Who are you & what are you building?
I am Leni Peterson R. (MS/MBA 2023), CEO and cofounder of Celeste. My background is in Mechanical Engineering and Human Centered Design, product leadership, and innovation consulting.
I am originally from Mexico City, the largest metropolis in North America with a population of 23 million people. The city simultaneously has every possible water issue including scarcity, flooding, sinking, poor quality, and unequal access. It is here I realized how water touches every aspect of our lives, and how we often fail to appreciate its value until it's gone.
Without water, companies cannot operate. Water is not only a key indicator of climate change, but also a major factor behind supply chain disruptions. Poor water access can exacerbate health and political crises through flooding, scarcity, and fires. Given the macro nature of water crises, individualized strategies are insufficient for managing operational, regulatory, and reputational risks. Collaboration is key to tackling these challenges effectively.
Celeste, through watershed project development, is poised to address the $400 billion water risk and management opportunity. Our goal is to streamline and scale engagement with at-risk suppliers, industry peers, and key stakeholders to stabilize supply chains and enhance water stewardship.
What inspired you to start a company, what resources did you need, and what fears did you face in the process?
From an early age, I was inspired by simple products like the Hippo Roller (a device used to carry drinking water) and insecticidal nets, realizing their potential to significantly improve communities. This revelation shaped my guiding principle: to use design and engineering to solve complex social and environmental issues.
During my time at Mawa Modular – a startup designing modular shelters for refugees in Jordan – I discovered that innovative business models can be as impactful as product design. This experience solidified my desire to join a program that would equip me with the technical skills and business acumen to start my own impact venture. The MS/MBA at Harvard was the perfect fit.
My biggest worries about starting my own venture were, “What if I fail?”, “Where do I even begin?” and “Is entrepreneurship right for me?” For the first question, I have redefined success with every milestone by starting my own company. No job teaches you as much as being your own boss and making tough decisions daily. Even if my company does not achieve the impact I envision, I still gained invaluable experience. So truly, there is no failure in trying. To answer the question “Where do I start?” I recommend finding a problem you can become obsessed with rather than just an idea you thought of in a vacuum. Understanding the problem deeply is the hardest part, but once you do, the idea will come naturally. The world is full of problems, so make a list of profound issues or pain points you have either heard or faced directly. Focus on problems you are genuinely interested in.
If you do not know if entrepreneurship is right for you, think about two things:
1. It is hard but fun. The day to day is not glamorous, but there is nothing quite like it. However, not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur.
2. You will not know if it is right until you try it. You need to start to get a sense if you like the autonomy, chaos, impact, and sheer feeling of building something from nothing, and the vivid, heart-pumping, and mind-blowing journey of ups and downs.
How did the MS/MBA help you build your company?
I knew of product design engineering before coming to Harvard, but it was not until I started the program that I understood how to design a tech company, incentivize people to care and work as a team, and align different plans (financial, engineering, and hiring). The classes that are part of the MS/MBA, such as the Technology Venture Immersion and Launch Lab I/II, guided me to achieve the proper mindset to start my own company. As I saw others fearlessly jump into their own ideas, I realized I really needed three key things to start a company: high levels of optimism in my idea, a dauntless ability to learn new things, and an unapologetic capability to ask for what you need – even if it makes you uncomfortable. The MS/MBA created a perfect environment to test these out in a safe and risk-mitigated way.
How has the MS/MBA program empowered you as a woman in the start-up space?
The MS/MBA program made entrepreneurship approachable. I came in with this dream, but when I started the program, I realized that it was not far-fetched. It gave me the tools to start. It surrounded me with women and men that were equal parts kind and smart, who knew they could solve a big problem through entrepreneurship. With a community to lean on, a head full of plans, and the learnings to achieve them, there was no way I would not take the jump. And here we are today.