Daniel Flynn is the founder of Thankyou Water. In 2008, at the age of 19, Daniel discovered the alarming fact that while 900 million people around the world did not have access to safe drinking water, Australians spent $600 million on bottled water each year. As a result, Daniel founded Thankyou Water – a social enterprise that exists to empower Australians to fund safe water projects in developing nations through the sale of bottled water. 

Daniel harnessed the energy of a team of friends, who worked with him on the project while juggling university degrees and part-time jobs. Despite many setbacks, just five years later, Thankyou Water evolved into the Thankyou Group, expanding its product range to include food and body care products in order to fund food and hygiene projects. With its products now available in 4,000 outlets, including major supermarkets, to date Thankyou Group has contributed to more than 100 water projects across nine countries and has assisted over 60,000 people with safe water access. Daniel’s motto is “Impossibility is only someone’s opinion, not a fact”.

Today, in Australia, Thankyou Water has over 2,000 stockists, including vending machines, independent stockists, retail and corporate partners (such as BPH) and partnerships with Jetstar, 7-Eleven Australia and Australia Post. It took three years for the Thankyou Water team to sell their first million bottles. Last year they sold 5 million in one year.

Thankyou Water has so far contributed to 58 water projects in Cambodia, Uganda, Kenya, Myanmar and Sri Lanka and over 18,000 people now have access to safe water for the rest of their lives. This year without any increase in sales, they will fund 70,000 people.

An app has also been made available to purchasers where the unique code of a purchased bottle can be entered and provides the consumer with detailed information on the exact water project their purchase will fund. People receive information including GPS co-ordinates of the project, the current issues faced in the respective village and the exact water solution to be provided.

Daniel has a strong passion for entrepreneurship. Whilst volunteering full time for Thankyou Water, Daniel is also finishing his 4-year degree in project management at RMIT University and works a casual job on weekends and evenings selling mobile phones to support himself and his new wife Justine. Daniel was named state finalist for the Young Australian of the Year Awards in 2012.