Ravi Kurani

Solving Water at MySutro.com | Forbes 30 Under 30 | TEDx

Water is an underinvested market, yet it’s one of the most crucial resources we have. But I believe that through better storytelling and innovation, we can shine a light on the water industry’s challenges and opportunities. 

In 2014, I founded Sutro, a robotic water diagnostics platform designed to improve water chemistry and safety. I sold Sutro to Sani Marc in 2019 and am currently leading day-to-day operations.

Today, as President of Sutro (a subsidiary of Sani Marc), I oversee the development, marketing, and sales of smart water monitoring devices. Our technology is trusted by some of the biggest brands in the industry, and we are the only NSF-certified autonomous device for water safety. 

I’m proud to lead our team in revolutionizing how people interact with water, ensuring it's clean, safe, and accessible. 

🌊 Host of “Liquid Assets: The Business of Water,” a podcast about water through the lens of business, technology, and policy. 
➡️ https://www.liquidassets.cc/

🌊 Co-author of “Story-Driven Smart Products,” a practical guide to launching smart hardware products. 
➡️ https://a.co/d/1Bbd11r

🌊 Delivered a TEDx Talk on leveraging technology to improve water safety.
➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwuJnr-iWcY

Other Ventures:
⚙️ Leading the “Street to Home” project to address working capital gaps for the Future Communities Institute.

⚙️ Founded ImpactSpace, later sold to ImpactAlpha (the TechCrunch for impact investing).

⚙️ Advisor to various startups, including a software development agency (Incodeks) and a health navigation company (Juniper).

⚙️ Engineer in Residence at Future Communities VC, focused on tools to track climate solutions through the IRA (Inflation Redux Act).

Founding Member

Hampton is a dedicated group of digital-first founders, entrepreneurs, and CEOs of fast-growing startups who just get it – and make the crazy world of startup life a little easier to navigate.

I love Hampton dinners. Why? Because you meet some of the coolest people. It’s casual, it’s a dinner… we all need to eat dinner. 

I was sitting across Jeremy Johnson CEO of BoxHouse Co, who has sat in court for 86 federal indictements (an episode on this in the comments) to running a super successful prefab housing company. 

Many folks in the U.S. rent and don’t have the capacity to own a house, Jeremy is changing that. 

Making housing ownership accessible to all. 

To chatting with Tom Stefaniuk founder of SmallScreen, who understands YouTube and video to the tee. 

He’s built a successful influencer platform, and gave me some of the best advice for my water podcast, Liquid Assets: The Business of Water. 

Always good to see the rest of the crew, and thanks so much for hosting Elizabeth! 

I continue to say this. If you’re a founder. And you’re not getting out there. 

Do it. 

Meet folks in person, grab coffee, grab a beer.  Go for a walk, a run, whatever. 

Meeting over a table, in person, entirely changes the dynamic of connection. 

Humans are social creatures. 

Video conferencing is great for hacking out limited conversations but meeting IRL is a world in its own (it’s the one our ancestors used to live in).

President of Standard Water Corp | COO @ Poolify | Founder of Sutro (sold to Sani Marc) & ImpactSpace (sold to ImpactAlpha)

No alternative text description for this image

We’ve been running a swimming pool route for more than a year. It’s had its “growing pains”, but we’ve learned a ton. 

2 things: 

(1) Pool owners are simple (we knew this from Sutro). They want to know that you’ve come, the work that you’ve done, and that the pool is clean (which for them, many times, means clear). Our motto: just do good work. 

(2) You need to build with the times. With agenticAI, how can we utilize clawdbot or other tools to increase our service level and take work off the hard working guys that are cleaning the pools. We’re coming at the business from a different lens. As product folks, just building a better experience. 

At the end of the day, we know it’s not rocket science. You’re cleaning a swimming pool, measuring and treating the chemistry, but how do you take an age old buisness - see it through a different light, and make the service better? 

We’re raising a small debt round with friends and family. If you’re interested shoot me a DM! 

Couldn’t be more excited to build Poolify  alongside Anthony, Rahul, and Partin.

Partnering with Leaders to Define SUCCESS and Achieve It.

Thank you for visiting my profile.  I'm Angela Crawford, a strategist and leadership consultant who designs solutions for people and organizations seeking significant growth.

