Forbes 30 under 30 Includes Water Entrepreneur

Forbes Magazine Recently Named President andChief Technology Officer of AquaSmart, to its 2015 "30 under 30" List — a Collection of Individuals Under the Age of 30 Deemed Most Likely to Change the World

Calder Hendrickson came to Lubbock with dreams of playing professional baseball.

Now, he's running a water technology company and has been named one of the country's top young entrepreneurs.

Overall, not a bad trade-off.

Forbes Magazine recently named Hendrickson, president and chief technology officer of Lubbock-based company AquaSmart, to its 2015 "30 under 30" list — a collection of individuals under the age of 30 deemed most likely to change the world.

"I definitely feel blessed with the opportunity to be nominated and selected to such a prestigious group," said Hendrickson, 29. "I'm definitely thrilled and at the same time know I'm definitely a black sheep regarding most of the kind of individuals that get accepted to that kind of group."

This year's "30 under 30" list includes household names such as actress Lena Dunham and professional athletes LeBron James and Maria Sharapova.

According to Forbes, the magazine compiles lists of 30 rising stars in 15 different categories, comprising a collection of 450 people total. Nominees can be recognized for their work in finance, law, marketing, entertainment and more.

"These founders and funders, brand builders and do-gooders aren't waiting around for a proper career bump up the establishment ladder. Their ambitions are way bigger — and perfectly suited to the dynamic, entrepreneurial and impatient digital world they grew up in," the magazine writes of those chosen for the distinction.

Hendrickson was selected for his work in energy.

His company, AquaSmart, manufactures absorbent polymer coatings for sand, fertilizer and seeds. The coatings trap water, reducing the amount lost to environmental factors such as evaporation and runoff.

The technology has applications in agriculture, landscaping, construction and oil and gas production, Hendrickson said.

Perhaps most importantly for the South Plains, the polymer coating increases the effectiveness of each droplet of water, leading to less water usage on the part of farmers, ranchers and homeowners.

"There's definitely an application for someone in Lubbock that could benefit from a greener lawn and use less water," Hendrickson said.

On a larger scale, the technology could lead to increased crop yields, allowing for more food to feed a growing population, he said.

Hendrickson first moved to Lubbock to play baseball at Lubbock Christian University. After an injury during his junior year, he gave up his dreams of going pro and completed a degree in youth and family ministry.

After meeting the original inventor of the polymer coating while playing golf at Lubbock Country Club, he saw an opportunity to market the technology.

Source: NewsOK

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