean water to the families of Nicaragua. By providing water filtration systems and education on the importance of clean water, we will help save lives, reduce waterborne illness, and ensure sustainable access to clean water.
Meet the Team
Local Agents
Marvin Gadea,
In-Country Support
Marvin has two decades of experience working for several large banks in Nicaragua. As in-country operations lead, Marvin manages relationships with our Nicaraguan suppliers and water captains. He provides sustainable service and troubleshooting for all those who have received water filtration systems. Marvin loves to play basketball and spend time with his family and dogs on the weekend.
Edgar Benavides,
In-Country Support
Señor Benavides is a community leader and talented artisan who runs a leather shop in La Dalia. He provides local support to families with water filtration systems including water education, filter maintenance, and supporting new filter donations. His help is vital in ensuring that families understand the importance of clean water.
Frank Aguilar,
Barrios Operations Lead
Frank began working with OneWater in 2017. Frank is a local to La Tuma- La Dalia region whose primary responsibility is identifying households with the greatest need for clean water and coordinating filter delivery from our factory partnership. Frank’s own family was one of the first homes to receive a water filtration system back in 2016.
“The best part of working with OneWater is that I have the opportunity to help people; the feeling of receiving their gratitude is invaluable, and it brings me great happiness. ”
Yang Montenegro,
Comunidades Operations Lead
Yang began working with OneWater in 2017 and is also local to La Tuma- La Dalia region. Along with Frank, Yang identifies households with the greatest need for clean water and provides video/ photos for social media use. Yang’s family also received one of the first water filters in 2016.
“The best part of working with OneWater is being able to see the smiles of the families when they receive such great help for their health. Getting to meet new people and visit their homes fills me with joy; it makes me so happy to see how grateful the families are to receive so much from this great project”
Company Officers
Tyler Clason
Founder, President & CEO, Director
Tyler began his career with Ernst and Young supporting large industrial M&A and financial process improvement. His projects spanned Latin America from Bogotá, Colombia to Buenos Aires, Argentina. After EY, he worked at Dow Chemical in enterprise financial planning and global strategy. Tyler currently manages venture investments for a fortune 100 energy company. He has a Masters of Business Administration from Rice University.
Christopher Clason
Co-Founder, Director
Chris has held executive leadership responsibilities in several world class companies including Honeywell, Citigroup, and Chevron as well as private equity-backed transaction experience. Most recently, Chris served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Coterra Energy. His career has been highly global with a special focus and love for Latin America and fluency in Spanish. Chris has been highly involved in higher education and serves on the National Advisory Council for the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University (BYU). Chris holds a BS in International Relations and an MBA from BYU.
Kristine Clason
Director
Kristy has spent her life in service to family, community, and countless groups and individuals. With a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Brigham Young University, Kristy has, in more recent years, focused on community efforts of mentoring at-risk teens to graduate from high school and has established a scholarship program for their continued education. Kristy is developing Spanish language fluency and supports the endless logistical details of OneWater operations.
Aaron Roome
Director
Aaron graduated with his MBA from Babcock Business School at Wake Forest University. His career has consisted of over 20 years of corporate & investment banking and securities industry experience. When not working, he enjoys running, spending time with family, and volunteering in his community. He currently resides with his wife and two children in Charlotte, NC.
Amee Roome
Director
Amee Roome taught special education for 8 years and is the mother of 2 children. Amee currently leads her local chapter of Church Women United as the Community Chair over Volunteering with Mecklenburg Metropolitan Interfaith Network for the last 9 years with previous board service. Amee also volunteers as a JustServe.org specialist in her community. Her desire to serve others leads her to support OneWater in fundraising and other creative activities.
Spencer Clason
Director
OneWater is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. EIN: 81-4260876