This past weekend, I had the privilege of witnessing something truly extraordinary inside the O’Keefe Gymnasium at Georgia Tech. While the venue is typically reserved for volleyball, on Saturday, November 8th, it became the home of the second annual Tom Rawls Memorial Tournament, a display of discipline and heart that Georgia Tech Alumni Tom Rawls […]
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This summer, PowerUP Scholarship Fund celebrated a major milestone. Diana, age 17, and Ximena, age 16, became the first students in our program to earn black belts. After years of training at Warriors Forever Martial Arts with Sensei Guillermo Cesario, both young women reached this achievement through consistent hard work and dedication. It is especially
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It is with a heavy heart that I share the tragic news of the passing of Sensei Richard Trammell, one of PowerUP Scholarship Fund’s first instructors and an integral part of our journey since our founding in 2017. Richard was not just an instructor—he was a true partner in every aspect of our work, shaping
Remembering Sensei Richard Trammell: A Partner, Mentor, and Standard-Bearer Read More »
This past weekend, we held the first annual Tom Rawls Memorial PowerUP Tournament, a truly special event named in honor of our friend, mentor, and visionary Board Member, Tom Rawls. The event marks an important milestone for PowerUP, and the five things we’re most proud of are: We also raised over $150,000 to support our
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As I watch Carrie, Angelo, and Terrance prepare for their first tournament, I cannot help but be proud of three 10 year olds I barely know. Each of these students carries their own unique story, their own set of challenges, yet they stand here united by their unwavering determination. Since beginning their PowerUP Scholarships just
At PowerUP, we’re dedicated to nurturing versatile talents in our scholars, just like Michael, who exemplifies the art of juggling multiple passions while living with ADHD. Balancing soccer and martial arts, Michael’s dedication is truly commendable. Fueled by the values of respect instilled in martial arts, Michael tactfully refrains from showing off the physical karate
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Coming from a low income family of six, it has not been easy for Richie (11) and Sara (14) to find opportunities to partake in after school sports or activities. Thanks to PowerUP Scholarship Fund, they embarked on their first after-school adventure, a karate class under Sensei Richard Trammell, discovering discipline, self-defense, and enduring friendships.
Last week was the 2023 Atlanta Charity Clays, an annual clay shooting tournament generating substantial financial contributions for Atlanta area children’s charities. Since its inception in 1991, Atlanta Charity Clays has contributed over $4.6 million to Atlanta area nonprofits. For the second year in a row PowerUP was lucky enough to be one of the
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Last Saturday afternoon, 17 PowerUP scholars gathered at Plaza Las Americas in Lilburn, Georgia, to demonstrate their Taekwondo skills. This was organized by Warriors Forever Martial Arts, a studio that encourages discipline, respect, and perseverance lead by Taekwondo Master Guillermo Cesario. This demonstration comes one year after Warriors Forever Martial Arts and PowerUP began our
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At PowerUP Scholarship Fund our mission is to help disadvantaged and special needs kids thrive by teaching core values through high quality martial arts mentorship. Through martial arts training, PowerUP helps young people build the skills they need for success in life. Please follow along with me while I discuss how our three core pillars
Breaking Boards with PowerUP’s Core Pillars Read More »
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.
Mike is currently a consultant for The Boston Consulting Group (“BCG”). Prior to BCG, he spent several years on Wall Street with Bank of America Merrill Lynch focused on the insurance industry. 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. He is also a member of the Young Leaders Council with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. Mike holds a BA from Colgate University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mike is engaged to be married, lives in the Old Fourth Ward area of Atlanta, and enjoys training for marathons.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Over the past 20 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 60 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 middle-school aged son. He and enjoys martial arts training.
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.
Mike is currently a consultant for The Boston Consulting Group (“BCG”). Prior to BCG, he spent several years on Wall Street with Bank of America Merrill Lynch focused on the insurance industry. 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. He is also a member of the Young Leaders Council with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. Mike holds a BA from Colgate University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mike is engaged to be married, lives in the Old Fourth Ward area of Atlanta, and enjoys training for marathons.