The Founders & Partnership Story
RWave Sessions began as a collaboration between two longtime colleagues who had spent their careers on different sides of the same problem: how to create real understanding between leaders and the communities they serve. After years of navigating campaigns, organizations, and advocacy spaces that claimed to listen but rarely did, they decided to build something that would. The idea for R-Wave emerged from that shared frustration — and from the belief that truth deserves structure, not spin.
Shasta McManus
Co-Founder & Strategic Partner, R-Wave
Founder & President, Bandwidth Strategies, LLC
Shasta McManus is a strategist, innovator, and advocate with nearly two decades of experience leading political, civic, and organizational strategy. Known for her directness and her commitment to purpose-driven work, she has built a career designing systems that solve complex problems and strengthen community trust.
Shasta has managed federal campaigns, advised statewide initiatives, and led strategic development for civic and advocacy organizations across Arizona. As a co-founder of Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom, she helped establish one of the state’s most recognized movements for reproductive rights. At the University of Arizona College of Medicine, she designed and implemented a program that elevated the voices of people living with HIV to help public-health agencies and care providers respond more effectively to the communities they serve.
Today, she is the founder and president of Bandwidth Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm known for its intentional, equity-driven approach to engagement and organizational design.
Alejandro Chávez
Co-Founder & Strategic Partner, R-Wave
Alejandro Chávez is an organizer, strategist, and civic-engagement leader with more than two decades of experience designing and executing large-scale movements that build power through participation. Known for his authenticity and ability to connect vision to action, he has worked at every level of advocacy — from neighborhood organizing to national campaigns.
A grandson of labor and civil-rights leader César Chávez, Alejandro has carried that legacy forward while forging his own path in modern civic innovation. His leadership roles with MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, and the ACLU have shaped national programs that mobilized millions and expanded access to representation and justice.
Today, he advises campaigns and organizations nationwide, helping coalitions design engagement models that reflect the people they serve and achieve measurable, lasting impact.