John Bwarie

What you need to know about John:

John Bwarie, founder and CEO of Stratiscope, is legendary for activating communities across the country, as well as educating leaders and organizations in his proprietary, ground-breaking approach to creating a community brand profile. John founded and directs the Community Brand Accelerator, an elite academy for high profile and up-and-coming change-makers seeking to expand their influence and build communities. As he says, “Without community, you are nothing.”

John advises national brands and regional entities on proven, successful community engagement and activation strategies, including Live Nation, American AgCredit, Lucky’s Market, Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles Philharmonic), and AARP. He provides organizational leadership training and team-building facilitation for companies including Disney, Apple, Wells Fargo, and Kaiser Permanente and major institutions including Caltech, City of Los Angeles, LA Metro, Southern California Assn. of Governments, Pepperdine, and University of Southern California.

Using his proprietary research methodology Groundtruthing™, John designs and directs community-based research projects for positive community engagement with cities, brands, developers, and chambers of commerce. He also developed the Community Intelligence Officer (ComIO) training and certification program.

He co-created the Great ShakeOut and California Clean Air Day, which are community engagement campaigns with millions of participants and impressions. He founded the City Impact Lab in Los Angeles and serves as executive Director of the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments, working on transportation planning and regional coordination.

As the co-founder and deputy director of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society, John coordinates with every media outlet in SoCal, as well as national and international news outlets and social media, to advance science and community resilience.

From 2018 to 2020, John was invited to serve on the Wells Fargo Community Advisory Board for Los Angeles — one of only a handful of such boards across the country. He has worked for four Los Angeles City elected officials, primarily focused on economic and community development.

John is the host of Community Intelligence, a podcast featuring thought leaders and trailblazers working in and with a variety of communities. He also curates and leads cultural immersion and food tours of Los Angeles neighborhoods.

In every sector, John works to connect people and solve problems, focusing on actionable outcomes. When asked to reflect on his work, John says: “My role is to help you captivate and activate the communities you need to support your goals.”

What people say about John:

“Working with John Bwarie took me from ‘reluctant responder’ to a high-profile influencer on the issues that matter to me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without John.”
– Dr. Lucy Jones

“At a critical juncture in my career, as I stood at a crossroads that would take me in a new direction, John helped me to focus on how to communicate my passion and my ideas for a better way forward in addressing mental illness in America. He has the ability to tease out the greater meaning and potential in your work and that provides a platform for confidence.”
– Kerry Morrison, HeartForwardLA

“John can be trusted to deliver useful information in a way that motivates those who attend to take action.”
-Danielle Brazell, General Manager, LA City Department of Cultural Affairs

Expertise:

— Translation: I speak policy, science, and community.
— Convening: I know the right people to bring together and how to get an outcome.
— Strategic Engagement: Connecting people with the right solutions isn’t taken lightly.
— Idea Manifestation: Anyone can come up with an idea. I generate ideas and the plans to implement them.

Philosophy on Connecting People:

“Breaking bread makes the difference.”