ROBERT RANDOLPH FOUNDATION TEAM
ROBERT RANDOLPH
FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN
A world-renowned and celebrated African American artist, Robert has been making a name for himself since he was old enough to pick up his first pedal steel guitar in the House of God Church in his native New Jersey.
Robert frequently performed with his family, giving him an innate comfortability with the stage, which kickstarted his professional career. NPR pegs him as having “irresistible rock ‘n’ roll swagger,” and he has also been named one of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. Robert Randolph and his Family Band are six-time Grammy nominees and currently sit atop six studio albums.
Robert has a long demonstrated history of community involvement and driving meaningful social change. He utilizes his passion for humanity and his diverse talents to bring people of all backgrounds together to create empowered communities that allow everyone to live their best lives.
These passions inspired him to found the Robert Randolph Foundation, focused on creating platforms for youth to gain knowledge that can transform their lives regardless of their cultural, social, or racial backgrounds and bring people of diverse backgrounds together to drive sustainable actionable outcomes and brighter futures.
SONYA MARIE
VICE CHAIRWOMAN
A C-Suite leader, vested in purposeful work that provides innovative approaches to business and partnership development. When she’s not rock-n-rolling at more than 100 live performances a year, Sonya cultivates relationships and builds strategic partnerships that lead to establishing contracts across North America for Fortune 500 company, W. W. Grainger Inc.
Growing up a natural-born music advocate with a philanthropist mindset, Sonya has always enjoyed helping others succeed in life, which is how she became a catalyst to become involved with community organizations that focus on taking a grassroots approach to uniting people.
Recently receiving her third degree in Music Business Law from Berklee, Sonya takes pride in bringing her corporate lens experiences to the music industry. She collaborates with artists focused on rethinking approaches and unearthing innovative-offbeat contributed revenue streams for them and their aligned charitable organizations.
Sonya believes that music is a common thread woven within our communities' fabric that unites us. With that in mind, Sonya uses her diverse playlist to transform communities and society as a whole through her participation and contributions with organizations such as; ArtsQuest Foundation Board of Trustees, National Black Musicians Coalition, Musikfest, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, VetsAid, and Global Groove for Peace.
GERARD MITCHELL
TREASURER
Gerard has over 25 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur in both the entertainment and technology industries, from live music venues to festival promotion, operations, and international business consulting, and global content distribution and publishing.
He is currently the founder of consulting firm Concerted Consultants, specializing in consulting technology companies in the entertainment space. Gerard has operated and scaled Lyte.com, a Silicon Valley software firm, in the event ticketing space. Continuing in his roots as an entrepreneur, Gerard has recently founded new media entertainment company Victor Media Group and co-founding film and tv streaming company Vault Access Media Group.
Before the technology industry ventures, Gerard promoted over 10,000 live music events featuring national and international recording artists as a partner in Orlando-based concert promoter Foundation Presents.
Rounding out his entertainment experience was Gerard’s partnership in Eighth Dimension Entertainment, a music publisher and music services company. Eighth Dimension handled administrative rights for small labels and individual artists and shopping artists for synchronization rights worldwide.
On the philanthropic side, Gerard is currently a member of the board of trustees for the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park and serves as the chairman of its marketing committee. Rounding out his community service, Gerard served as a member of the standards and allocations committee of Central Florida-based United Arts and a member of the Advisory board of Florida based NPR station WMFE.
RUSSELL L. JOHNSON
SECRETARY
Russell is the Co-Founder & Co-Owner of the Purpose Music Group (PMG) and an astute entrepreneur and proven leader in the entertainment industry. He has a demonstrated ability to identify, package, produce and distribute high-quality content.
Russell has successfully developed and consulted with several Grammy Award Winning musicians, producers, and songwriters careers. He brings over two decades of music licensing experience, with expertise in advertising, film, and television synchronization licenses. Russel prides himself in offering his diverse set of skills and experiences to ensure that each project undertaken reaches its utmost potential and ultimately drives profits.
In 2011 Russell negotiated PMG’s expansion into music and film distribution through the launch of NIA Distribution, a joint venture between PMG and eOne. Utilizing his vast international relationships, Russell expanded NIA/eOne’s global sales reach throughout Europe, Asia, Africa
& South America.
Russell’s expanded focus in Film and Television includes a partnership with Swirl Films and Comedy Collaborate Productions. Comedy Collaborate is an eOne distributed company that produces stand-up Comedy Specials. Russell recently Executive Produced Lil Duval’s “Living My Best Life” Comedy T.V. Special (UMC/A&E). He also contributed as a co-producer on the soon to be released HBO Max, feature film “The Killing Of Kenneth Chamberlain,” Directed by David Midell and Executive Produced by Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary.
Russell leverages his relationships and expertise in music, film, and culture, leading to brokering strategic partnerships between entertainers and prominent brands. Some of those brands include organizations such as; Intel, Pandora, Google, HBO, NBC, FOX, A&E, BET, Ford, Nissan, Whole Foods, Sprite, Smirnoff, Guitar Center & Rolling Stone Magazine.
TADAR MUHAMMAD
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tadar is the Senior Vice President of Workforce Development for the Home Builders Institute, a non-profit organization that provides training, curriculum development, and job placement services for the building industry.
In his current role, Tadar is responsible for HBI’s Workforce Training & Employment Department's operation. He is responsible nationally for oversight of all workforce development initiatives of secondary and post-secondary students, justice-involved youth and adults, veterans and transitioning military, and more.
Over the past 25 years, Tadar has worked in human services, youth development, and workforce development to develop partnerships that help individuals learn career-translating skills. Having participated as a featured speaker at several local and national workforce development conferences, he serves on numerous boards and councils to include a Gubernatorial Appointment to the Board of Directors for the Prison Rehabilitative Industries & Diversified Enterprises in Florida, Board Chair for Sunshine Charter High Schools in Orlando, Florida, Board of Directors for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Foundation, Board of Directors for the Florida Endowment Foundation for Florida’s Graduates and Orange County’s Citizens’ Commission for Children Advisory Board.
A native Chicagoan, Muhammad moved to Orlando in 1983. After receiving a scholarship to Valencia College and a Warner University Organizational Management B.A., he earned his Executive MBA from Rollins College's Crummer Graduate School of Business. In addition to his noted degrees, Tadar has completed performance and public speaking-relevant B.A.-level training/coursework in Broadcast Journalism while studying at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University