Kicking the Bottled Water Habit: How I Started My Own Water Bottle Company

My journey started almost one year ago.

Last summer, I decided to participate in a program called the Commercialization Academy for aspiring entrepreneurs. Not really knowing what I was getting myself into, I went forth with the interview process and was accepted into a week-long program called Crucible Week at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY. It was here that I put my other career goals in student affairs on the back burner and began to venture into the unknown territory of technology transfer.

During Crucible Week, 24 students from around New York state came together to learn about the commercialization process and entrepreneurship, with the goal of starting their own company. We had to review patents, choose our teams, and make a presentation on our technology by the end of the week. Within the patent portfolio for the Air Force Research Laboratory, there was one patent that was not very technical.

It was for a reusable water bottle. 

When I saw this, I immediately crossed it off as something that was not of interest to me. Later in the week, the cohort was invited to a reception where we were able to meet the inventors behind the different technologies. I met with a man who had a patent to make wireless Internet more efficient and secure—something that I already knew was too technical for me. But nonetheless, I wanted to learn more. After our meeting, he asked if he could share his other patent with me—it was for the water bottle.

This was the beginning of the Lilo adventure. While he was telling his story, his face lit up. He showed me his small doodles and drawings that he had done at his desk, along with some market research that he had gathered in his free time. After it was all over, I was so fascinated that I decided to take a leap of faith.

Team water bottle it was!

Over the next couple of months, I devoted myself to my business, getting ready for the showcase in November. From the beginning, I chose a team based off of values and friendship rather than monetary reasons, because I wanted a company culture where everyone’s values and vision lined up with the goal of doing extraordinary work. People told me I had wasted my potential working on a reusable water bottle. Some even called it a glorified hamster bottle. With the motivation to prove my peers wrong, my partner and I worked even harder to design a product that would be different from anything available on the market today.

We spent months working on our company structure, values, and product design. We focused our business strategy around being an environmentally friendly company that will boost the local economy and will inspire our users to aspire to be as healthy as they can be by drinking more water in a sustainable way. We are creating a bottle that will hopefully encourage people to put down the disposable water bottle and pick up a reusable bottle. It is a challenge, but it is one that we are willing to take on. 

Now this all sounds good so far, right?

Well, the road of entrepreneurship is not an easy one. The stress of business competitions, product design challenges, team conflicts, and time off of school has slowed us down a few times. The key is not to give up. Knowing what you want to do in life and knowing when to step back and enjoy the now is the key to success, no matter who you are. Even if you do not know exactly what you want to do, just follow what your heart knows is important, whether it is friends, family, a hobby, or creating a reusable water bottle. Just DO you.

Our Lilo team has taken this advice to heart and thankfully, our reusable bottles are on track to go to market later this fall. They will be available for purchase through our upcoming Kickstarter campaign and on our website, LiloHydration.com (under development). You can also check us out on Facebook.