King Crush Thursday - The Interviews

SEKOU CAMPBELL began his legal career at an American Law 100 firm founded in Philadelphia, representing commercial litigants in a range of disputes from copyright infringement to breaches of contract and related claims as well as entertainers who required sophisticated and diverse commercial transactions from diligence on film projects to renegotiation of complex record deals. Now, in addition to traditional artists, he represents intellectual creatives who explore the intersection of technology and traditional entertainment.

Aaron Graves—Musician/Composer/Arranger/Producer/Conductor  also learned to play various instruments including piano, bass, organ, and drums, in the church where his father, a great musician with a musical family, was pastor.

Aaron eventually moved to Washington, D.C. at the age of sixteen to play bass guitar with Richard Smallwood and attended The Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts. He later toured with other artists including Myrna Summers, The Voices Supreme, and Henry Davis, ALL BEFORE ENTERING COLLEGE, Howard University where he  received a Special Talent Scholarship.  After two years study he transferred to the University of the District of Columbia to study with Jazz Master Calvin Jones.  While studying at UDC Aaron auditioned for a National Endowment of the Arts grant, was accepted, and studied with Jazz Master Kenny Barron.  He has also studied with Jazz Masters Barry Harris and Stanley Cowell.  Following his studies, Aaron continued to perform, record and tour with musical royalty including,  Stanley Turrentine, Oscar Brown, Jr., Dakota Staton, Houston Person, Ernie Andrews, Marlena Shaw, Linda Hopkins, Cassandra Wilson, Antonio Hart, Greg Osby, Keter Betts, Bill Lee, Grady Tate, Kenny Burrell, Frank Foster, Grover Washington, Jr., Vanessa Rubin, Earl May, The Blackbyrds, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, The Boys Choir of Harlem, Jann Parker, Donald Byrd, James Moody, Kevin Mahogany, Barbara Montgomery, Jimmy Scott, Maysa, John Hendricks, Al Jarreau and others. To round out his portfolio, Aaron has also played on award winning TV and film scores, as well as musical theater and even a symphonic orchestra.

Kwasi Ampomah currently works in sales and project management for Team Clean Inc., a commercial cleaning company in Philadelphia that is minority and woman owned. Kwasi currently leads a division in biohazard and crime scene cleaning within this company. He is also a current graduate student at Brown University.

Philadelphian Greg Corbin is a son, brother, father and husband, as well as an educator, poet, storyteller, writer, healer, imagination activist, hip hop head and advocate of mental health. A Lincoln University grad with 20 years of experience in education, arts and human development, he strives to innovate and create strategies that amplify holistic community engagement. He is the founder of the award winning and nationally recognized Philly Youth Poetry Movement and cofounder of the Slam League, both transforming thousands of lives. An avid traveler and vegan who craves bacon from time to time, he works with schools as a professional development consultant and coach with a focus in human centered social justice, race, equity and cultural relative practices. He has been highlighted as a keynote speaker/presenter at conferences and festivals across the globe. As an accomplished artist he has shared stages with Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, The Roots, Mos Def, Common and others. He has also been featured on HBO, BET, CNN and Ted Talks. He believes the voices of all generations can unlock the lessons of the past and keys to a brighter future.

Austin Woodlin is a 30 year old husband, father, teacher and leader from Philadelphia, PA. As a full-time musician, he is very involved in the music industry as well as his local gospel music community. He currently serves as Minister of Music for Pentecostal Bridegroom Temple (Phila, PA), Music Director for the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church (Phila, PA), Music Director and Producer for Stellar Award Nominated recording artist Zak Williams & 1Akord, Composer and Producer for artists across the country, and Instrumental Teacher for AMW Music Studio. In 2011, Austin completed his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Pennsylvania in Music Theory/Composition with a minor in Computer Information Systems. During his time at the University, he also served as Director of the New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir in addition to working with other artists. 

