Where we make uncool Dads cool and cool Dads even Cooler.
Where we encourage and build better relationships between fathers and their children.
Cool Dads Rock is a growing 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization aimed towards building lasting and memorable relationships amongst fathers and their children. The mission of Cool Dads Rock is to strengthen relationships by creating environments where fathers and their children can bond through engaging educational, and entertaining events. The first project for Cool Dads Rock was a playhouse build with Habitat for Humanity in 2012. The house was sold at an auction and the proceeds were donated to Habitat. Volunteers from all walks of life assisted in making the project successful. The team soon realized that this was the first of many great things to come.
La Verio "LV"Barnes
LV is a father, a visionary, and an advocate for strong families. He founded Cool Dads rock in response to the support he received from friends and family who admired the relationship he had built with his own son. The organization began as a hashtag he used to encourage another father who was going through a custody battle when he lent his support with a simple, #cooldadsrock.
Known to most as "dj LV", the founder of Cool Dads Rock is an authority on cool. As a DJ, he has performed with artists such as Robin Thicke, Ne-Yo, Usher, A Tribe Called Quest, and Sting. He has entertained guests at events for NASCAR, Turner Broadcasting, Coca Cola, Conan O’Brien, BMW, NBA All-Star weekend and the NCAA Final Four just to name a few. However, his favorite “gig” is as a father. It was through his excitement and love for his son that he realized he wanted to do something to promote and honor that same enthusiasm in other men.
LV's philanthropic passion comes from his grandmother, the late Mother Mary Ann Wright. Mother Wright was a humanitarian activist who started feeding the homeless in 1980 using her social security check. Her mission lives on and today the Mary Ann Wright Foundation feeds up to 450 people per day in Oakland, California. It was his grandmother’s faith in community service that inspired him to start Cool Dads Rock, with his own funds with the goal to make a similar impact on families and young people in Metro Atlanta and across the United States. (Click here to read AJC article)
LV is the cool dad to one amazing son.
Meet the CDR Board of Directors
RM "Lathan", Board Chair
Lathan is the Managing Partner and Director of VIP UNIVERSAL LLC, an event and entertainment company where he leads their strategic planning, marketing, social media, and event production efforts. Lathan also played an integral role on political campaigns for mayoral races, gubernatorial races, and presidential races. His community leadership includes fundraisers for American Heart Association, AIDS Walk, UNCF, Susan G. Komen, and March of Dimes as well as having served on the Board of Trustees for Morehouse College, the Atlanta Committee for the UNCF and the Board of Directors for Inter Atlanta FC (youth soccer club).
Lathan is the cool dad to one super son.
Lathan received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and he has an MBA in global marketing and international strategy from Emory University.
Riheen Johnson, Board Vice Chair
Riheen is the President of GavJohn Construction & Management, LLC. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Riheen worked in a professional sales capacity with IBM and Northup Grumman. He has also served as a mentor to young men in the JV and Varsity football programs at Whitefield Academy and The Walker School.
Riheen is a proud husband and cool dad to one son and one daughter.
Riheen graduated Sum Cum Laude with an M.B.A. in Strategic Management from Temple University.
Aisha Harris
Aisha is a Director of Technical Solution Consulting for a global payment technology solutions company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Aisha has had varying positions during her 15 year tenure with the company, from Contract Analyst to Senior Client Advisor. In her current role, she serves as a technical liaison for independent software vendors and gateways to the company, as well as, coordinates their integration projects. Her strong organizational and project management skills are instrumental in the success of those projects.
Aisha is the daughter of a very cool dad and Chief Judge. It’s her close relationship with her father that led Aisha to volunteer to work with Cool Dads Rock. She has a passion for helping others and is always looking for an opportunity to serve the community.
Aisha is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in Political Science. She is a mom to an amazing daughter and a cool son who will one day become a very cool dad.
Todd Damon Towns
Todd is a 24-year veteran trainer and finance director in the automotive industry. Todd is currently in the process of raising four wonderful children to high functioning adulthood! He is doing his best to make sure that his eight years in The United States Marines Corps equips them for challenges but does not prevent them from becoming “thinking individuals.”
Todd’s greatest joy is being more than just a man who is a father, but a man who his children gladly honor with the name “Daddy.”
Todd is a 24-year veteran trainer and finance director in the automotive industry. Todd is currently in the process of raising four wonderful children to high functioning adulthood! He is doing his best to make sure that his eight years in The United States Marines Corps equips them for challenges but does not prevent them from becoming “thinking individuals.”
Todd’s greatest joy is being more than just a man who is a father, but a man who his children gladly honor with the name “Daddy.”
Michael Robson
Michael is a proud husband of 15 years and a cool dad to his 11 year old son. Michael, raised with a quadriplegic father, learned the value of family and how not to take things for granted at an early age. Michael is an Avid outdoorsman, golfer, Boy Scouts of America Scoutmaster, Youth basketball coach, Amateur Sports car enthusiast, and IT Enterprise Architect. Michael's "old school" upbringing and beliefs about parenting and fatherhood have made him into the man he is today