Army veteran Shannon Lemanski wins global award

Army veteran Shannon Lemanski has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Global Sustainability Award at The King’s Trust Awards, becoming the first Australian to receive a global honour through the program. Last year, Shannon was the winner of 2 awards at the King’s Trust Australia Awards 2025. (See Vetaffairs, December 2025.) 

Shannon is the founder of Aqua Ubique, a social enterprise using atmospheric water generation technology to convert air into safe drinking water. During an Army deployment to Papua New Guinea, Shannon observed first-hand the impacts of unsafe water on local communities. Later, he saw sim­ilar issues in regional and remote Australia, inspiring him to look for a solution. 

Shannon participated in The King’s Trust Australia Enterprise Accelerator Programme, supported by DVA, which helps veterans to develop business skills and trans­late service experience into civilian careers. ‘The Enterprise Accelerator stood out because it offered exactly what I needed at that stage: a place to learn the ropes, build the fun­damentals and explore an idea with real purpose, surrounded by people who understood the reality of service and transi­tion,’ Shannon said. 

To find out more about the programme, visit www.kingstrust.org.au/start-a-business.