Since the age of 2, Austin has learned to play piano, Hammond organ, pipe organ, drums, bass guitar, alto and tenor saxophones, electric guitar and trumpet. Austin knows how to play and teach these instruments skillfully, but most importantly, he has learned that these instruments have a purpose from God, and aims to serve Him and fulfill this purpose. In 2014, Austin was blessed to marry his beautiful bride, Shante. They have two children, Eden and Levi. His family inspires him to continue to carry out the calling God has on his life.

Elbert Sampson recently returned to Philadelphia, having lived in South Florida with his mate, Patricia, where he spent much of his time studying Spanish and learning to play the upright bass.  He retired 10 years ago as CEO of a Philadelphia Charter School. Subsequently, he worked for two years as the Director of Education for a nonprofit that provides services to immigrants.  He has had a busy professional life starting as an engineer; working in broadcasting as a lobbyist fort the industry and a manager of television and radio stations.  After earning a law degree, worked as corporate counsel for a major film studio before going into private practice.  He studied Mandarin in mainland China before forming a joint venture there and building a factory that manufactured wood products.  He lived in China for several years and returned to the US and worked for Merrill Lynch managing endowment funds.  He moved to Florida a year ago from Philadelphia but still maintains Board positions with several organizations there.  A major passion is his cruising sailboat which he has restored during the past decade.

 Lorne is an all around Creative. DJ and content creator, from his popular radio show MagzFM on 106.5FM in Philly to the eclectic Maggy’s Rooftop Aerial, Lorne is a naturally curious person who often makes connections that others miss. Take in his honesty and vulnerability and  desire to deflect the “light” from himself into others.

Virgil Sheppard currently serves as the President/CEO of Hope Partnership for Education. Hope Partnership for Education is a North Philadelphia independent middle school and education center that provides a high quality, values-based education that supports and challenges students from adolescence to adulthood. Prior to Hope, Virgil served as the senior national school partnerships director for City Year where he was responsible for developing a partnership strategy that maximized student and school outcomes. Virgil is a proud West Philadelphia native, a Graduate of Temple and Cheyney Universities. And Virgil is a Pahara Aspen Next-Gen Fellow.

Isaac Ewell Isaac has had a portfolio-career; he’s been a high school history teacher, curriculum designer, record executive, and corporate trainer, who, as an educational executive, invested millions of dollars in grant money from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to help create several high-quality schools in low-income communities all across the country.

Most recently, after recognizing common threads of community, style, and substance across each of the different worlds he’s occupied, Isaac designed, developed and deployed Onehunted, a start-up  tech company that uses experiential events, fresh editorial content, and an environmentally-conscious ecommerce platform, to build and sustain community -- and forge authentic (keep it Onehunted -100)  connections between people and products/brands. Onehunted empowers people to be smarter consumers to look good, do good, and feel good.  They recently launched HUNTRS.

HUNTRS is a peer-to-peer e-commerce platform that allows men to hunt for (browse), buy and sell gently-used menswear and other items.  HUNTRS seeks to redefine how men have traditionally shopped by creating a curated online consignment experience that connects a multidimensional tribe of men. The web app,    encourages style-conscious and aspirational men to be smarter and more sustainable consumers. 

Isaac is a graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard University, and he serves on the boards of Boys Latin Charter School of Philadelphia, Wissahickon Charter School, Jill Scott’s Blues Babe Foundation and Big Picture Learning.

Despite his many accomplishments, Isaac is most proud of his role as a dedicated husband and father.  Oh yeah, and he’s an avid hip hop head!

Russell A. Hicks is an active father, youth mentor and an award-winning social entrepreneur. He is a business owner and CEO of Ebony Suns Enterprises, LLC, a consulting company that provides business coaching, training and project management for schools, non-profit organizations and companies in the green economy that hire and invest in youth. He is originally from Chicago, and an alumni of Howard University School of Business in Washington DC, a U.S Professional Fellow and currently serves as a Board Chair of Partners of the Americas Pennsylvania Chapter that does international exchange with countries in Latin America. He is committed to economic development for people of color throughout the African Diaspora, and shows companies how to go green, make green and do good with their green.