As a business owner for 22 years, Steve started out designing innovative ready-to-assemble furniture for service industries and later a successful consumer product line for a major retailer. During that time, he was awarded a patent and the Outstanding Entrepreneur award by the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.

Then, after receiving a challenge to attempt the invention of a humanitarian relief product, working within specific parameters, the Access 1.2 manual water pump was designed, along with an innovative manual borehole drilling approach that was soon to follow. Both designs share Steve's favored approach of merging ancient designs with modern materials and technology and are open source.

These efforts developed into operational overseas production facilities in Ghana and Ethiopia. His contributions went beyond physical tools to recommending strategies to promote self-sustaining utilities that positively and permanently impact those in need of potable water.

He is currently testing a breakthrough-design intermediate-depth irrigation pump that can fill a market void that will benefit smallholder farmers located over deeper groundwater. Models being tested include an affordable entry level engine-powered pump and an environmentally conscious solar-powered pump.