Hiring a consultant is a big decision.  My work is highly confidential, and so most of my client names and organizations cannot be disclosed.  However, after you read this, please scroll down and read the over 40 recommendations from leaders who have been kind enough to share what it is like to work with me. 

With over 20 years of strategic leadership experience, I provide organizational consulting, leadership development and coaching to people and organizations seeking growth.

How I Can Support You:
- Provide strategic consulting services across organizational development, Human Resources, sales, marketing, and operations.
- Design custom leadership programs to attract and retain top talent.
- Strategic planning development and execution.
- Customer and employee experience mapping.
- Serve as your confidential sounding board to provide fresh perspectives on how to solve the most challenging problems.
- Enhance team dynamics and performance with tailored talent solutions.
- Navigate the unique challenges of education, healthcare and non-profit leadership.
- Share insight into current AI trends and how organizations are leveraging this power.
- Designing systems to scale your organization.

Why Choose Crawford Partners?
- Extensive cross-industry experience and success at driving results.
- Proven, research-backed Leaders SUCCEED Together© System
- Flexible, client-focused approach
- Deep commitment to your success.
- Over 13 years of delivering results

Ready to grow your organization like never before?  Let's connect.

P.S. if you know of an organization struggling with to scale or someone needing leadership development, feel free to pass my information along to someone who might benefit. 

Angela Crawford

You're solving the same problems on repeat.

High turnover. Siloed teams. Strategies that never stick.
The uncomfortable truth? You're treating symptoms, not the disease.

Most HRBPs are stuck in firefighter mode, replacing people, administering policies, and battling daily crises. 

But here's what changes the game: 

Organizational Development (OD).

It's not another workshop. It's the systematic redesign of how your entire organization solves problems and adapts.

Think about it:

• Traditional HRBP: "How do I replace this person?"
• Strategic HRBP with OD: "Why is this role/team/process failing, and how do I redesign it?"

The shift from Firefighter to Architect

OD aligns the entire system, strategy, structure, people, rewards, metrics, and management processes. 

Suddenly, you're not just managing employees. You're building organizations that can solve any problem that comes their way.

This matters especially in tech, where the stakes are highest:

• Scaling without breaking
• Building culture in remote-first teams
• Retaining talent in ruthless markets
• Merging two cultures without losing either
• Fostering innovation while managing risk

Mastering OD principles is what actually elevates you from support function to true strategic partner.

Your organization doesn't need another HR initiative. It needs someone who understands that every problem—turnover, silos, resistance to change, is a system design issue, not a people issue.

That someone could be you.

—

👉 DM my OD and receive my detailed guide to Organizational Development for HR Business partners.

Angela Crawford, PhD

Business Owner, Consultant & Executive Coach | Guiding Senior Leaders to Overcome Challenges & Drive Growth l Author of Leaders SUCCEED Together©

Want to boost retention?

Then stop asking “Why did they leave?”

Start asking “Why would they stay?”

Retention isn’t a single program.

It’s a system.

And that system evolves through four levels:

1. Reactive - Crisis mode. Too late.
2. Programmatic - Perks over purpose.
3. Strategic - Career growth built in.
4. Cultural - Belonging by design.

The goal isn’t just fewer exits.

It’s better reasons to stay.

Your top talent isn’t just evaluating comp.

They’re asking:

– Do I matter here?
– Can I grow here?
– Is this a place I’m proud to be?

Remember:

Retention starts long before the exit interview.

And if you’re still waiting for resignations to “learn” something…you're too late.

—

👉 Get my free guidebook detailing the 7 essential steps for leadership growth.

Link in bio.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. 

But great leadership can be broken down into its essential elements.

If you want a go-to resource filled with:
➝ Proven Methods
➝ Assessments
➝ Skills

📌 Save this Periodic Table of Leadership for future references.

