Ryan Hreljac

Ryan Hreljac is the founder of Ryan’s Well Foundation and has been fundraising for clean water projects since the age of six. He attended the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and graduated in 2014 with a double major in international development studies and political science. Now as the Executive Director of the foundation, Hreljac is determined to reach his goal of solving the world’s water problems by providing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene education in the poorest regions of developing countries.

Since 1998, Ryan’s Well Foundation has delivered access to clean drinking water and sanitation to over 1.5 million people in 17 countries and helped raise more than $20 million for water and sanitation projects, education and awareness-raising activities. Hreljac and his work have been featured on television shows such as "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "CNN Heroes," in a feature-length documentary, and in dozens of books, textbooks, newspapers and magazines such as Readers Digest, Macleans and People.

Since Hreljac was first honored by World of Children in 2003, he has helped motivate youth to become more engaged in the world water crisis through public speaking events in more than 40 countries. He has helped to educate students around the world about the importance of clean water and encouraged students to become active, responsible citizens of the planet.