"Opportunities Don't Happen. You Create Them"
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​- CHRIS GROSSER

As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Artportunity Knocks is governed and advised by a group of senior level executives in various industries and backgrounds. This is done in order to have a well diverse perspective to produce change in the community.

Michael Stoots
Chairman of the Board

Michael has over 20 years of progressive controlling/financial management experience. 16 of those years in financial planning, analysis and strategic planning. Being a people oriented leader and problem solver with strong communication and relationship building skills, he has help mentor, develop and train analysts to assume the next roles and build a breadth of knowledge. 

Since coming on board Michael has shown his passion and loyalty to the mission of Artportunity Knocks while pushing the limits of financial strength of the organization.

Ayanna is an accomplished leader in Information Technology with over 14 years of experience. She is strategic-thinking and solution-oriented, thrives in leveraging technology to solve complex business problems and leading large enterprise-wide projects. Nurturing collaborative relationships across organizations is her secret sauce to success and driving performance, while cultivating a positive work environment.
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Since joining the board, Ayanna has shown her passion for technology and dogged focus to develop and build a strong foundation for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) strategic initiative for Artportunity Knocks.

Ayanna Overall
​Board Vice Chair

Chris A. Woods
​President

Chris has over 12 years of business and leadership development, training staff and senior level executives in the for profit and non-profit industry. His entrepreneurial spirit and coaching has put him in position to create careers, businesses, opportunities for others. This passion helped to form The Artrepreneurship Institute with a mission to provide a bridge for creative professionals to develop and acquire the tools necessary to foster entrepreneurship and social and economic change. 
 
He is a member of the Grammy Association and sits on the board for the education committee in the Atlanta Chapter.  ​

Ty Woods has been in the youth development & education industry for over 15 years. She has worked for agencies such as: The Jenesse Center, Family Resource, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Council, Boys and Girls Club, City of Covina, and the Cobb County School District. Her experience has led her to receive recognition from local government officials and national agencies for her work in youth leadership, nonprofit development and Arts/Music Education advocacy.
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Her education spans over a decade starting with an Associates in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Life University, where she graduated Valedictorian, and an MBA from Coles College of Business. Through her leadership, the organization's revenue has grown significantly, by over 300% in one year, and she continues to forge contacts that are beneficial to the organization. ​

Ty Woods
Past President

Naushad Shahzad
​Board Treasurer

Naushad is a highly effective leader, most notably in the alternative lending space for the better part of the last decade; leading successful teams and driving revenues. He has over 17 years of experience in Sales Management, Business Development, Financial Modelling, Operations Management, and Business Management. An advocate for the SMB market, he has successfully deployed over $200 Million in working capital to businesses across the country through technology enabled lending platforms.

As part of the start-up team at OnDeck Capital (NYSE: ONDK), Naushad originated over $80 million leading to a successful IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. He then headed business development at Merchants Capital Access through a merger with Reliant Funding, building out and growing the wholesale channel and creating a new sales vertical. Prior to the private finance industry, Naushad has held financial management positions leading product strategy, software development, and tech rollouts in the public sector during his tenure with the Legislature and Board of Elections in New York.
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​With his strong entrepreneurial background, he has created innovative products and scaled businesses at the franchise level as well as in the commercial printing space. Naushad’s diverse background has allowed him to maintain and build lasting relationships and build fluency in all aspects of the business cycle. 

Radar Live was founded in 2012 by visionary, music and sports entertainment mogul Melvin “Mel-Man” Breeden. Breeden, the CEO of Radar Live / Big Cat Records—well known for his production credits & Music Business acumen has launched many successful artists including, Foreign Jade, Eminem, Pretty Ricky, Country music star Kurt Thomas, Gospel Grammy winner Canton Jones, Love & Hip Hop's Rasheeda, FreeBandz, reggae Super Star Buju Banton and 1017 CEO, Gucci Mane. In 2010 Mr. Breeden acquired the Atlanta Semi-Pro Basketball team, the Marietta Storm, from the World Basketball Association. Elite players such as, Stefhon Hannah & other NBA stars, Cleveland Cavaliers Jamario Moon, a former Marietta Storm as well as LA Lakers Josh Powell, New Jersey Nets Kyle Davis, and former Atlanta Hawk, Anthony Grundy. The Marietta Storm aka "The Shooters"serves to further develop and expose talented basketball players to the NBA, the D-League as well as international scouts.
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Big Cat Records, birthed in 1998 as the south’s hottest, most watched Independent Record Label. Big Cat Records being one of the most influential Independent Record Labels in the south; who helped transform the Hip-hop industry with artist and music representing the Indi-music scene. Since Big Cat Records path-breaking release the world has taken notice to The Hottest Independent Label. Big Cat records has been a steadfast advocate for all Independent Labels, showing it can hold its own among major labels and remains relevant in the industry; Billboard Magazine named Big Cat Records as one of the “Top Hip Hop Labels of the Year”.

Melvin Breeden
​Board Member

Kori McMillion

Jared Branyon

Malika Ghosh Garrett

Ruddy Cordero