So here it is:

1. Tools

➝ (Mi) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
➝ (Hi) Harvard's Implicit Association Test
➝ (Ls) Leadership Style Assessment
➝ (Lb) Leadership Blind Spot Assessment
➝ (Eq) Emotional Intelligence Assessment
➝ (Pp) Performing Under Pressure Assessment
➝ (Ll) LinkedIn Learning Personal Effectiveness Tips
➝ (Cs) Clifton Strengths Assessment
➝ (Fl) Free Leadership Skills Assessment by MindTools
➝ (Ot) Optimal Thinking Leadership Assessment

2. Actions

➝ (L) Lead by Example
➝ (C) Clear Communication
➝ (I) Inspire and Motivate
➝ (T) Think Strategically
➝ (F) Focus on People
➝ (E) Empower and Trust
➝ (V) Value Diversity
➝ (N) Nurture Positive Culture
➝ (L) Learn Continuously
➝ (M) Mentor and Develop

3. Traits

➝ (Ch) Character
➝ (Vn) Vision
➝ (Co) Communication
➝ (Ac) Accountability
➝ (Ag) Agility

4. Hard Skills

➝ (Pm) People Management
➝ (Mg) Management
➝ (Pr) Project Management
➝ (Pc) Computer Skills
➝ (Se) Supporting Employees
➝ (Lt) Lean Thinking
➝ (As) Agile/Scrum

5. Soft Skills

➝ (Fx) Flexibility
➝ (Lp) Leadership
➝ (Mn) Motivation
➝ (Pt) Patience
➝ (Pn) Persuasion
➝ (Sa) Problem-solving abilities
➝ (Tk) Teamwork
➝ (Tm) Time management
➝ (We) Work ethic

Whether you're an emerging leader or a seasoned executive, 

this is a resource you'll want to save and reference whenever you need it.

What other "elements" are critical for great leadership? 

Share your insights below! 👇

— 

P.S. 

Unlock 20 years' worth of leadership lessons sent straight to your inbox.

Every Wednesday, I share exclusive insights and actionable tips on my newsletter.

(Link in my bio to sign up).

Remember, leaders succeed together.

Workplace conflicts are team killers, yet many leaders are underprepared to handle them.

Employee disputes:

• Often start with miscommunication, personality clashes, or competition.
• Drain productivity, crush morale, and hit the bottom line.
• Disrupt team dynamics and workflow.

Use this 5-step conflict-busting blueprint:

1. Keep an open-door policy to catch issues early.
2. Diagnose severity and root causes.
3. Empower employees to resolve minor disagreements.
4. Step in to mediate when needed—give each party a fair shake.
5. Document incidents and resolutions thoroughly.

Everyone wants a thriving workplace.

Fewer are willing to do the work to build it.

—

👉 Get my free guidebook detailing the 7 essential steps for leadership growth.

Link in bio.

👉 Most organizational challenges aren’t strategy failures. They are leadership alignment failures.

Growth doesn’t stall because leaders lack intelligence or effort. It stalls when:

➡️ Strategic priorities shift without clear communication
➡️ Accountability structures are inconsistent
➡️ Incentives don’t support stated objectives
➡️ Leadership behaviors contradict organizational values

High-performing organizations operate differently. They ensure:

✅ Clarity – Every senior leader can articulate the top 3 priorities and how success is measured
✅ Consistency – Decisions align with strategy, even under pressure
✅ Accountability – Ownership is explicit, measurable, and reviewed regularly
✅ Cohesion – Executive teams operate as a unified leadership body

Leadership development isn’t a workshop. It’s the disciplined alignment of behavior, structure, and strategy.

When these elements are synchronized, performance becomes predictable.

💬 Question for leaders: Which of these alignment failures is most common in your organization? Comment below and let’s start the conversation.

🔁Repost this to inspire the leaders in your network
Follow Angela Crawford, PhD for practical leadership strategies and organizational success.

Most organizational challenges are not strategy failures.
 They are leadership alignment failures.
Growth does not stall because leaders lack intelligence or effort. It stalls when:
• Strategic priorities shift without clear communication
 • Accountability structures are inconsistent
 • Incentives do not support stated objectives
 • Leadership behaviors contradict organizational values
High-performing organizations operate differently.
They ensure:
Clarity — Every senior leader can articulate the top three priorities and how success is measured.
Consistency — Decisions align with stated strategy, even under pressure.
Accountability — Ownership is explicit, measurable, and reviewed regularly.
Cohesion — Executive teams operate as a unified leadership body, not independent silos.
Leadership development is not a workshop.
 It is the disciplined alignment of behavior, structure, and strategy.
When those elements are synchronized, performance becomes predictable.

👉 High-performing teams are not defined by harmony. They are defined by productive tension.

Many leadership teams confuse agreement with alignment.

