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

Roderick Johnson | Aikikai of Philadelphia

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/

Stacey Thomas | The Philadelphia Wedding Chapel

Stacey Thomas, the owner of The Philadelphia Wedding Chapel, established in 2013, is an award winning licensed wedding officiant. She has personally performed over 2,500 weddings and has over 15 years in the wedding industry. She understands the excitement and anxiety a couple feels about this very important day in their lives. 

“I always tell my couples that no matter how big or small your wedding is, whether there are two guests, 20, or 200, it’s still your wedding day and it needs to be perfect. I want to create a beautiful, lasting memory for everyone. I don’t just want to marry you… I want to create an experience for you, and hopefully your guests as well. I love waking up every day knowing I am going to make someone’s day extra special. It is an absolute joy, honor and privilege.”

The Philadelphia Wedding Chapel offers a variety of packages, from a quick marriage license signing to a full ceremony with up to 50 guests. Their location at Sherman Mills has exposed brick, 14 foot ceilings, exposed beams, hardwood floors, and an abundance of natural light. The proximity to scenic locations like Kelly Drive, the Schuykill River, and the Art Museum also makes for an easy and convenient opportunity to take beautiful wedding photos. The location is also wheelchair accessible, with heating and air conditioning, and is proud to be a LGBTQ+ friendly business. 

Learn more about The Philadelphia Wedding Chapel at www.philadelphiaweddingchapel.com and on their Instagram at www.instagram.com/phillyweddingchapel

Arielle Azeez | Professional Fine Artist

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

Chris Grogan | Maoin Properties

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

Cassandra Cunningham | Power of 3, LLC

Cassandra has been a professional athlete her entire life, and after spending 25 years educating and training others in the industry, she decided to develop her own organization to help individuals become successful, balanced athletes and coaches. in 2015, she created Power of 3, LLC. She develops her training through her signature philosophy of the three P’s - “Prior Proper Planning,” which is based around organization, professionalism and communication. She believes these values instill good habits that teach athletes and coaches about time management and etiquette.


Cassandra is motivated by building relationships with others of all ages. She has clients that range from 14 years old to 85 years old, and she finds great reward in connecting with all individuals. She enjoys listening to peoples’ issues, and helping them to overcome all types of personal and physical challenges. Cassandra works with all types of athletes from professional athletes, to the average individual who just came off of an injury and needs rehabilitative assistance. 


Cassandra has been at Sherman Mills since 2018, and one of the things she values most about her space is that it’s centrally located, and easy for many to get to. It is also very close to the rowing community down on Boathouse Row, and has easy, accessible parking for all. She loves that it’s a secure, safe place, and that there is a community dog park in the complex for her to bring her two dogs, Zelda and Onyx, to every day. 


The best way to learn more about the services that Cassandra has to offer is to reach out to her through her website at https://p3pe.net// as well as her Instagram pages, https://www.instagram.com/p3pe_schoolhouse/ and https://www.instagram.com/powerof3ppp/

Daniel Cullen | Rawk U School of Music

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/

Scott Ireland | Tree Top Quest

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

Christopher Scott, Jr. | CES Technologies

CES Technologies was established in 2014, and is a Philadelphia based consulting firm whose goal is to provide solutions for a large scope of technical issues for businesses in the surrounding area. In 2006, the firm became a subcontractor for Scholar-Chip, which is based in Long Island, and provides monitoring software for the School District of Philadelphia. Chris and his team act as the field techs on the ground and service many locations nearby including New Jersey, Lansdale, Chester, and Upper Darby.

Chris got his start in IT with a degree in computer science. He was originally an employee of Scholar-Chip for five years, and then expanded his work into consulting and basic trouble shooting. Chris has been at Sherman Mills since 2018, and was initially drawn to this location because of its central location, as it made it easy for him and his team to get to any section of Philadelphia at any given time. It was also important to him to have the security that comes along with being at the Mills, as his studio holds many computers and hardware equipment. 

CES Technologies is available for any business that has computer issues, and offers all services that come with a traditional help desk and IT company. Contact them for all your technical needs by visiting their website at www.cstechllc.us
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