Page Peters, Founder of Rapid Radicals
About Rapid Radicals
Rapid Radicals is an innovative wastewater treatment company founded in 2016 by Paige Peters. Their innovative wastewater treatment technology combines rapid solids removal with a catalytically enhanced ozone process. Their solution reduces treatment time from eight hours to under 25 minutes, providing efficient, scalable solutions for municipal and industrial needs while promoting cleaner waterways and healthier communities.
About Paige Peters
Paige Peters earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Marquette University before returning to complete her Ph.D. in the same field, focusing on advanced wastewater treatment. Her research and expertise became the foundation for Rapid Radicals’ innovative technology, which addresses key environmental challenges in water treatment.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN OUR STATE? TELL US ABOUT THE ROAD THAT LED YOU TO WISCONSIN.
My family moved from Syracuse, New York, (where I was born) to Menomonee Falls when I was 4 (in 1992) after my dad accepted a job running the Alumni Memorial Union at Marquette University. It’s safe to say that Marquette has significantly influenced many phases of my life, from attending basketball games as a kid to speaking at my Ph.D. graduation ceremony in May 2023.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A WISCONSIN RESIDENT?
I love the seasons. I love the fact that we do all seasons so hard here: We spring hard, we fall hard, we winter (really) hard, and we summer exceptionally hard. Each change of season offers a chance for reflection and an opportunity to find both something new and something nostalgic. And I love the Santa Cycle Rampage!
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT RAPID RADICALS DOES AS AN INNOVATOR IN WATER TECHNOLOGY.
At Rapid Radicals Technology, we’re developing a rapid wastewater treatment system to address and adapt to the impacts of climate change on our aging, overburdened, and crucial wastewater infrastructure. Our vision is a world where wastewater problems are enthusiastically met with the solutions of tomorrow.
One trend that we’re seeing more often to address the nuances of wastewater treatment needs is decentralized treatment, compared to the centralized systems most towns and cities have (with sewer pipes running throughout to collect and convey water to a single treatment facility). Decentralized systems allow for more agile treatment in temporary situations or to serve smaller communities, and our containerized system meets that need. Additionally, there is a growing need for more advanced technologies to address contaminants of emerging concern in our water and wastewater systems. Our ozone-based advanced oxidation process provides the level of treatment needed to meet the requirements of future-proof wastewater treatment systems.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE WITH WEDC?
The first funding Rapid Radicals received was though a jointly funded program between Marquette and WEDC called the Enterprise Seed Fund/Capital Catalyst Program. Those funds enabled me to dedicate time to build the business and hire a contractor to help with commercial strategy. (Spoiler alert—that contractor eventually became our current CEO!) We’ve also greatly benefited from the WEDC-funded programs offered through the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC). I’m not sure where Rapid Radicals would be without the programming the CTC offered to prepare us for our first federal grant submission to the Small Business Innovation Research program through the National Science Foundation. Everything we learned from that initial programming has led to two additional successful grant proposals. Additionally, the funding through the CTC’s SBIR Advance program has helped cover key costs in business development that our other funding sources didn’t cover.
WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE WISCONSIN BUSINESS CLIMATE GOING FORWARD?
I’m excited to see greater interdisciplinary collaboration throughout the state on the big issues of today: water, climate, energy, manufacturing. The challenges we’re seeing around climate change affect many aspects of our daily life. I believe that Wisconsinites really do want what is best for their neighbors, which means we’ll have to come together to make measurable changes for a sustainable Wisconsin.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE IMPROVE IN THE WISCONSIN BUSINESS CLIMATE GOING FORWARD?
Midwesterners are conventionally risk-averse, but building businesses and pushing the bounds of innovation require risk. In the current business climate, most of that risk is taken on by startup founders and business owners. I would like to see the balance redistributed among all the parties involved— private funds, investment firms, state and local agencies, corporations, to name a few—in moving the state’s industries forward and staying competitive both domestically and globally.
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