Alignment = clarity of purpose
Agreement = comfort

Strong executive teams are willing to:
✅ Challenge assumptions without personalizing disagreement
✅ Debate strategy before committing to execution
✅ Surface risks early rather than protect consensus
✅ Hold peers accountable to shared standards

When tension is avoided, issues go underground.
When tension is structured, decisions improve.

Effective leaders create environments where:

➡️ Dissent is encouraged before decisions are finalized
➡️ Data informs discussion, not ego
➡️ Commitment follows debate

Cohesion does not mean uniform thinking.

It means unified execution after rigorous dialogue.

💬 Question for leaders: Which of these behaviors is hardest for your team to practice? Comment below.

🔁Repost this to inspire the leaders in your network
Follow Angela Crawford, PhD for practical leadership strategies and organizational success.

High-performing teams are not defined by harmony.
They are defined by productive tension.
Many leadership teams confuse agreement with alignment.
Alignment is clarity of purpose.
 Agreement is comfort.
Strong executive teams are willing to:
• Challenge assumptions without personalizing disagreement
 • Debate strategy before committing to execution
 • Surface risks early rather than protect consensus
 • Hold peers accountable to shared standards
When tension is avoided, issues go underground.
 When tension is structured, decisions improve.
Effective leaders create environments where:
– Dissent is encouraged before decisions are finalized
 – Data informs discussion, not ego
 – Commitment follows debate
Cohesion does not mean uniform thinking.
 It means unified execution after rigorous dialogue.
Leadership strength is often measured by the quality of conversations behind closed doors.
🔁Repost this to inspire the leaders in your network
Follow Angela Crawford, PhD for practical leadership

👉 Culture is not built through statements.
 It is built through standards.

Many organizations invest heavily in defining values.

Far fewer define the behavioral standards that make those values operational.

If accountability is a value, what behaviors demonstrate it?
If collaboration is a value, how is it measured?
If excellence is a value, what does “excellent” look like in execution?

Without defined standards:

❌ Performance becomes subjective
❌ Feedback becomes inconsistent
❌ Trust erodes over time
❌ High performers disengage

Strong leadership teams translate values into observable expectations.

They clarify:

✅ What is acceptable
✅ What is exceptional
✅ What is non-negotiable

This is where sustainable growth begins.
Leadership is not about inspiration alone.

It’s about creating systems where performance and culture reinforce each other.

💬 Question for leaders: Which of these gaps is most common in your organization? Comment below.

🔁Repost this to inspire the leaders in your network
Follow Angela Crawford, PhD for practical leadership strategies and organizational success.

Culture is not built through statements.

It is built through standards.



Many organizations invest heavily in defining values.



Far fewer define the behavioral standards that make those values operational.



If accountability is a value, what behaviors demonstrate it?

If collaboration is a value, how is it measured?

If excellence is a value, what does “excellent” look like in execution?



Without defined standards:



❌ Performance becomes subjective

❌ Feedback becomes inconsistent

❌ Trust erodes over time

❌ High performers disengage



Strong leadership teams translate values into observable expectations.



They clarify:



 ✅ What is acceptable

 ✅ What is exceptional

 ✅ What is non-negotiable



This is where sustainable growth begins.



Leadership is not about inspiration alone.



It is about creating systems where performance and culture reinforce each other.



👉 Decision fatigue is a structural problem, not a personal weakness.

When leaders are required to approve every initiative, performance declines.
Symptoms include:

➡️ Bottlenecked approvals
➡️ Slower innovation
➡️ Leadership burnout
➡️ Disengaged managers

The solution is not working longer hours.

It is redesigning decision rights.

High-capacity organizations clarify:
✅ Which decisions require executive input
✅ Which decisions are delegated
✅ What thresholds trigger escalation
✅ How risk tolerance is defined

When decision authority is distributed intentionally, leaders regain strategic focus.
 
Structure protects leadership capacity.

Which of these symptoms is most visible in your organization? Comment below.

🔁Repost this to inspire the leaders in your network
Follow Angela Crawford, PhD for practical leadership strategies and organizational success.

