Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Dr Slava Libman FTD Solutions Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Know Your Customer: At first, our primary customers were technical experts from the client side. However, we realized that for our solutions to be truly effective and to drive significant impact, we needed to engage with higher-level decision-makers within the organizations we served. This shift in understanding our customer base significantly improved our productivity and the impact of our projects.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Slava Libman!
Dr. Slava Libman is the CEO of FTD Solutions, a company at the forefront of digital solutions for water management and environmental sustainability in industrial facilities. With 30 years of experience in water technology, entrepreneurship, business operation, and industry-wide collaborative initiatives, Dr. Libman brings new vision for how positive environmental impact can be achieved with less time and resources.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in a family of poor Soviet engineers in Ukraine. They believed that money isn’t as important as family values and personal integrity. I grew up with those values and relied on them throughout my career. My father was an engineer designing very large water pipes for large industrial facilities. Some of the big infrastructural installations probably still bear his name. He was the one who triggered my interest in Environmental Engineering, a field close to what he was doing. While this area of expertise was not fashionable in the USSR, I studied for my graduate degree in Israel, where they fully embraced the importance of water management.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
At FTD Solutions, we are dedicated to fostering environmental sustainability within industrial facilities. Our aim is to revolutionize how people perceive and address water conservation and overall sustainability. The status quo often falls short, hindered by the inability to fully understand data, and visualize optimal outcomes, thus failing to holistically manage sustainable facilities.
Our focus lies in aiding facilities in comprehending their needs and seizing opportunities. We help to quickly strategize and plan positive change. Our goal is to optimize their water and energy systems, minimizing environmental emissions, and their overall footprint. Unlike other companies with similar missions, our strategy pivots around data-driven decisions, maximizing our impact on the world while minimizing resources required to do so.
This approach not only applies to our company’s use of software but extends to our clients as well. We assist them in utilizing their resources, including human capital, to achieve the best results within their available constraints. Our work ensures that sustainability is not a distant ideal, but a tangible, achievable goal for every facility which results in savings rather than being an added cost.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My initial inspiration came from my father. He held a strong belief in the importance of comprehensive engineering insights, encompassing environmental engineering aspects like chemistry, biology, and other disciplines necessary for effective solutions.
I began my education in 1984, a time when environmental sustainability was not yet a widespread concern. Despite many jokes from my friends who made more popular career choices for that time, I firmly believed in the future impacted by environmental changes and the importance of learning how to affect those changes.
Of the hundreds of people I met throughout my studies, only a select few remained in the field of environmental engineering, while many others transitioned to different sectors. This persistent dedication to the cause has led me to this point in time, where I can utilize the background, experience, as well as the network with great experts and leaders who have similar aspirations of saving the planet.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
The concept of an “Aha Moment” is interesting because, in my experience, there wasn’t just one. Instead, my journey was marked by multiple revelations that gradually paved the journey for the vision that FTD is pursuing now.
One such “Aha Moment” happened during my work at Intel, a world-leading semiconductor company at the time, which in the late 90s had already heavily invested in environmental sustainability long before it became a mainstream priority. I was one of many engineers responsible for water technology. I took a class for technology leaders where the trainer helped me to realize that being a great technical expert does not guarantee ability to create impacts. This was when I realized the importance of leadership. This resulted in many impactful projects and eventually companywide leadership role in the space.
The second key realization came with understanding the importance of entrepreneurship, the ability of casting and pursuing your own vision. While an impact by individual contributors within a corporation can be significant, establishing your own mission leads to endless possibilities that only depend on the ability of the team to execute. The rewards of such a journey are much bigger than financial interests.
The third significant moment that triggered the formation of my company was a profound understanding of the disconnect between the needs of facility owners and the supply chain. Despite being surrounded by a myriad of opportunities and case studies, it was bewildering to see how people struggled to address even the most apparent and easily achievable solutions. I realized there were genuine barriers at play here — facility owners were often time and resource-constrained, while the business models of the supply chain sometimes created a misalignment of interests. This fundamental market conflict sparked the formation of FTD Solutions, a company dedicated to helping industrial facilities achieve high sustainability performance at minimal cost.
