At Aquagga, our people drive innovation. Meet Mike Czerski, Senior Engineering Manager, whose leadership, hands-on approach, and commitment to iteration are helping shape the future of PFAS destruction technology. This month, we caught up with Mike to learn more about his path to Aquagga, his approach to engineering leadership, and what excites him most about the work ahead.
Q: Why did you decide to join Aquagga?
Mike: I joined Aquagga because I saw an opportunity to make a broader impact in my career by helping solve one of the most challenging water treatment problems.
Q: What were you doing before you joined, and how has your career changed since then?
Mike: Before Aquagga, I worked at a couple of early-stage startups in the consumer product space. Joining Aquagga gave me the chance to apply that startup experience to a new industry and learn a lot along the way. It has been particularly rewarding to take on more leadership responsibilities than I previously had.
Q: What’s a project or problem you’ve worked on that you’re really proud of?
Mike: One project I am very proud of is my contribution to our most recent Steed design refinement efforts. We efficiently and effectively addressed several challenges observed in our first few pilot demonstration projects. This resulted in a drastically improved design.
Q: What’s something people might misunderstand about your job?
Mike: I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of a lean and iterative approach to hard-tech development. While technical expertise is important, it will not get you very far if paired with the wrong approach. As an engineer, it is hard to let something fail if you have (or think you have) the solution. However, it is often better to build and test to your assumptions than design around them.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working at Aquagga?
Mike: I really enjoy working with our small and wonderful team here at Aquagga. While I focus on designing, building, and testing our PFAS destruction systems, everyone here is passionate about the work we do and the impact we can make on the world. People consistently go above and beyond, filling in gaps as needed and stepping outside of their areas of expertise.
Q: What are you excited about in the next year at Aquagga?
Mike: I am most excited about the longer-term projects we have coming up next year. Moving beyond short demonstration projects will allow us to further validate equipment function and reliability, getting us that much closer to repeatable and scalable operations.
Q: How do you like to unwind after a busy day?
Mike: My wife and I have a two year old son and a newborn daughter, so there is currently no unwinding after a busy day! All jokes aside, I enjoy spending time with my family and taking advantage of everything the Seattle-Tacoma area has to offer. We love going to parks, museums, and playgrounds in the city, and getting out of town for the occasional weekend hike or camping trip.
Mike’s dedication, hands-on leadership, and focus on design reflect Aquagga’s core values of professionalism, curiosity, and a commitment to creating positive impact for environmental and public health. As one of our most tenured team members, we greatly appreciate his contributions to the design, build, and refinement of our HALT PFAS destruction systems.
His approach exemplifies the collaborative spirit that drives Aquagga forward: a willingness to experiment, learn, and iterate, combined with a deep commitment to making a difference. Mike’s leadership not only advances our technology but also inspires the team around him to innovate, support one another, and continually push the boundaries of what’s possible.
We’re proud to have team members like Mike helping us turn complex challenges into actionable solutions, and we look forward to seeing the continued impact of his work in the year ahead!
