Sameer Aurora
Strategic Advisor strategic doer, art and culture aficionado, world travelerBrooklyn
Sameer is a seasoned leader in the arts with deep expertise in strategic planning, business management, and operations. He leverages his experience from other industries, including wealth management and strategy consulting, for the benefit of arts organizations including galleries, art fairs, museums, non-profits, as well as individual artists.
His past experience includes serving as the CFO and COO of a premier art gallery in New York, consulting to a major art fair on audience development and operational efficiency, and participating in residency programs to coach artists on financial literacy and practice development. In his personal time, Sameer pursues his passion for the arts to mentor emerging artists and advises collectors on managing their collections.
Sameer earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia University in New York, and completed his undergraduate studies in liberal arts at Hampshire College in Massachusetts. He is the proud father of a wonderful daughter.
Jerome Barnes
Director of Product musician, optimist and lifelong learnerLos Angeles
Jerome brings 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector working to advance economic opportunity, wealth-building and financial security for financially vulnerable Americans. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Anthropology, and has done most of his work in Consumer Research, Innovation, and Project, Product, and Team Management. "I like listening to people's stories and using what I learn to try and help build and improve products and systems". Also a singer, songwriter, and producer, he splits his time in Los Angeles between social impact work and music.
Joey Edgar
Executive Assistant / Event Coordinator
organizer, connector, empath
Pittsburgh
organizer, connector, empath
Pittsburgh
Joey is a native Pittsburgher who works in hospitality and administration. He started a personal organizing business that emerged from a desire to help people in immediate ways. Operating from an anti-consumerist framework, the goal is to create a sanctuary at home and to keep things out of the landfill.
Trained in classical voice he has also acted with Kuntu Repertory Theater and The Glitterbox Theater. Joey has exhibited his photography work locally and internationally. A shared exhibition with photographer Fatoumata Diabate’ was held at the Centre de la Formation en Photographie (CFP) in Bamako, Mali.
Joey has a BA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from The University of Pittsburgh.
Michael Goldberg
Operations Manager mindful leader, collaborator, hospitality maverickPittsburgh
As an accomplished Operations Manager, Michael brings a wealth of experience in hospitality operations and strategic management. Since 2018 he has been consulting as BRAVE Hospitality, working with clients over the years as an Operations and Strategy Manager. Michael has honed his skills through various leadership roles, Director of Food and Director of Food and Beverage at The Ace Hotel PGH, General Manager at Soba Lounge and Concierge Manager at CIty Winery NYC. His diverse background also includes pivotal positions in catering sales and event production and talent management, enabling him to develop a multifaceted understanding of the industry.
Michael holds a BA in Theatre from Point Park University and has recently completed an MBA Certificate in Mindful Leadership through a partnership with Sounds True, LinkedIn, and MindfulNYU at New York University. His expertise spans strategy, operations, budget management, event strategy and relationship building, making him a valuable asset to any team.
Outside of work, Michael has a passion for taking in visual and performing arts, continually seeking inspiration and creativity both personally and professionally. With a commitment to excellence in every endeavor, he embraces each opportunity to elevate the customer experience and foster meaningful connections.
Cameron Herman
Content & Engagement Specialistcurious, thoughtful, photographer
Toronto
Cameron is a passionate advocate for community-driven research and the transformative power of the arts. He combines an academic background with hands-on experience to uplift diverse voices and foster meaningful change.
Cameron earned a B.A. in African American Studies from Georgia State University, an M.A. in Pan African Studies from the University of Louisville, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University. Before joining ARTPOWER, he spent several years in academia as a professor and researcher. He has worked in various community contexts, including youth programs, food justice coalitions, public housing, and arts organizations, using research to inform processes and support their goals. Through this work, Cameron has gained a deep understanding of how quality, community-informed data can enhance people’s everyday lives. He brings this insight and his passion for the arts to ARTPOWER.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in Georgia, Cameron currently lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his brilliant wife and precocious daughter, both artists in their own right. In his free time, you can find him riding his bicycle through Toronto's neighborhoods, exploring on photo walks, or enjoying one of the city's many coffee shops.
Sahil Najeeb
Product Managerproblem solver, photographer, tech evangelist
Chicago
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sahil has witnessed the transformative power of technology—its ability to connect people worldwide and solve problems as well as its challenges to privacy and mental health. This instilled in him a keen awareness of our relationship with technology, one that emphasizes conscious usage and enhancing well-being. Sahil is a firm believer in the principles of “free” software—valuing a culture of technology that embraces freedom in usage and transparency (“libre, not gratis”).
Sahil studied Business Administration at University of San Francisco where he also worked as a radio DJ for KUSF college radio. He earned a full-stack development certificate from University of California Berkeley launching his career in web development and product management. Prior to ARTPOWER, Sahil worked in digital media and publishing, merging his passions for art and technology. He is dedicated to crafting educational and transformative products, firmly rooted in a profound respect for the intrinsic value of every user and for the individual user experience.
janera solomon
Chief Executive Officer & Founderwriter, musician, and cultural strategist
Pittsburgh
Born in Georgetown, Guyana, janera draws inspiration from the music and dance, writers and artists of the African and Caribbean diaspora. She holds a BA from University of Pittsburgh and an MA in Writing (nonfiction) from Johns Hopkins University. Her cultural strategy projects with Lord Cultural Resources include the Museum of the African Diaspora, Louis Armstrong House, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Ministry of Tourism in Ontario, and August Wilson Center for African American History & Culture. For more than a decade, janera served as executive director of Kelly Strayhorn Theater, transforming the community center into a national producer and presenter of contemporary performance while still maintaining its role as a vital neighborhood cultural anchor.
Named by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of the “50 Most Powerful People in Pittsburgh,” janera serves on the board of trustees for Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, International Women’s Forum (Pittsburgh Chapter), and University of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. She is working on a forthcoming collection of essays and poems. In 2024, in collaboration with a team of colleagues, she launched ARTPOWER Inc, to transform personal financial management tools for independent artists.
Kristin Vermilya
Communications Manager
producer, documentarian, people person
Pittsburgh
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ARTPOWER is grateful to the following field advisors,
product advisors, and project partners for their
ongoing collaboration in our work.
FIELD ADVISORS
Kate Bowen, Lead Organizer, Chicago Arts Census and Executive Director, ACRE
Janelle Pagulaya, Operations Manager, Guilded Freelancer Cooperative
Shawn Rene-Graham, Deputy Director of Programs and Services, The Field
Adia Sykes, Lead Organizer, Chicago Arts Census
PRODUCT ADVISORS
Charles Duncan Jr., Senior Engineering Leader, Netflix
Mickey McManus, Senior Advisor and Leadership Coach, BCG
Woodrow W. Winchester III, Executive Director, Texas Engineering Executive Education, The University of Texas at Austin
PROJECT PARTNERS
Instrument
Commonwealth
Rowhome Productions
product advisors, and project partners for their
ongoing collaboration in our work.
FIELD ADVISORS
Kate Bowen, Lead Organizer, Chicago Arts Census and Executive Director, ACRE
Janelle Pagulaya, Operations Manager, Guilded Freelancer Cooperative
Shawn Rene-Graham, Deputy Director of Programs and Services, The Field
Adia Sykes, Lead Organizer, Chicago Arts Census
PRODUCT ADVISORS
Charles Duncan Jr., Senior Engineering Leader, Netflix
Mickey McManus, Senior Advisor and Leadership Coach, BCG
Woodrow W. Winchester III, Executive Director, Texas Engineering Executive Education, The University of Texas at Austin
PROJECT PARTNERS
Instrument
Commonwealth
Rowhome Productions