Worklife with Adam Grant ReThinking: Matt Damon on solving one of the planet’s biggest problems, in partnership with Gary White
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Feb 24, 2026 
Gary White, social entrepreneur who builds water access systems, and Matt Damon, actor-turned-philanthropist championing global clean water. They discuss their partnership, the water-credit idea that funds safe water via microloans, why water is often overlooked, human stories that bring the issue to life, and strategies for scaling impact and innovation.
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Water Access Unlocks Human Potential
- Water access unlocks opportunity because talent is distributed evenly but opportunity is not.
- Matt Damon and Gary White merged complementary efforts (H2O Africa and Water Partners) to scale impact via Water.org's innovative model.
How Water Credit Was Born From Observation
- Gary White observed poor households already paid for water, so he adapted microfinance into "water credit" rather than income-generating loans.
- The loans reclaimed time for women and girls, led to 98% repayment, and lowered philanthropic cost per person to about $5.
Recycling Loans Multiplies Impact
- Recycling repaid loans drastically multiplies reach and reduces cost per beneficiary.
- Water.org reached one million people every six weeks and 85 million total by redeploying repaid capital instead of only drilling wells.