These cumulative “Aha Moments” not only laid the groundwork for the formation and success of FTD Solutions but have also positioned the company for substantial global success in the future.
Many people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
Starting a new organization requires a blend of clear vision, reliable partners, and persistent efforts. Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients of how FTD Solutions got started:
- A Skilled and Trusted Team: A successful company is built on the collective strengths and shared aspirations of its team with common history of success. I was fortunate to have a great group of partners who I admired and fully relied on.
- A Big Problem That Leads to a Big Idea: The next step is identifying a challenge that isn’t being effectively addressed in the current market. This opens an opportunity for innovative solutions and new ways of doing things.
- Financial Backing: Every organization needs financial support to get off the ground. It’s essential to find an organization or investor that believes in your mission and business model and is willing to provide the necessary funding or financial support.
- Attract Early Customers: Finally, the practical validation of an organization’s potential comes from its customers. You need initial clients who are willing to take a risk and engage with you on initial projects. This allows you to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of your solutions.
While this might seem straightforward in hindsight, these ingredients didn’t just fall into place overnight. It was the culmination of over two decades of a professional journey that made all these elements possible at the right time.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
One of the most interesting experiences since starting FTD Solutions involves the genesis of our company formation. It began with Texas Instruments searching for efficient ways to increase the capacity of one of their complex water systems. My co-founders and I stepped in to offer our expertise and prompt consulting support as an alternative to their original plan.
In a relatively short time, we conducted an engineering assessment and identified ways to de-bottleneck their existing system, avoiding the need for a hefty $22 million investment to build an additional system.
This process was quite natural for us, stemming from our years of training and experience. What was surprising and illuminating was the feedback from our client. They expressed their appreciation for the uniqueness of the service we provided, something they hadn’t anticipated. It reaffirmed the existence of a gap in the marketplace — a shortage of services that aimed to minimize spending while bringing high-level expertise to tackle complex tasks. This revelation served as a trigger for FTD, and it played a crucial role in shaping our company.
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake that you made when you were first starting and the lesson you learned from that?
While I can’t recall a humorous mistake off the top of my head, there’s certainly a valuable lesson I learned from a previous venture that significantly influenced our approach to the FTD business model.
Before founding FTD, I co-founded another company aimed at developing a technology for wastewater treatment and cost-effective water reuse. Despite successfully inventing the technology, we soon realized the immense effort and time required to drive technology adoption. Our interaction with investors indicated that the business wasn’t poised to take off, primarily because, beyond just inventing and building an innovative solution, we also needed to sell the products quickly enough to maintain necessary cash flow.
Upon this realization, we decided not to continue with that project, but the experience led us to realization of the importance of supporting other innovators to help them bring their breakthrough solutions where it is really needed. As the result, beyond the primary mission of enabling effective decisions of the facility leaders, our company works with both startups and established companies to expedite their sales cycle by creating what we refer to as a “technology bridge.” This allows us to not only offer the diagnostic software to FTD clients, but also be prepared with the recommendations for best possible solutions when it is necessary.
Thus, FTD Solutions, which stands for “Facility Technology Development Solutions,” adheres to this approach. Relying on partnerships and collaboration, we develop technologies, deliver expertise, diagnose opportunities, and aim to catalyze environmental sustainability via innovations in the industry.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Absolutely, success seldom comes without help, be it from mentors, cheerleaders, or supportive networks. I’m no exception to this rule.
First, my family has not only offered unwavering support but has also contributed directly to the company’s success. Their belief in me and my mission has been invaluable.
As for mentors, I’ve been fortunate to have many. One standout example is Vistage, an organization supporting thousands of CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses. Vistage provides both coaching and a trusted network of CEOs where experiences and advice can be shared. The support I’ve received from Vistage has been instrumental to my journey.
