Rick Shaw, CEO and Founder of Awareity, is the recipient of the Excellence in Prevention Award for his transformative contributions to proactive threat prevention and information sharing across the homeland security enterprise. Through the creation and national deployment of the Awareity Platform, Rick has built one of the most effective pre-incident prevention systems in the country—empowering schools, government agencies, and private organizations to identify and act on early warning signs before tragedy strikes.
For more than a decade, Rick has championed the need to close what he calls the “80% Gap”—the critical disconnect where warning signs exist but are not acted upon. His work has provided organizations with a secure, structured way to collect, connect, and share concerning information before it escalates into violence or crisis. This approach has not only saved lives but has reshaped how communities view prevention as a collective responsibility, not a reactive measure.
Rick’s leadership and innovation have turned Awareity into a vital national model for early intervention, helping thousands of professionals—from educators to law enforcement—to connect the dots before it’s too late. His commitment to proactive safety and collaboration truly embodies Excellence in Prevention and the mission of securing the homeland through awareness, innovation, and action.
