Month: September 2022

NPower, one of the country’s largest nonprofits providing free tech training and job placement, has announced Gerald Charles Jr. has joined the Board of Directors.

Charles is currently a Vice President and Head of Product for Omni Customer Servicing at Capital One, as well as a McGraw-Hill published author and noted speaker. He has been a Regional Advisory Board member with NPower Maryland since 2017.

Charles has spent the last three decades as a C-Suite advisor building strategies and business models that create markets, generate revenue streams, improve customer experiences, and inspire corporate campuses of the future. During 10 years at Cisco Systems, he served as both an executive advisor and director of strategy, operations, and strategic customer engagement for their U.S. Public Sector.

The Chief Executive Officer of NPower, Bertina Ceccarelli, says Charles’s technology acumen and corporate experience will bring a valuable resource to the nonprofit, helping NPower scale and plan for growth.

“Gerald Charles has a passion for our community and philanthropy and has been an extraordinary leader on our Maryland Regional Advisory Board,” said Ceccarelli. “We are excited to welcome him to the national Board of Directors where he can share his knowledge and expertise with even more individuals across our footprint.”

Charles said his experience as a Black man who rose through the tech world brings a perspective, special empathy, and passion for helping young adults from underserved communities realize goals for themselves, their communities, and their companies.

“I have experienced and seen the obstacles people of color face in their pursuit of a career in technology and business, despite the research that shows the most innovative and profitable companies embed workforce diversity in their operations” Charles said. “My passions include bringing that diversity to technology and lifting young adults of color into positions of leadership.” 

Charles played a pivotal role in Under Armour’s rapid expansion and growth. As Vice President of Global Information Technology and co-CTO, he helped transform their technology infrastructure and Customer facing systems into an international enterprise. He led their “Secure Cloud First” strategy, moving operations into the cloud and accelerating their speed to market, a critical pillar in their global strategy.   This action plan supported Under Armour’s rapid growth in Asia, opening hundreds of stores in only two years, including an incredible 30 stores in 30 days.

“Gerald Charles brings valuable skills, executive reach and tech experience to the NPower national Board of Directors,” said Gail Fierstein, who is board secretary and heads the board nominating committee with NPower. “We are excited to add his diverse voice to our boardroom as we work to expand our organizations to help more communities.” 

Charles is a graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland, holding B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering, respectively. He has been a Board Member of the Executive Leadership Council in Washington, D.C. since 2019. 

About NPower

Over the past decade, NPower has expanded its program reach, and developed a robust network of Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized enterprises, government agencies, staffing firms, and a network of nonprofit partners that host its interns and hire its graduates full time. 

NPower is a national nonprofit on a mission to move people from poverty to the middle class by training youth from underserved communities and veterans in a range of tech skills and placing them in quality jobs. Students who enter their free, six-month program, earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an IT professional with one to two years of experience. NPower also places students in paid internships with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Eighty percent of NPower graduates get a full-time job or continue their education. Not only is NPower changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today’s limited pool of IT talent. To learn more about NPower, visit www.npower.org.

Media Contact:

Mark Macias

646-770-0541

mmm@maciaspr.com

Simone made the jump and changed her name from Late July to her given name Nicole Simone. “I think I’m just becoming myself after three years of being Late July and trying to hide all these pieces of who I am, I’m ready to coalesce with my music.” Simone has a busy fall with a steady stream of releases including a full six song EP entitled “Green Eyes”.

Simone describes the assortment of songs as “a collection of songs from a very frenetic time of my life” the EP was produced by up and coming producer Jessica Taylor. “I wanted to revise and put these all in one spot because they are all related, there’s similar themes, it’s very fun and dreamy.” On her name Simone notes “I’m first generation Sicilian and Simone is homage to being Italian, something I’ve always shied away from because of the stigma of being Sicilian and people not really believing I am actually Italian.” But the fiery songstress is anything but predictable these days.

The animated redhead who has amassed a large social media following since stepping onto the music scene in 2019, shows no signs of slowing down. “I’m just in a really good headspace with music, writing and producing. Figuring out what I’m like as an artist and how I work has been eye opening. I used to think I needed to do everything myself but working with the right people has helped me get my ideas out sonically in ways I’d never imagined”. Simone’s online presence has a devoted legion of fans who support her music and modelling career in almost a cult-like way.

Simone’s next song and the first single under her own name, “American”, was produced by Kyle McCammon (Lean) in Los Angeles. It’s a dark power synth pop anthem that is spooky while being tongue and cheek. The lyrics cry for salvation while the assortment of synths harken Kate Bush and Kavinsky drives the song in a suspenseful direction. “American is a dystopian love letter to LA. I love this city but it terrifies me on the daily.” You can catch Simone playing live shows and keep up with her creative adventures 

Listen on Spotify.

Eb&Flow is a rising rapper, producer, and animator whose upcoming track, ‘Rap Grifters’, is out 11/1 and will be available to stream on all major streaming platforms.

Having always had a natural affinity for music, the Cincinnati Ohio-born songwriter has honed his craft over the years to become the artist that he is today, cultivating a reputation as part of the Cincinnati underground rap scene.

Although he receives inspiration from a number of styles, Eb&Flow combines a variety of creative elements to form his unique and authentic sound that is focused on “bringing a left-wing perspective to a rap landscape that he feels is desperately lacking”.

Eb&Flow currently has four releases in his Spotify discography. One of his most popular tracks, ‘I.Would.Not.Go.To.War.For.America’, has already amassed more than seven thousand three hundred streams on Spotify alone. With a growing number of followers and listeners, there is no denying the fact that Eb&Flow is developing a dedicated following of loyal fans who will be eager to hear ‘Rap Grifters’.

‘Rap Grifters’ by Eb&Flow is out 11/1 and will be available to stream on all major streaming platforms! The release is Eb&Flow’s “first verse of a diss track aimed at rappers pushing conservative agendas in Hip Hop”. The second verse, which is based on someone who is yet to be disclosed, is set to drop soon with the full track on 11/1 along with the official music video. Verse 1 lasts around one minute, sits at 110 bpm, and was mixed/mastered by Cincinnati Hip Hop staple Devin Burgess.

“…the problem with certain rappers is they pay no attention or homage to the culture. It’s not about that for them. It’s about repeating talking points that will get them right-wing coverage. That’s why they’re grifters.” -Eb&Flow

The track commences almost instantly with the main vocal, setting the tone from the outset. Eb&Flow’s stylistic vocal color seamlessly synchronizes with the ominous vibe of the instrumentation. Subtle layered vocal elements add depth to the vocal line without detracting from the lyrical prominence.

The dark instrumentation combines with the rhythmic percussion to provide the perfect platform for the vocal. By the time ‘Rap Grifters Verse 1’ draws to a close, you’ll find yourself caught up in the hypnotic vibe, eager to hear the full track, and in need of hitting that repeat button for another listen.

From the smooth production and memorable instrumentation to the authentic vocal performance, fans of Eb&Flow, as well as those who appreciate new music, will definitely want to hear this release. Make sure you follow Eb&Flow on social media to keep up to date with upcoming releases and performances!