Elon Musk has proven to be one of the most innovative leaders of the sustainability movement. Musk head up Tesla Motors, which brought us luxury electric cars and developed new energy storage technology. He also founded SolarCity, a solar energy company. He has long been a champion of clean energy and continues to use his resources to push the boundaries of invention for a better tomorrow. In yet another bold move to spur innovation, Tesla Motors allows anyone to use its patented technology. Musk is sometimes referred to as a real-life Tony Stark (of Iron Man fame), as noted by Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. During the interview Musk stated that the “most important thing we need to solve this century is sustainable energy.”

Pure Water Industries (formerly Pool Services Technologies) is a small business that is big on innovation. This company looked at the problem of people needing to drain their pools every two years, wasting tons of water. The company found an innovative solution by creating mobile trailers equipped with a cutting-edge reverse osmosis filter system. This system allows the company to clean the existing pool water, rather than drain it away, saving 85% or more of the water in the pool. They even found uses for their mobile water purification services beyond pool maintenance, including disaster relief.