Craig Harwood -Founder
Craig has had career success in multiple arenas. First in real estate development where he worked with his family in NYC, Philadelphia and Boston on various projects including parking, residential and retail sites. His journey continued into producing award winning productions in theater and film, ultimately landing to writing and directing film and theater projects including Carmen Live or Dead in Australia, God Make Me Sexy in NYC, Anchovies, The 2521st Man and many other projects.
His philanthropy began with creating the first award winning float for GLAAD at the Gay Pride parade in NYC. He has sat on the boards of GLAAD, The Lantern Group, The Threshold Foundation and most recently, The Oneness Center where he is an active meditation student. Other projects he is currently working on include Radical Unity, where in partnership with the Mediators foundation, we are reaching out to the creative community in Georgia and Arizona on how we can reinvent how we participate in civic engagement that can bridge our polarized country and come together in new unexpected ways that can unite us rather than divide us.
AWE is his latest development he is currently creating with his husband Russell Johnson who he was fortunate enough to marry in a small ceremony in 2024 wearing flower hats on a roof top overlooking San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Russell Johnson -Founder
Russell is a business and marketing professional with more than thirty years of experience developing successful companies in the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia. A native of Cody, Wyoming and a graduate of Georgetown University. He is a multi-lingual entrepreneur and fundraiser. Russell brings his marketing and sales skills as well as his love and belief in the power of community to A.W.E.
Russell created a socially responsible recycling business in partnership with local artisans and their families which is still flourishing to this day. He has sat on the board of Western Hands in Cody that serves as a museum for western functional art as well as a mentorship program to ensure these artisans work lives on into the future. While living in Buenos Aires, he created a soup kitchen and nutritional program, “Ellos Tendran Futuro”, for children in his community feeding over 100 kids weekly.
“A.W.E. is a dream of a lifetime that I get to create a philanthropic endeavor with the love of my life. Together I am confident that we can create magic.”
Joan Briggs - Founding Consultant
Joan Briggs, Relationship Manager and Philanthropy Director at TROVE, has over 15 years working with individuals, families, and funder collaboratives on their philanthropic journeys. TROVE is committed to providing controls and peace of mind for individuals, freeing up their time and focus to envision the impact they want to have on their communities and the greater world. As a Certified 21/64 Advisor, she has built deep knowledge in the generative space with a focus on intergenerational facilitation and awareness. Joan was a founding team member of ReFED, where she focused on building a multi-disciplinary collaborative to fulfill the funders’ vision. Over the past year, she has worked with the Galvan Initiative and A.W.E. (Accept, Welcome, Embrace) to create the launch plan for Radical Unity. The missions of A.W.E. and Radical Unity are aligned with her personal purpose and practice.