Chad Pregracke
Chad Pregracke is a CNN Hero and founder of Living Lands & Waters, leading one of the largest grassroots river cleanups in American history. From the Mississippi to waterways nationwide, he mobilizes volunteers, restores ecosystems, and proves how one determined individual can spark lasting environmental change through action, grit, and hope.
Environmental Hero
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Entrepreneur
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Visionary
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Environmental Hero • Entrepreneur • Visionary •
More about Chad
Chad grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River. For his first job, he swam along its bottom, searching in the dark for mussels. He didn’t like what he discovered, trash and generations of discarded treasure. At the age of 17, Chad started making calls to government agencies to notify them of the problem. Year after year passed by and the problem only worsened. In 1997, Chad decided that if no one else was going to clean up the river, he would.
In 1998 at the age of 23 with one boat, Chad founded Living Lands & Waters. Today, the nonprofit organization has grown to include a full staff, a fleet of barges, excavator, two towboats, six workboats, and ground vehicles. The crew with the help of more than 136,000 volunteers remove more than 13.9 million pounds of garbage a year from nine states along the Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio Rivers
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When Chad learned that 43% of all slow-growing hardwood trees were cut down for single use wood pallets, he and his wife Tammy created Green Current Solutions, which makes 100% recycled plastic pallets utilizing a portion of the plastics removed from the rivers and other sources.
In 2002, Chad accepted the Jefferson Award for Public Service at the United States Supreme Court alongside co-recipients Bill and Melinda Gates. When he received the 2011 Points of Light Award, all four living US Presidents honored him with a standing ovation. National Geographic published his book, From the Bottom Up: One Man’s Crusade to Save America’s Rivers. In 2013, Chad was named CNN’s Hero of the Year and, in 2024, he received the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award, an interfaith award overseen by the Catholic Diocese of Davenport, Iowa.
Speaking Topics
Leadership
Resilience
Team Dynamics
Conservation
Innovation
Overcoming Obstacles
Nature
Watch Chad in action
Presentations
From the Bottom Up
A child of the Mississippi River, Chad Pregracke founded Living Lands & Waters at 23 with a single boat to protect the river he loved. Now a CNN Hero with a full fleet and staff, he shares how building strong teams in tough environments boosts morale, retention, results—and keeps rivers safe and clean for future generations.
“Teamwork is what it’s all about. That’s what gets stuff done.”
– Chad Pregracke