Brian Pinkard
Brian Pinkard is CTO and Co-Founder at Aquagga, Inc., and serves as Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Washington College of Engineering. He founded Aquagga, a startup focused on PFAS destruction, where he remains active, and his expertise includes converting organic fluorine to inorganic fluoride.
GeekWire and Greater Seattle Partners call for nominations for 2026 Uncommon Thinkers; deadline Sept. 18, winners honored Dec. 10
Nominations for GeekWire’s 2026 Uncommon Thinkers Awards — honoring Seattle-area inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs — close Friday, Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. PT; winners will be chosen by a judges panel and celebrated at the GeekWire Gala on Dec. 10. The fourth annual program, run with Greater Seattle Partners, seeks nominees who demonstrate innovation, leadership and measurable impact.
2025 GeekWire Gala Hosts 750+ Seattle Tech Enthusiasts with Robots and Honors 'Uncommon Thinkers' Innovators
The 2025 GeekWire Gala brought together over 750 members of Seattle's tech community at Showbox SoDo for an evening of celebration featuring robots, games, and networking. The event also honored the region’s 'Uncommon Thinkers,' recognizing innovative leaders from multiple tech companies.
GeekWire Honors Six 'Uncommon Thinkers' Transforming Industries with Innovative Startups in 2025
GeekWire's third annual 'Uncommon Thinkers' honors six innovators including Anindya Roy, Kiana Ehsani, and Jeff Thornburg, who are leading startups transforming industries with breakthrough technologies in biotech, social media, and space propulsion. These leaders will be celebrated at the GeekWire Gala in Seattle for their creative and mission-driven approaches to solving significant challenges.
Brian Pinkard Launches Aquagga to Destroy Toxic PFAS Chemicals, Deploys Device in Alaska in 2023
Brian Pinkard, driven by a passion to make an environmental impact, transitioned from trail building to earning a mechanical engineering PhD and founding Aquagga, a startup focused on destroying toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals'. His startup deployed a PFAS-destroying device in Fairbanks, Alaska in 2023, reflecting his commitment to solving critical pollution challenges.
Aquagga Names Former Intellectual Ventures Executive Dhileep Sivam as CEO to Commercialize PFAS Destruction Technology
Aquagga, a startup developing technology to destroy 99% of PFAS in contaminated water, has appointed Dhileep Sivam, a former Intellectual Ventures executive, as its new CEO to lead commercialization efforts. The company, founded in 2019, has received over $10 million from grants and customers and raised $1.1 million from investors.
Aquagga Inc. CEO Steps Down After Five Years, Moves to Executive Advisory Role to Support Startups and Mentorship
The CEO of Aquagga Inc. is stepping down to an Executive Advisory Role after nearly five years, aiming to support other startups and mentorship opportunities while expressing confidence in the company’s co-founders to lead future growth.
Tacoma Startup Aquagga Deploys PFAS Destroyer 'Eleanor' in Alaska, Secures $5.7M Funding to Combat Toxic Forever Chemicals
Tacoma startup Aquagga deployed its PFAS destruction device, 'Eleanor,' in Fairbanks, Alaska, successfully treating 20,000 gallons of contaminated wastewater. The startup has secured $4.7 million in government contracts and $1 million in private funding to combat toxic 'forever chemicals' in water.
University of Washington Spinout Aquagga Develops Technology to Destroy PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' with No Toxic Byproducts
Aquagga, a Seattle-based cleantech startup founded by University of Washington and Alaska researchers, develops a high-temperature, high-pressure system to completely destroy PFAS 'forever chemicals' in water and soil with no toxic byproducts. The company aims to address EPA concerns about PFAS contamination by providing scalable destruction technology for environmental remediation.
Organizations
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Aquagga Executive Officer, Director 2023–present, CTO & Co-Founder 2019–present, Co-founder · current
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University of Washington College of Engineering Affiliate Assistant Professor 2021–present, Research Scientist 2021–2022, Postdoctoral Commercialization Fellow 2020–2021, Graduate Research Assistant 2016–2020 · current
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Intelligent Energy Systems Mechanical Engineer 2019 · past
Education
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University of Washington College of Engineering Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Mechanical Engineering · 2016–2020
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University of Washington College of Engineering Master of Science - MS, Mechanical Engineering · 2016–2018
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Lafayette College Bachelor of Science - BS, Mechanical Engineering · 2012–2015
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Puyallup High School 2009–2012
