Jerome Barnes

Director of Product musician, optimist and lifelong learner
Los 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.





Berto Ceballos

Product Manager bridge-builder, explorer and curious learner
San Francisco

Berto’s journey from economic researcher to multimedia studio founder to design engineer reflects his belief that the best products emerge from curiosity and creative experimentation. At VMware Tanzu Labs, he helped transform ideas into impactful products—from a COVID platform launched in a few weeks to ML tools optimizing solar energy.

Additionally, he has led creative campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, co-founded an EdTech startup that served over 25 universities (which was later acquired), and built ConciertoCable, a live-streaming platform connecting independent Latin American musicians with their audiences.

Berto excels at bridging cultures, disciplines, and ideas, whether he's leading workshops or shaping product strategy. A native Spanish speaker, he holds degrees from both Harvard and ITAM. Born in Mexico City and now living in San Francisco, Berto is a former semi-professional soccer player. He loves exploring AI creative tools and film photography in addition to hobbies such as fermenting hot sauces and kombucha


Cameron Herman

Content & Engagement Specialist
curious, 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.    


Laini Madhubuti

Communications StrategistBrooklyn

Laini Madhubuti is a creative communications strategist who believes in the power of art and storytelling to forge meaningful connections and shift the narratives that shape society. Born in Chicago, she was raised by and among creative writers, instilling in her the
transformative power of art on minds and communities —a perspective that continually shapes her work. She brings over 15 years of experience in journalism, program management, and marketing, with a focus on amplifying mission-driven work across public, nonprofit, and media sectors.

Laini has led national campaigns that celebrate cultural memory, amplify and center marginalized voices, and translate complex policy issues into human terms. She’s advised senior leaders and managed communications in high-stakes and crisis contexts, designing strategies that are both values-driven and impact-oriented.

Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity-centered storytelling, cultural integrity, and building narratives that move communities toward justice.



janera solomon

Founder & CEO writer, musician, and cultural strategist
Pittsburgh

janera solomon is an curator, writer, and cultural strategist whose work bridges creative practice and systems design. As founder & CEO of ARTPOWER, she leads a team developing tortoise, a digital financial tool that helps artists map and strengthen their creative practice, producing the ARTPOWER podcast, and creating events that explore the emotional, economic, and creative conditions shaping artists’ lives.

janera’s portfolio as a cultural strategist includes work with the Museum of the African Diaspora, Louis Armstrong House, Brooklyn Museum, Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, and the August Wilson Center for African American History & Culture. As executive director of Pittsburgh’s Kelly Strayhorn Theater, she led a decade of transformation—commissioning contemporary performance, launching interdisciplinary residencies, and pioneering community‑rooted cultural practices that strengthened trust, belonging, and creative infrastructure. Her curatorial and producing work spans collaborations with visual artists, independent spaces, museums, and performing arts centers, including projects with the Andy Warhol Museum and the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival.

janera has been recognized for her transformative leadership through fellowships with the Aspen Institute, National Arts Strategies, and PolicyLink, where she served as a cultural strategy fellow in 2020. she holds a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her creative work—essays, cultural criticism, and research into the emotional architecture of creative life—continues to inform her artistic practice and her approach to building systems that support artists and the communities they shape.


To connect with the ARTPOWER team, reach out to us at hello@artpower.io



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 Pagulayan, Director of Operations, 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
ENSO
Living Wage Institute
Varyer
Commonwealth
Rowhome Productions


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