Samantha Ouyang is the 2022 inaugural winner of Ingenious+ for her project AeroPure. Ingenious+ is an innovation challenge that offers Canadian youth aged 14 to 18 an opportunity to innovate for good and share strategies for improving the world. It provides financial support, learning opportunities, and mentorship from leading Canadian innovators to help young innovators bring their ideas to life.
AeroPure is Samantha’s moonshot project that addresses one of the world’s most pressing issues, access to clean water. Her project uses 7 mm cellulose and alginate aerogel beads sourced from biowaste to remove 99% of chemical contaminants present in polluted water. The beads are biodegradable, can be reused 10-30 times with less than 1% decrease in absorption capacity, and provide a 77x cost reduction for the average person in Africa to obtain clean water.
Samantha’s project is an innovative solution to a critical global issue, and it is a testament to her passion for creating a better world. Her work has the potential to impact the lives of millions of people worldwide, especially in developing countries where access to clean water can be limited.
