Robin Takashi Lewis

Robin Takashi Lewis has been active in international organizations, social enterprises, and NGOs for the past decade. He's worked with the World Bank Climate Change Group and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with his activities covering over 20 countries, including Haiti, Nepal, Vanuatu, and Mozambique. He's been involved in humanitarian activities management, as well as government policy-making processes concerning climate and disaster resilience.

"I realized that technology wasn't the only thing required to solve the critical issues facing humankind. We also needed social movements capable of spurring people to action," says Robin, speaking from his experience in handling global issues.

Robin launched the water refill platform "mymizu" in Japan in 2019, his sights aimed at solving the marine debris issue. The mymizu app has over 200,000 "mymizu spots" registered worldwide, where users can get water refills for free. Examples of these are cafes and public facilities. This gives users an alternative to buying plastic bottled beverages, allowing them to check the app's map for mymizu spots and easily refill their bottles for free.

mymizu can also record the water refills, as well as visualize the number of plastic bottles and CO2 emissions reduced by its user base. Users can register new mymizu spots, making it an app with a community that grows together with user participation.

Robin aims to reduce disposable plastic consumption, building the foothold to sparking a change in people's consumption behavior, encouraging sustainability and personal responsibility. "I'm aiming to give the world a new solution that combines the power of technology and social movements," says Robin, burning with enthusiasm.