Additionally, I have several mentors and advisors with whom I communicate regularly. Their wisdom and experience have been instrumental in helping me make fewer mistakes and learning from those I inevitably make. This network of support has indeed helped to bridge the gap between our current position and our ultimate destination, significantly accelerating our progress.
In short, none of our accomplishments would have been possible without these individuals and networks. They have greatly influenced our journey and will continue to do so as we strive to achieve our mission.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Certainly, there are ways in which the community, society, and politicians can support the work we are doing at FTD Solutions. Although, it is not within their scope to directly address the root problem, which is the complexity of decision-making in environmental sustainability. That said, there are three key areas where their involvement could accelerate our mission:
- Promotion and Awareness: Government entities and politicians play a significant role in increasing awareness and promoting more effective ways of managing environmental sustainability. This drives industrial facilities to recognize the value of solutions like ours and assists in streamlining the adoption process.
- Policy and Regulation could further implement policies that incentivize sustainable practices within industrial facilities. Regulations that reward water and energy efficiency could create an environment that encourages facilities to seek out solutions like ours.
- Community: I believe that a new generation of facility decision makers influenced by the importance of environmental sustainability is going to be more open to the new approaches and adoption of new solutions. As awareness and concern for our planet’s future grow, so does the pressure on industrial facilities to make sustainable decisions. This societal push is a tremendous driving force for our mission. However, understanding the problem isn’t enough. The community should also be made aware of potential solutions and the benefits that they offer. This would, in turn, create an informed demand for services like ours, assisting us in connecting with more facilities.
In summary, while we don’t rely on external entities to solve the problem we address, their actions can greatly enhance our ability to reach more facilities and expedite the adoption of sustainable practices.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
Becoming more sustainable and environmentally conscious can significantly contribute to a business’s profitability, and this is something we’ve seen time and again with our work at FTD Solutions. The first thing to note is that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often go hand-in-hand, with sustainable practices leading to significant cost savings, which directly impacts a business’s bottom line.
One example would be companies implementing water conservation measures driven by sustainability targets. Not only are they doing their part for the environment, but they are also saving money in the process. Water is a precious and costly resource, and any measure to conserve it results in immediate financial benefits. The cost savings come from reduced water bills, less expenditure on wastewater treatment, lower energy usage in operations, and fewer expenses related to environmental compliance and potential penalties.
Furthermore, chemicals that are used in industrial processes are costly and often have associated disposal and handling costs. Reducing or replacing these with more sustainable alternatives can lead to significant savings.
In more complex facilities, optimizing operations to become more sustainable can necessitate a deep dive into engineering principles to drive optimal results. What we’ve observed is that this process often uncovers inefficiencies and presents opportunities for improvement that may have otherwise remained hidden. In addressing these, businesses become more efficient, operations more reliable and, by extension, more profitable.
Businesses that embrace sustainability don’t just enhance their reputation and contribute positively to the environment, they also unlock cost savings and enhance profitability, making it a win-win situation.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
Five things I wish someone had told me when I first started FTD Solutions would be:
- Understand the Importance of the Infinite Game: The concept of the infinite game, as outlined by Simon Sinek, focuses on the long-term impact and value creation rather than on immediate short-term gains or objectives. As an early-stage company, it’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of tight timelines and limited resources, often leading to stress and mistakes. Understanding the infinite game helps shift the focus to our mission and long-term value creation, which aids in better decision-making. This shift in perspective, which we adopted about two years into our journey, made a significant difference.
- Recognize the Power of Storytelling: Conveying complex ideas, especially in a startup, can be challenging. When we started FTD Solutions, I struggled to communicate our vision and mission in a way that others could understand. It was when we started refining our story and messaging that we noticed a significant change. The clearer our story became, the more our customers, employees, and partners understood our mission and the value we are offering.
- Value Customer and Market Feedback: There was a pivotal moment when a client asked why we were not using software in providing our engineering solutions. This question led us to explore the possibility of developing a software tool, which eventually became the platform we now offer to our clients. Though we initially questioned the business case for such a venture, we trusted our customer’s insight and it paid off. It emphasized the importance of valuing customer feedback and acting on it.
