Team - PowerUP Scholarship

Our Team

Mentorship Matters

Austin Scee

Co-Founder, Chairman

Private Equity – Big Brother x 2 – Board BBBS Metro Atlanta

Read Full Bio

Austin Scee

Over the past 30 years, Austin has split his time roughly evenly between running software companies in different operating roles and buying software companies. Austin founded Razorhorse Capital in 2012, and since that time has acquired or invested in over 100 companies with several different private equity sponsors. Austin has been a Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program twice and has served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta. Austin holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Austin lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and son.

Mike Gandy Auzenne

Co-founder, Board Director

Marketing Analytics – Little Brother – Big Brother x 2

Read Full Bio

Mike Gandy Auzenne

Mike is currently a senior director in strategic marketing at Buffalo Wild Wings, and Inspire Brands company. Previously, Mike was a consultant for The Boston Consulting Group (“BCG”), and an investment banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Mike was matched as a Little Brother by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta with Austin in 1997, and has been a Big Brother himself twice. Mike holds a BA from Colgate University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mike is married, and lives with his wife in the Old Fourth Ward area of Atlanta. He enjoys training for marathons.

Kristin Anderson

Board Director

Read Full Bio

Kristin Anderson

Kristin Anderson is an accomplished and well regarded professional in the world of fundraising and development. She has worked in the fields of higher education, non-profit, research, and foundation relations for over fifteen years. In her current position in Foundation Relations at Emory University, she focuses on strategic planning, campus-wide priorities, and multi-disciplinary projects at the University. In addition to her work at Emory, Kristin is also on the board of directors at Girls Rock Camp ATL.

Tom Avery

Board Director

Retired Investment Banker – Charter School Board Director

Read Full Bio

Tom Avery

Tom spent his career in investment banking and venture capital in Atlanta. He retired from Raymond James in 2016. In addition to PowerUP, Tom is on the board of KIPP Metro Atlanta (Knowledge is Power Program). KIPP is an open enrollment charter school dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. Tom earned a BS in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Tom is married with three grown children, and lives north of Atlanta. In addition to serving his community, Tom is enjoying traveling the globe with his wife.

Stéphan Donzé

Board Director

Software Entrepreneur – Karate Black Belt

Read Full Bio

Stéphan Donzé

Stéphan is a software entrepreneur with 20 years of experience, first with Exalead (founded in 2000 and acquired by Dassault Systèmes in 2010), and now as founder and CEO of AODocs, a new generation cloud document management platform. Born in France, Stéphan moved to California in 2009, before relocating to Atlanta in 2019. He has two passions in life, entrepreneurship and martial arts, and earned his karate black belt in 2018. His three children are all martial artists as well.

Dan Mahoney

Board Director

Read Full Bio

Dan Mahoney

Dan Mahoney, CFP, is Founder and President of True Square Financial located in Atlanta, GA.

Dan earned an A.B. in economics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He is also a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).

Tom Rawls

Board Director

Retired Attorney – Black Belt in Mixed Martial Arts

Read Full Bio

Tom Rawls

Tom spent his legal career in Atlanta focusing primarily in the areas of video entertainment, internet and cable TV law. He retired in 2015 after 30 years as in-house counsel for AT&T and Bellsouth. In addition to his work with PowerUP, Tom serves on the board of Tapestri, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to supporting immigrant victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. Tom also serves as an advisor to New American Pathways, Georgia Asylum & Immigration Network, and Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta. Tom earned a B.S. in Management from Georgia Tech and a J.D. from Emory School of Law. Tom is married with three grown children. He enjoys martial arts and is a black belt in Taekwando.

Patrick Taylor

Board Director

Read Full Bio

Patrick Taylor

Patrick Taylor is a Vice President at TechOperators. Throughout his career in software, he has held operational roles in most functional areas, ranging from founder and senior executive, to sales, marketing, product management, business development, and development manager.

In addition to serving on the board of PowerUP, Patrick serves on the board of Tugboat Logic, Basis Code, and Integrated Biometrics, as well as on the Board of Advisors at the Georgia Tech College of Computing. A graduate of Georgia Tech in Mechanical Engineering, Patrick also has an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Connor Cook

Executive Director

Read Full Bio

Connor Cook

For over a decade Connor has worked to spread messages, organize causes, and help make a positive impact in his community. Before coming to PowerUP, Connor worked for a variety of grassroots political campaigns and nonprofits as well as large institutions like Emory University and CCS Fundraising. Having grown up in combat sports himself, Connor understands the importance of the discipline martial arts can give a child. He takes great pride in helping kids find their own mentors to help them harness their skills and succeed. Connor holds a BA from the University of Alabama, and, when he is not helping organizations do good, he spends his off time coaching strength and conditioning classes.

Pradheep Padmanathan

Head of Operations Strategy & Operations

Read Full Bio

Pradheep Padmanathan

Strategy & Operations – Technology

Yulvi Reyes Solorio

Program Manager

Read Full Bio

Yulvi Reyes Solorio

Yulvi Reyes Solorio is a first-generation college graduate from the University of La Verne. She gained a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a minor in Educational Studies. Throughout her educational experience and community outreach projects, she found her passion for serving underrepresented youth throughout their education. She won the San Diego Chapter Princeton Prize in Race Relations in response to her efforts to serve the refugee community in Tijuana, MX. To this day she continues efforts in her communities to be of service to youth in disadvantaged communities.

