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 […]
PowerUP Fits in All Family Schedules Read More »
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 »
Meet some of our scholarship students as they share their experiences from this summer.
PowerUp Interviews End of Camp Read More »
TechBridge Blog Today we’re excited to kick off our brand new #StoriesofImpact series. Over the next few months we’ll bring you the inspiring stories of individuals whose lives have been touched by the important work that nonprofits do in our communities. Our first story is about Michael Gandy, a former “Little” at Big Brothers Big
Michael Gandy: What one man can do Read More »
Proud moment! Our first group of scholarship students at Power Up Martial Arts passed their Belt Test. Congratulations!
We’ve got 11 kids on scholarship – they’re learning respect, self-control, integrity and academics!
Charlie Yates filed the incorporation docs, and is working on the 501c3 designation. Kim Lambert is interviewing underprivileged kids at Garden Hills Elementary for the program. Dianne McAnallen is helping get the word out. Tom Avery agreed to join the board. Mike Gandy is working on the business plan.
Quick update on PowerUp 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.