Ria Agarwal

Ria Agarwal joined the Water Foundation as an Officer for Water Table, a national philanthropic collaborative, in November 2024. In her role, she works closely with the Water Table team to foster collaboration among members and across the field, supporting the Table’s mission to advance effective, innovative, and lasting water solutions for people and nature. Her work focuses on funder engagement and coordinating collaborative efforts, while supporting strategy development in service of shared priorities. Before joining the Water Foundation, Ria was the Senior Program Associate for the Land Conservation and Water Programs at the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, a Texas-based family foundation focused on sustainability. There, she contributed to strategy, grants management, and relationship development across programmatic priorities. Through the foundation’s membership in affinity groups and collaboratives like Water Table, she partnered with funders and field partners across Texas and nationally to advance shared water and conservation goals. 

Ria’s professional experience spans multiple sectors. She has worked for a Texas-based environmental nonprofit, taught English abroad in Spain and Peru, and managed a local restaurant in her hometown of Austin. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Environmental Science and Policy from St. Edward’s University and an associate’s degree in Sociology.  

Ria lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and their dog, Zooch. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, reading, practicing yoga, and spending time outdoors, preferably near a body of water.