Donesha Smith

Program Coordinator

Read Full Bio

Donesha Smith

Donesha brings over 25 years of dedicated experience working with youth and young adults. With 18 years of teaching experience both domestically and internationally, she has cultivated a deep passion for empowering students of all ages to reach their full potential.

Donesha proudly serves her country as an Army Instructor and OC/T in the US Army Reserves. She actively supports her community as a Girls Scout troop leader and an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Donesha holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Mercer University and a Master of Science from Walden University. Donesha resides outside of Atlanta with her daughter, with whom she shares a passion for traveling and exploring new cultures.

Scott Tasker

Instructor

Read Full Bio

Scott Tasker

Mr. Scott Tasker has over 28 years of experience in martial arts instruction. Mr. Tasker is a third degree black belt instructor, who earned his 2nd degree black belt in Seoul, Korea. Scott Tasker and his wife Jennifer began North Metro Martial Arts in 2013 to make a real difference in the lives of youth in the community. Mr. Tasker has the unique gift to relate to his students and provides support, through the traditions of martial arts, for them to become the best form of who they are meant to be; whether in sports, school, or as a member of their community. Students not only gain a sense of self-control, discipline and respect; they also develop pro-social and life skills through the variety of programs that are offered.

Richard Trammell

Sensei and Gym Owner

Karate Sensei

Read Full Bio

Richard Trammell

Richard Trammell is a world champion in Shidokan Karate and Kickboxing. He has won national and international titles in Kickboxing, Judo, and Tae Kwon Do. Richard started Trammell Fitness and Martial Arts in 1999 Shidokan Atlanta in 2001. Trammell Fitness and Martial Arts provides services in fitness and martial arts. Richard has promoted amateur boxing, kickboxing, karate, judo and professional MMA events. Richard is also the author of “How To Be A Champion”.

Joshua White

Sensei

National Judo Champion – NFC Welterweight MMA Champion

Read Full Bio

Joshua White

Joshua White is a multiple time national champion in Judo. He hold black belts in in Judo, Ju Jitsu, and Karate. He is the NFC Welterweight MMA Champion. He is a volunteer coach for Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta. He has coached kids in national and international championships for Judo and promotes annual youth tournaments.

Guillermo Cesario

Instructor

Read Full Bio

Guillermo Cesario

Bio coming soon!

Sponsor one of our kids today!

It costs $500 per year to sponsor a child in our program. Help us give someone a hand up!

Donate Now

Our Team

Mentorship Matters

Austin Scee

Co-Founder, ChairmanPrivate Equity – Big Brother x 2 – Board BBBS Metro Atlanta

Mike Gandy Auzenne

Co-founder, Board DirectorMarketing Analytics – Little Brother – Big Brother x 2

Kristin Anderson

Board Director

Tom Avery

Board DirectorRetired Investment Banker – Charter School Board Director

Stéphan Donzé

Board DirectorSoftware Entrepreneur – Karate Black Belt

Dan Mahoney

Board Director

Tom Rawls

Board DirectorRetired Attorney – Black Belt in Mixed Martial Arts

Patrick Taylor

Board Director

Connor Cook

Executive Director

Pradheep Padmanathan

Head of Operations Strategy & Operations

Yulvi Reyes Solorio

Program Manager

Donesha Smith

Program Coordinator

Scott Tasker

Instructor

Richard Trammell

Sensei and Gym Owner Karate Sensei

Joshua White

SenseiNational Judo Champion – NFC Welterweight MMA Champion

Guillermo Cesario

Instructor

Sponsor one of our kids today!

Mike Gandy Auzenne

Co-founder, Board Director

Mike Gandy Auzenne

Co-founder, Board Director

Pradheep Padmanathan

Head of Operations

Pradheep Padmanathan

Head of Operations

MIKE GANDY

Board Director

MIKE GANDY

Board Director

TREY LAMBERT

Sensei and Gym Owner

Donesha Smith

Program Manager

RICHARD TRAMMELL

Sensei and Gym Owner

RICHARD TRAMMELL

Sensei and Gym Owner

JOSHUA WHITE

Sensei

JOSHUA WHITE

Sensei

YALITZA FREYTES-RUIZ

Project Coordinator

YALITZA FREYTES-RUIZ

Project Coordinator

STÉPHAN DONZÉ

Board Director

STÉPHAN DONZÉ

Board Director

TOM RAWLS

Board Director

TOM RAWLS

Board Director

AUSTIN SCEE

Co-Founder, Chairman

AUSTIN SCEE

Co-Founder, Chairman

TOM AVERY

Board Director

TOM AVERY

Board Director

MIKE GANDY

Co-Founder, Chairman

Private Equity – Big Brother x 2 – Board BBBS Metro Atlanta

Co-founder, Board Director

Marketing Analytics – Little Brother – Big Brother x 2

Board Director

Retired Investment Banker – Charter School Board Director

Board Director

Software Entrepreneur – Karate Black Belt

Board Director

Retired Attorney – Black Belt in Mixed Martial Arts

Sensei and Gym Owner

Karate Sensei

Sensei

National Judo Champion – NFC Welterweight MMA Champion