Cataldo is an IU graduate and a visiting lecturer at IU-South Bend’s theater department. He was originally looking to be a designer for theater, but ended up starting his own water company instead. His company is based in Indiana.
IndigoH2O came from Cataldo’s own health problems — his red blood cells are smaller than average, and he said it’s like having mononucleosis all the time. There wasn’t much medical doctors could do for him.
“I went to some natural doctors and we looked at my mineral and vitamin intake, and at the heart of that we realized my body was really dehydrated as well,” Cataldo said. “I felt like my life was kind of given back to me because I had just been so exhausted all the time and I couldn’t really do much of anything.”
The idea to take that idea and turn it into a company came from Cataldo’s inability to find what he said was ?quality bottled water.
“When the economy took a huge drop in 2008, all my jobs dried up,” Cataldo said. “I decided I wanted to start a company, and at the time I spent a lot of time researching bottled water.”
IndigoH2O water is infused with calcium and minerals that most people don’t get enough of in their daily diet. The water is bottled in glass, protecting it from the chemicals in plastic.
The company has won numerous awards and, most recently, won the 25th annual Berkley Springs International Water Tasting competition.
“It is the largest water tasting in the world and over 100 bottles were entered,” Castaldo said. “In 2013 we won the bronze, 2014 the silver and now in 2015 we won gold.”
Aside from winning awards, IndigoH2O has been handed out at numerous celebrity events such as the MTV Video Music Awards, the Emmys, the Golden Globes and now the Oscars.
“Knowing it’s going to be in the hands of celebrities is a humbling experience,” ?Cataldo said.
Cataldo got the opportunity to have his water given out at these events in 2012, the same year his company started. He met with someone from the company who coordinates the gift bags and he said he made a good impression on them, which led to them asking to give his water out at the Oscars.
“We had a quick turnaround and I had to help package the bottles,” Cataldo said. “So, it was very surreal to know that the packages I had touched were going straight to Burbank.”
