DU Grad Discovers Passion, Success Through Conservation

Chris Klein (MBA ’08) could exhale as he walked his dog that morning. 就天气而言， 2012年是一场噩梦 到目前为止.

A parching winter had rolled into a thirsty spring, which kicked off a stifling summer in which the entire state appeared to go up in flames.

仲秋的阵雨暗示了解脱, 4年后,000多处野火烧毁了384处,000英亩, killed six people 和 caused at least $538 million in property damage.

第一次, the Ohio native realized the importance of water 和 the devastating ramifications of scarcity. So as it drizzled in Platt Park, Klein looked around 和 saw that he had no reason to celebrate. 洒水器四处喷水.

“And I was like, ‘This has got to stop,’” Klein recalls. “We finally got rain, 和 now everybody’s systems are running.”

雨水从那里萌芽 Rachio, a smart home sprinkler controller designed to save water while saving its users money. 就在同一天 丹尼尔斯商学院 grad brought the idea to Denver Startup Weekend 和 walked out a winner.

从那个周末开始, Klein 和 his team have grown the original idea into a successful business, 卖给房主和园林设计师. With every innovation challenge 和 pitch competition the idea drew new investor interest 和 grants — from big names, 太, 就像 亚马逊Alexa基金 -使产品创造成为可能.

Today, Klein’s company boasts three generations of intelligent irrigators. By connecting to a homeowner’s wi-fi, Rachio can plug into a hyperlocal weather forecast. When rain is on the way, it can turn itself off. With input from individual users, it can analyze specific l和scaping needs. 把院子分成几部分的, a smartphone app considers each plot’s vegetation, 土壤类型, sun exposure 和 slope as it recommends a watering schedule. A new water flow meter can detect leaks 和 shut off the water supply on its own.

Considering the drastic widespread effects of overwatering 和 sprinkler inefficiency — which the 环境al Protection Agency blames 4.5 billion gallons of water wasted each day in the U.S. — Klein feels his smart products are at least a first drop in a sizable bucket.

“我喜欢大问题，”克莱因说. “And I like something that is meaningful 和 could possibly leave this planet in a better place than it was in when I got here.”

Klein’s passion for the cause sets this venture apart from others earlier in his career. Originally armed with a degree in construction systems management, he developed ideas to digitize construction drawings 和 make them more accessible. An app to compete with Craigslist folded when Klein realized he had no real desire to keep it going.

With Rachio, however, Klein is balancing private enterprise with the public good. 类似的, the company has allowed him to fuse his longtime love for construction with the software 和 business skills he learned at Daniels.

“I think [DU] just broadened my view of the world 和 what was possible for me,” he says. “I learned a lot of really great things at DU, but part of it was also myself exploring. I think all of that helped prepare me or at least gave me the confidence to start a company.”