Javier Renna

MIT Water Innovation Prize

Co-Director

LinkedIn MIT Water Innovation Prize

Javier’s life has always been shaped by water. His love for the outdoors and his passion for action water sports have taught him since a young age how important it is to take care of our environment. He is originally from Argentina, and has also lived in Canada, the US, and Australia.

In his professional life, Javier has a background in finance and startups. He started his career in investment banking at JP Morgan, and after four years he decided to follow his passion by partnering with two friends to launch a startup called Mafia Bags (bags and backpacks made out of reused kitesurf and boat sails) in the US. Currently, Javier serves as the Director of Investments at a San Francisco based private equity firm focused on water, agriculture, and food.

He graduated with distinctions from McGill University (Montreal, Canada), receiving a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Entrepreneurship, and also holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. At MIT, Javier served as the Co-Director for the MIT Water Innovation Prize – a startup competition focused on water innovation that awards grants to student-led teams from across the world.