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[00:03:00]
• Ty introduces Navy and Dan:

“Together they launched Kai Pono Solutions, combining their love for the ocean with serious business and engineering know-how.” – Ty Garmon

[00:05:00]
• Navy shares her entrepreneurial journey:

“I knew I had to do something I was passionate about. I wanted to do something around ocean conservation.” – Navy McKee

[00:07:00]
• Dan recalls his original stormwater design:

“Every single time, the streets were flooding. I always just thought, this is silly.” – Dan McKee

[00:10:00]
• Dan introduces Navy to stormwater:

“I broke out some old drawings I had, and we went for a walk opening manhole lids.” – Dan McKee

[00:12:00]
• What makes their solution different:

“Nobody is really doing what we're doing. We filter water at the curb gutter line, not inside the storm drain.” – Navy McKee

[00:16:00]
• Development timeline:

“The turbocharge happened in 2020. We’ve been doing testing, R&D, and manufacturing over the past five years.” – Navy McKee

[00:20:00]
• Branding and public engagement:

“We really want to make it different. We want to make stormwater cool.” – Navy McKee

[00:23:00]
• Product modularity and scale:

“They’re kind of like Legos for engineers. You can add as many of these basins as you want.” – Navy McKee

[00:27:00]
• Data-driven innovation:

“We want to help people understand flow rates, contaminants, and maintenance cycles.” – Navy McKee

[00:30:00]
• Emphasis on realistic maintenance:

“If you don’t maintain our device, it’s not going to flood your city.” – Navy McKee

[00:33:00]
• Call for connections and partnerships:

“We just want to be your friends and meet more people in the space.” – Navy McKee

In this episode of the Stormwater World Podcast, host Ty Garmon is joined by Navy and Dan McKee, co-founders of Kai Pono Solutions, who share the story behind their innovative curbside stormwater filtration system designed to prevent clogging and flooding while delivering clean discharge water. What began as a long-shelved design by Dan evolved into a modern solution through Navy’s passion for ocean conservation and a startup-minded approach to stormwater. Together, they discuss the product’s unique features, including its modular design, ease of maintenance, and flexibility with filtration media, as well as their journey navigating regulatory hurdles, startup funding, and industry adoption. Their mission is clear: to build a cleaner, more accessible future for water quality, one storm drain at a time.

The views expressed are that of the individual and do not represent the opinions of any companies past, present or future.

Connect with Navy McKee:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navy-mckee/

Kai Pono LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kai-pono-solutions/

Kai Pono Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiponosolutions/?hl=en

Kai Pono Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kai-Pono-Solutions/100063887362828/?_rdr

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.kaiponosolutions.com/

Video Link:

Connect with Dan McKee:
Email: [email protected]

Connect with Ty Garmon, LEED AP:

Connect with Ty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tygarmon/

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