Jon Kaufman, who owned a San Francisco Peninsula marketing company, founded H2OpenDoors in 2011. Jon explained in his book A Long Walk on A Dry Road that he and his terminally ill sister were on a cruise ship that held a picnic on a tropical Island in the Caribbean. As they were departing from the island, Jon looked back and saw the villagers scavenging the remains of the party site.

He promised his since deceased sister that he would dedicate himself to helping those who were not fortunate enough to help themselves. He teamed up with Jack Barker of Innovative Water Technologies of Rocky Ford, Colorado. Jack has a successful career in water systems technology and has created and developed the  SunSpring water purification system. This system, after installation, changes lives by turning contaminated water sources into purified drinking water that is more than 99.99% bacteria free.

In 2022 Jon developed a second company, Global Water First, which is enabling water users in various selected locations around the world to turn purified water into a profit-making enterprise and enriching these very grateful communities.

In 2024 Jon handed over the reins of H2OpenDoors to Robert Marshall to continue his mission. “We owe Jon Kaufman tremendous credit for his courage and resourcefulness to create H2OpenDoors,” said President Rob Marshall. “Along with the creative genius of Jack Barker, there are now over 52 communities in 16 countries around the world who are enjoying purified water for the very first time.