Decision fatigue is a structural problem, not a personal weakness.
When leaders are required to approve every initiative, performance declines.
Symptoms include:
• Bottlenecked approvals
 • Slower innovation
 • Leadership burnout
 • Disengaged managers
The solution is not working longer hours.
 It is redesigning decision rights.
High-capacity organizations clarify:
– Which decisions require executive input
 – Which decisions are delegated
 – What thresholds trigger escalation
 – How risk tolerance is defined
When decision authority is distributed intentionally, leaders regain strategic focus.
Structure protects leadership capacity.
🔁Repost this to inspire the leaders in your network
Follow Angela Crawford, PhD for practical leadership strategies and organizational success.


Gen X — It’s Your Time to Shine

Every generation brings something unique to the workforce. 

Gen X brings perspective.

Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X is smaller than the Boomers and Millennials. They are about 20% of the U.S. workforce yet hold a significant share of leadership roles (Pew Research Center; BLS).

They are the bridge generation.

They graduated as the internet entered the workplace.
They remember leaders questioning whether the World Wide Web mattered.  

I remember the CEO of a company I worked for said, and I quote, "No one will ever need a website.  That WWW thing is just a fad."

They navigated the dot-com boom and bust, the rise of social media, globalization, remote work, and now AI. That lived experience matters.

The AI era doesn’t just need digital natives.

It needs leaders from every generation who can translate change, balance people and systems, and lead through uncertainty.

Gen X knows transformation is messy because we’ve lived it repeatedly.
This moment isn’t about catching up.

It’s about stepping forward. Gen X leaders are uniquely positioned to:
• Integrate AI responsibly
• Develop the next generation
• Protect culture while accelerating innovation
• Turn disruption into strategy

The world needs digital translators. Gen X:  It's your time to shine.

We all have unique experiences that add value.  What prepared you most to lead in this moment?

Of course, I created this graphic with AI, so the new LinkedIn algorithm may not push it to anyone's feeds.  However, I hope to encourage someone to step out and embrace their lived experiences!

👉 Scaling an organization requires a different kind of leadership discipline.

What drives results at one stage of growth often becomes the constraint at the next.

Early-stage leadership relies on:

 ➡️ Speed.
 ➡️ Direct oversight.
 ➡️ Founder-driven decision-making.

Sustained growth requires:

 ▶️ Structure.
 ▶️ Distributed authority.
 ▶️ Defined decision rights.

Organizations struggle when leaders fail to evolve their operating model.

Common indicators include:

1️⃣ Leaders involved in every decision
2️⃣ Unclear ownership across functions
3️⃣ Delayed execution due to approval bottlenecks
4️⃣ Talent attrition at the senior level

Growth is not only about revenue expansion.

👉 It is about upgrading leadership systems.

High-performing executive teams periodically reassess:

✅Decision architecture
✅Role clarity
✅Governance cadence
✅Strategic alignment mechanisms

Without intentional redesign, scale introduces friction instead of momentum.
Leadership maturity determines organizational capacity.

🔁Repost this to inspire the leaders in your network
Follow Angela Crawford, PhD for practical leadership strategies and organizational success.

Scaling an organization requires a different kind of leadership discipline.
What drives results at one stage of growth often becomes the constraint at the next.
Early-stage leadership relies on:
 Speed.
 Direct oversight.
 Founder-driven decision-making.
Sustained growth requires:
 Structure.
 Distributed authority.
 Defined decision rights.
Organizations struggle when leaders fail to evolve their operating model.
Common indicators include:
• Leaders involved in every decision
 • Unclear ownership across functions
 • Delayed execution due to approval bottlenecks
 • Talent attrition at the senior level
Growth is not only about revenue expansion.
 It is about upgrading leadership systems.
High-performing executive teams periodically reassess:
– Decision architecture
 – Role clarity
 – Governance cadence
 – Strategic alignment mechanisms
Without intentional redesign, scale introduces friction instead of momentum.
Leadership maturity determines organizational capacity.
🔁Repost this to ins

Everyone asks me how long it takes to implement strategic change, especially related to culture.  

My answer is often met with disappointment when I say, two to three years.  This author agrees and shares some solid insight.

Open article: Strategic change: It's a marathon, not a sprint | MIT Sloan Executive Education by executive.mit.edu

Strategic change: It's a marathon, not a sprint | MIT Sloan Executive Education

I created a detailed guide to the 4 Levels of Talent Retention, and it will go to my newsletter subscribers at 8 am tomorrow morning.  Subscribe at the link in my bio tonight, and you will receive it in your inbox.

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