“Born from love, loss, and a calling to change.”
We created what we wish had existed.
For our boys —
Alex and Jon.
A place where families find knowledge, connection, and support — before they need it urgently.
Meet Dawn & KimTwo mothers. Two losses.
One refusal to accept the gap.
Dawn Lohr and Kim Lesemann were led to this cause through profound loss and grief that changed everything for them. In their search for help, they encountered a system that was not designed to support families in those critical moments.
After losing their sons Jon and Alex to suicide, they faced the same painful truth. The support that might have made a difference was not there. The education, the early conversations, and the guidance on what to look for and what to do were missing when they were needed most.
BRAVE was created to bridge that gap. It is not a crisis service or a therapy program — but a space for prevention, connection, and community. It exists to help families stay one step ahead, so fewer families have to experience the loss Dawn and Kim have endured.
Everything BRAVE offers is rooted in their lived experience — the Brave Check-In, the Get Connected Program, family events, and future youth programs. Each initiative reflects what Kim and Dawn know families truly need.
“Families don’t just need resources — they need them when it matters most. The difference isn’t availability — it’s timing, access, and connection.”
Dawn Lohr & Kim Lesemann
The relationship between a parent and child is the most protective factor there is. Everything BRAVE does is designed to strengthen it.
Support that starts before crisis. Knowledge, language, and community built before they’re urgently needed. A plan reduces panic.
We meet families where they are — without judgement, without an agenda, and without pretending the path is always simple.
Meet Dawn & Kim
Two professionals, two mothers, one mission. Their lived experience is the foundation everything BRAVE is built on.
Dawn Lohr is the Co-Founder of BRAVE: The Alex & Jon Project and a passionate advocate for mental health, driven by love, loss, and purpose. After the heartbreaking loss of her son Jon Infante, Dawn transformed her grief into a calling — committed to ensuring that no other family has to face those darkest moments alone.
Dawn is the author of Love Beyond: A Mother’s Heart, A Son’s Courageous Battle, a deeply personal book that honors Jon’s life and shares his story with the world. With a community-builder’s heart and a professional background in banking and wealth management, Dawn shapes BRAVE’s vision and programs — focusing on meaningful connections and early intervention pathways for parents and young people before crisis occurs.
Kim Lesemann is an Occupational Therapy Practitioner and holistic practitioner with over 18 years of experience supporting individuals and families. Her work is rooted in compassion, practical tools, and a whole-person approach to mental health and well-being.
After losing her son Alex and navigating the mental health system alongside her son Justin, Kim co-founded BRAVE to create the kind of support she knew families needed — but couldn’t find. She is also the founder of Wide Awake Holistic Healing & Coaching, where she integrates occupational therapy with holistic approaches to support whole-person healing. Kim serves as a board member of NAMI, advocating for greater awareness, education, and access to support.
Committed. Credentialled. Community-rooted.
BRAVE is governed by a board of professionals who bring both expertise and lived experience to every decision the charity makes.
Peyton brings over five years of experience in event marketing and corporate event strategy. She is passionate about mentorship, creative execution, and building strong teams — and brings both heart and purpose to her role on the board.
Mandy is an Occupational Therapy Practitioner with over 11 years of experience supporting individuals in daily functioning and wellbeing. Her community work includes years as a PTA representative and school volunteer. She brings both professional depth and genuine warmth to the BRAVE mission.
The Brave Collective
Our founding strength — not a gap.
The Brave Collective is the professional and clinical backbone of Choose Brave. It is the group of qualified mental health professionals, educators, and specialists who ensure that every program we deliver is safe, evidence-informed, and credible — to families, to funders, and to the broader mental health community.
The Collective is not a rubber-stamp advisory panel. It is an active, working group that designs, supervises, and governs the clinical and program quality of everything Choose Brave does with children and young people. Without it, the youth programs cannot responsibly exist. With it, BRAVE becomes a model that schools, hospitals, funders, and families can trust entirely.
The Collective is currently being built. Founding members will be named here as partnerships are confirmed. If you are a mental health professional, educator, or clinician interested in contributing, we would love to hear from you.
Program design
All youth program content is developed in partnership with Collective members — not by the founders alone
Delivery oversight
Qualified professionals are present or supervising every youth program session
Safeguarding framework
The Collective owns the Red protocol — what happens when a young person discloses crisis
Referral network
Members provide warm referral pathways for Red-level situations and complex family needs
Credibility
Collective members lend their professional credentials to BRAVE — this is what opens doors to schools, hospitals, and funders
Start with the Brave Check-In.
Four minutes. A clear result. A direction for your family — and the community to walk it with you.