surfers. fearless adventurers. badass entrepreneurs.

What started as a surf retreat in Costa Rica has grown into a global community for women surfers seeking adventure, connection, and time outside. Meet the founders of AWA and the women creating unforgettable surf experiences around the world.

What do an Argentine free-spirited mama and a wild-hearted ex-NYC designer have in common? More than you’d think.

A shared pull toward a simpler life. More time outside. More connection—to nature, to each other.

Mona and Giulia met over a decade ago in Costa Rica. They adventured. They surfed. They survived the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Then, in the middle of a world shutting down, they built something new: A Week Awake (AWA).

Not exactly easy timing to start a new business. But it became their reset button—a way to bring women together when we needed it most.

What started as a surf retreat turned into something bigger. Now they host women in some of the best surf destinations around the world—Costa Rica, Mexico, the Philippines, Morocco. Together, they push boundaries, paddle out, slow down, and reconnect—with the ocean, with themselves, with each other.

And for the past three years, AWA has been part of the T9 all-women crew–our local producers who know the backroads, the breaks, the community. The woman making burritos for surfers. The woman who walks 2 hours each way to sell her handmade jewelry. And the board shaper Christie—running a surf shop and a yoga farm, who joined our crew.

Mona and Giulia don’t just bring women together they build spaces where women can take risks and find joy together. That’s something we can get behind.

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