OUR COMMUNITY 

Meet some of the individuals that make up our unique network of artists and business owners. 

Roderick Johnson has been studying Aikido for 20 years. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and the University of Pennsylvania, and his interest in martial arts developed early on in life. As a child, his interest was initially piqued while watching a lot of martial art movies, and evolved as he matured. As he began his practice with Aikido, he discovered that along with it came the benefits of not just evolving in his technique, but also evolving as a person, and staying active, fit, and healthy. Six years ago, Roderick’s teacher and the founder of the Aikikai of Philadelphia, Henry Smith Sensei, sadly passed away. It was at this point that Roderick became Chief Instructor, and took over the dojo.

 

Roderick and the Aikikai of Philadelphia joined the Sherman Mills community in 2018. He loves the artistic energy that flows within the complex, and values that everyone within the community is open, friendly, and like himself, extremely committed to their respective arts.

 

Classes at the Aikikai of Philadelphia are available to everyone, even as young as five years old. The training provided at the dojo is neither competitive nor aggressive, and is for personal growth, not competition. Learn more about Roderick and the dojo by visiting their website at http://aikikaiofphiladelphia.org/

Arielle is an award winning professional fine artist, whose work springs from a life long search for universal spiritual truths and a way of Being. She has her MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, has studied drawing and printmaking in France, and has traveled the world in her search for self-realization. Her journey has taken her through the realms of eastern thought and philosophy, meditation, quantum physics, yoga, and spiritual teachers. Her art is inspired by the energy she sees and feels, and her pieces reflect this energy in their bold colors, whimsical shapes, and intricate nuances. 

Arielle has been at Sherman Mills since 2003, where she creates her collections and showcases her pieces. Her award winning artwork has also been displayed at various institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as in many group exhibitions and private collections. She is often commissioned to do custom work, including portraits, where she paints not the physical form that we all see, but the colorful energy fields that she feels from within. 

Learn more about Arielle and her work at her website, www.arielleazeez.com

With a background and career in IT, Chris’s journey into the world of real estate started gradually. In the early 1990s, he purchased a few properties, and began dabbling in property management on the side. After starting a family of his own, he sold these properties and went back to focusing full time on IT, and became an IT independent contractor in 2006. After the recession hit in 2008, Chris decided to dive back into property management full force. He assembled a team of contractors to work specifically for him, and purchased a handful of properties. His company now manages 20 properties, as well as construction and maintenance for others.

Maoin Properties prides itself on providing superior service with outstanding communication. They consider themselves investors first, who are dedicated to do what’s best for the client. Chris has always been very goal oriented, and translates that into his company to get the best returns for his customers. In his own words, ‘High ethics and integrity are paramount, but also fostering innovation and practicality is a Maoin must.”

This past April, Maoin Properties joined the Sherman Mills community with a new warehouse space as the company grows, and the centralized location of the Mills is ideal for their operations. Chris is looking forward to continuing his expansion with a potential office space in our complex in the near future. 

Learn more about Maoin Properties by visiting their website at www.maoin.org

Since the age of 11, Daniel has been immersed in the world of music. He played in his high school jazz band before minoring in music and classical guitar in college, and later became a teacher at various music schools in the area. He always knew he wanted to have students of his own, and in 2010, he opened his own music teaching school. Now, at the Rawk U School of Music, he organizes rock band classes, and provides all types of services like instrument lessons, voice lessons, and workshops for students ages seven and up.

One of the aspects of teaching that Daniel is most passionate about is his love for relating ideas to people and seeing the ultimate “light bulb moment” go off in their head when they finally understand important concepts. He realized this was a different type of enjoyment than he got from just performing, and this is part of what drives him day in and day out when it comes to educating others. 

Daniel’s space at Sherman Mills includes a separate room which allows him to host his rock band lessons, while teaching student lessons in the same location. One of the things he appreciates most about being at the Mills is the community of all kinds of eclectic artists in the complex, and he values being surrounded by other like-minded, creative people. He also loves being able to bring his dog, Django, in to work with him every day, which is a great bonus as the Mills is a pet-friendly community.

The Rawk U School of Music is always accepting new students, and they also have gift certificates that are available year round. Learn more about the services Daniel provides by visiting his website at www.rawku.com and his Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/rawkuschoolofmusic/

Tree Top Quest is Philadelphia’s first aerial adventure park, and challenges its participants physically and mentally as they maneuver from tree to tree through obstacles and zip-lines. The park is located inside West Fairmount Park, so it’s easily accessible right from the city, and is also great for families, as they invite children as young as four to participate. There are over 60 obstacles and zip-lines, and have four different skill levels to challenge their participants.

Scott has been familiar with the outdoor recreational industry for most of his life, as his background includes physical activities like rock climbing and challenge courses. Once he discovered Tree Top Quest, it was a very natural transition for him to join the team. Tree Top Quest has two other parks in Atlanta as well. 

Scott has been managing the West Fairmount Park location from the team’s headquarters office in Sherman Mills since March 2019. Him and his team were drawn to its location because the laid back, comfortable nature of the complex fit what they were looking for in an office space and work culture. 

Learn more about Tree Top Quest and all that they have to offer by visiting their website at www.treetopquest.com/philly