Power Up USA

Power Up USA is a technology training company that is dedicated to closing the digital divide by providing technology skills to underserved communities. As one of the oldest Non-profit organizations closing the digital divide inn North Carolina, we believe that access to technology is a basic human right and that everyone should have equal opportunities to acquire the skills necessary to thrive in the digital world. Our organization offers a wide range of technology training programs and resources to help individuals, families, and communities acquire the skills they need to succeed in today's digital landscape.

We are the leader in providing Digital transformation to individuals and organization across the North Carolinas. With over 30 years of industry experience and closing the digital divide, Power Up USA brings real world applications into every program we offer. Nominated by the Mayor of Charlotte Mentoring Alliance Program" as Mentor organization of the year. For the last five years we have prided ourselves on empowering communities within the 6 focused corridors of Charlotte. 

A NorthStar approved location, which was developed in response to the needs of job seekers who may lack the digital literacy skills needed to seek, obtain, and retain employment, as well as to perform other tasks in daily life. NorthStar allows end users to freely take the assessments from anywhere via our homepage, but individuals can instead go to an approved NorthStar location and obtain the NorthStar Digital Literacy Certificate when they pass assessments. Certificates provide an important credential for gaining employment.

Power Up USA has partnered with the Charlotte Black Film Festival in order to expose youth to acting, filmmaking and the writing process. Over 40 students participated during the festival and took part in the film screenings and after screening Q and A. 

Tommy Nichols is the president and CEO of Glorified Media, a media marketing company that creates, acquires and manages media base assets. He is the founder of the Charlotte Black Film Festival and Executive Director of Power UP USA, the leader in art, business, media, science, and technology vocational training. While attending Wilberforce University a keen business acumen and a strong appreciation for Technology and content creation were developed. Through continued education, Nichols subsequently graduated from The National Federation of Entrepreneurship, American Guild of Court Videographers, and The Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute. He later completed extensive and specialized training at the Hollywood Film Institute in New York, which boasts Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee as graduates.

With over twenty years' experience in technology, media, and entrepreneurship, Nichols has managed multi-million-dollar projects to include participation in a $10 million dollar district-wide computer and network integration project for the BDM/Dayton Public School System; and the procurement of a $1.2 million dollar media upgrade for the Department of Defense. Appointed by the Mayor of Charlotte to the Charlotte - Mecklenburg Public Access TV board of directors where he was recently voted as Vice President by his peers. In addition, he has trained over 700 youth and adults in the areas of technology and media. He is in the process of sharing his lifelong experiences in his first book called "Coding Black".

His professional accolades are numerous and include: Director of Photography for the movie, “Johnny, Mattie and Smooth White Stone, II and III,” (filmed in Ripley, Ohio and Ontario, Canada); author and director of four stage plays, one of which was performed at Winthrop University in April 2010, to a crowd of over 650, recipient of “The Business Journal’s 40 under 40, “The YMCA Black Achievers Award, Kennedy Charter School “Life Savers Award”. and received a proclamation from the mayor of Charlotte for his work in the community. His experience and reputation in media and business have made him a sought-after consultant and workshop presenter. Nichols attributes his success to his faith, hard work, and being a cheerful giver.