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
Learning & Community Engagement Lead 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.
Maureen Deboo
Chief Financial Officerpianist, cultural consumer, and operations guru
London
Maureen brings more than twenty-five years of experience in the arts, philanthropy, event management, finance, and human resources to her work. After graduating with a music degree from Yale, Maureen spent several years in artist management in New York, working with up-and-coming young musicians at Young Concert Artists and established performers such as Itzhak Perlman, Murray Perahia, and Lang Lang at IMG Artists. She was the Executive Director of the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and Director of Administration at The Commonwealth Fund where she supervised internal operations, meetings, and events while earning a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a finance specialization at New York University. In the UK, Maureen has worked on projects for Bridge Arts Management, IMG Artists, and The Commonwealth Fund. She also managed the Lewes Chamber Music Festival for several seasons before transitioning to her current role as Trustee.
Cara Harvey
Managing Directorseeker, leader, mother
Los Angeles
Cara brings over 20 years of experience in technology, sports and entertainment to ARTPOWER. She joined Nike in 2019 as the Vice President of Global Sports Marketing where she held roles leading Business Affairs and Analytics, Asia-Pacific and Latin America Sports Marketing and Global Men's Sports Marketing. Prior to Nike, Cara was Head of Legal Affairs for Fox Entertainment and previously held roles at Reddit, Cartoon Network and Google. She graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in American Studies and earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Additionally, Cara serves on the board of directors for Goleadoras, a non-profit organization that empowers girls and young women worldwide through soccer. Residing in Los Angeles with her husband and children, Cara enjoys exploring area eateries and supporting their children in their athletic and artistic pursuits.
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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Reiko Yamamoto
Project Administrator
artist, logistics expert, maker and grower of things
Pittsburgh
artist, logistics expert, maker and grower of things
Pittsburgh
Born in LA and raised across Tokyo, Brussels, and Detroit, Reiko embodies the essence of a third culture kid, navigating between diverse cultures and languages with ease. With over two decades of experience in managing arts and media projects for global clients prior to joining ARTPOWER, she channels her resilience, adaptability and brings a spirit of adventure and exploration into every endeavor.
Reiko's passion for creativity knows no bounds. As the artist owner of a ceramic studio for over a decade, her bespoke tableware designs have graced national art institutions, retailers, and countless restaurants and cafes. While ceramics have been her main focus in the last decade, her creative energy extends far beyond it. A lifelong maker of things, Reiko finds joy in gardening, cooking, food preservation, fermentation, sewing, mending and general tinkering. She often jokes that in another life, she must have been a homesteader.
Reiko holds a BFA from the State University of New York at Alfred.
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