Elaine Gast Fawcett, Owner/Principal
I have been a writer and storyteller since I was a tyke in fifth grade. I interviewed anyone who was willing (thanks Mom!) and distributed a hand-drawn Xeroxed newsletter to my classmates. Back then, I was obsessed with what made people tick—and that remains the same today. Nothing fascinates me more than the choices people make, the passions they pursue, and the legacy they leave. Over the years, I’ve been honored (and humbled) to interview 1000+ entrepreneurs, leaders, philanthropists, and change makers—helping them tell their story, market their message, and move their mission forward. I’ve spent 20+ years working to strengthen the philanthropy and nonprofit fields, authoring more than a dozen books, and educating foundations, philanthropic families, and next-gen donors how to give away their money for the most impact, and navigate change within their boards or organizations. With a MS in Professional Writing, I’ve worked with everyone from national associations to local start-ups, high-net-worth individuals to shamanic healers, Tibetan monks to 1980s movie stars (okay, one 1980s movie star). As a lifetime learner, synchronizer, and communications thought leader, I’m committed to helping people share their most important story: the one that leads them to leave our world in a better place. I do my work in service to the communities, people, and projects that connect and lift us all.
More About Elaine
Lived in: Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland; previously lived 4 years in Maui and 16 years in the San Francisco Bay Area; currently Guilford, CT
Volunteer Work, Present and Past: Board chair, The Intuitive Writing Project for teen girls and non-binary youth; Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America; Walnut Creek Homeless Education Committee; National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers – Founding Member and Programs & Services Task Force, 2011-2015; Volunteer at an orphanage in Lhasa, Tibet; Art of Yoga Instructor to teen girls in juvenile detention; filmmaker and editor of Voices of the Earth documentary series; Board Member, Earth Medicine Alliance
Causes Close to My Heart: Clean water access and sustainability; violence against women; gun violence prevention; kids in nature; child literacy
Associates I’ve Engaged for Projects
Janelle Harris, Writer & Editor
A writer since she won a dollar bill in an elementary school newspaper contest, Janelle Harris uses her platform as a journalist, copywriter and editor to tell the stories of women, people of color and undervoiced communities. Her work has appeared in more than 50 publications, from Essence and Ebony to The Atlantic and Rolling Stone and she works with a legion of really cool clients as the mastermind of The Write or Die Chick, her boutique editorial services agency in Washington, DC. Janelle is a proud alumna of Lincoln University—the first historically Black college—and is slowly but surely finishing her master’s degree in African-American Studies at Temple University in Philly. She loves museums, cookies ‘n’ cream milkshakes and people with good manners.
Liz Stillwagon Swan, Ph.D., Writer & Editor
Liz Stillwaggon Swan is a writer, instructor, and writing consultant who has edited five books and been featured in a number of magazines including The Chronicle of Higher Education and Philosophy Today, as well as academic journals, such as The Journal of Mind and Behavior, Biology and Philosophy, and The International Journal of Machine Consciousness. Liz is an Instructor at the University of Colorado Boulder and currently writes the “College Confidential” blog for Psychology Today. She earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of South Carolina, where she specialized in cognitive science and worked on the question of how human consciousness emerged from the natural world. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, is a certified yoga instructor (see her anthology Yoga: Philosophy for Everyone) and is also a licensed real estate agent in the state of Colorado.
Virginia Tsai, Art Director, Graphic and Interactive Designer
Virginia Tsai is an exceptional art director, graphic and interactive designer with 10+ years of experience with high-profile clients such as Ubisoft, Apple, Hasbro Inc., National Geographic Society, Levi’s and Disney. She lends her branding and marketing experience to produce outstanding designed materials that capture attention and imagination. She authored and designed a book chronicling her family’s storied legacy in China.
Katherine Hoon, Graphic Designer
Katherine Hoon is a print designer, artist, and creative person with extensive experience designing magazines and instructional documents. She creates hand-lettered paper goods for San Francisco Bay Area weddings as the owner of Mountain View Calligraphy and continues to take classes to learn new calligraphy techniques. Katherine enjoys throwing ceramic mugs and bowls on the pottery wheel, and as a certified yoga teacher, she loves spending time in hot yoga rooms.