Brain Trust | Paulette Mitchell - Solar Well

​A Brain Trust is a 1-hour group brainstorming session where experts from the RIVET ecosystem provide feedback and advice on a challenge or initiative that a social innovator is working on.

​On a small island off the coast of Grenada, where freshwater access is limited and emergency aid doesnʼt always reach, Paulette Mitchell is leading an effort to bring clean water to communities often left behind. Her project, a solar-powered desalination device, is designed to provide sustainable access to drinking water for a vulnerable fishing community severely impacted by recent hurricanes and droughts.

​Over the past year, Paulette and her team have focused on research and development, using the RIVET Access Grant to purchase key components for the pilot. Once all materials arrive on the island, they will assemble and hand over the device to the community, with local fishermen overseeing its maintenance. The project responds to a deeper national challenge: Grenada experiences intense rainfall during the wet season but lacks proper storage infrastructure, leading to widespread water shortages during the dry season. Paulette sees her pilot not just as a local solution, but as a model for disaster response and climate resilience across the country.

​The long-term vision includes expanding the initiative to other at-risk communities and maintaining a backup unit at the Red Cross headquarters for use during emergencies. Paulette is committed to leading the project through implementation and beyond, and hopes to secure further funding to make the solution scalable and sustainable.