- Know Your Customer: At first, our primary customers were technical experts from the client side. However, we realized that for our solutions to be truly effective and to drive significant impact, we needed to engage with higher-level decision-makers within the organizations we served. This shift in understanding our customer base significantly improved our productivity and the impact of our projects.
- Logical Doesn’t Always Mean Practicable: We initially assumed that the substantial cost savings we provided to customers would be a source of resources for our growth. However, we learned that saving money for a customer does not necessarily translate into financial opportunities for us. This was a hard lesson, but a crucial one, underscoring the difference between what seems logically feasible and what is practically possible in a business context.
In hindsight, knowing these points would have greatly influenced our early days at FTD Solutions. However, every journey is a learning process and these experiences have shaped us and continue to guide us as we move forward.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
When speaking to young people about their career paths, I often emphasize one thing: rely on basic values/principles and stick to them to build progressive success. In my case, the following three key elements were guiding:
- Passion: It often stems from individual interests and strengths. A career is not just about earning a living but also about finding something you love to do, which will keep you motivated and dedicated.
- Longevity: It is crucial to choose a path where your skills and expertise will be needed in the long term. A sustainable career is one that can withstand the test of time and changing trends.
- Goodness: It relates to the positive impact your work can have on the world around you. It is about contributing to society or the environment and making a difference.
The incredible thing about environmental work or work that makes a positive impact on society is that it encompasses at least two out of these three elements. It contains inherent goodness, as you are working towards improving our world, and there is an enduring need for this work — our planet’s health is a cause that will always require attention and dedication. Environmental pursuit has room for so many disciplines and fields of science that anyone following the above principles has an opportunity to build a great career.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote?” Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” — Robert Swan.
This quote has profound relevance in my life and has served as a guiding principle for the work I do. It reminds me that we cannot afford to be passive when it comes to the issues that our planet is facing. This quote emphasizes personal responsibility and proactivity, the understanding that waiting for someone else to make a difference is not an option.
At times of uncertainty, this has been a driving factor for choosing the most impactful path. Recognizing the environmental challenges that industrial facilities face, I could have easily assumed that bigger entities would eventually solve the problem. But this quote inspired me to act, rather than wait for others to do so.
Additionally, this quote has been influential in shaping our approach at FTD Solutions. We strive to empower our clients to become the “saviors” of their own environmental footprint, providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to make significant, positive changes.
Overall, the relevance of this quote in my life highlights the power of individual action and the responsibility each of us carries to contribute to environmental sustainability.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 😊
Having a private breakfast or lunch with John Doerr would indeed be a fantastic opportunity. John Doerr, as the Chairman of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, has been instrumental in fostering the growth of some of the most innovative companies of our time, such as Google and Amazon. His insights into what makes a company succeed, particularly in the technology sector, would be invaluable.
Furthermore, Doerr’s recent commitment to the cause of sustainability, as exemplified by his role in founding the Stanford School of Sustainability, deeply resonates with our mission at FTD Solutions. Our aim is to promote environmental sustainability within the industrial sector, and Doerr’s dedication to education and research in this field aligns perfectly with our goals.
By sharing a meal with Doerr, I would hope to learn from his vast experience and his unique perspective on blending business success with environmental responsibility. His insights could provide invaluable guidance for FTD Solutions as we continue to innovate and push for sustainable practices in industry.
How can our readers follow you online?
Our LinkedIn page is a great place to start. We frequently share updates about our latest projects, industry trends, environmental news, and insights into our work culture. It is a space where we engage with our followers, discuss ideas, and share useful resources: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ftd-solutions-inc/
Secondly, we are excited to announce that we are launching a new space on our official website soon. This will serve as a platform where we delve deeper into the topics that we are passionate about. We will share case studies, thought leadership articles, expert insights, and much more. It is an extension of our commitment to foster awareness and promote action towards environmental sustainability in the industrial sector. Readers can visit our website here: https://www.ftdsolutions.net/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Dr Slava Libman FTD Solutions Is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.