Media Contact Information
Carmen Sognonvi and Sensei Serge Sognonvi, owners of Urban Martial Arts, are available to provide media commentary on topics including, but not limited to, small business and entrepreneurship, health and fitness, bullying prevention, childhood obesity, and safety and self-defense.
School Phone: 718-287-5500
Mobile Phone: 917-657-3886 (for urgent inquiries)
Email: owner@urbandojo.com
Urban Martial Arts in the News
Urban Martial Arts has been featured in the New York Daily News, Fox Business, Inc.com, Crain’s New York Business, Direct Marketing News, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Small Business Trends, among others.
Below are our most recent media appearances, but you can view the full list here.
10 Workouts for People Who Hate Working Out
The L Magazine – January 4, 2012
How to Use the Cloud as a Disaster Recovery Strategy
Inc.com – June 23, 2011
Summer Camps in NYC: Summer Sessions Throughout the City Pack Tons of Fun
New York Daily News – May 15, 2011
41+ Must-Read Business Books for Solopreneurs
Strategies & Tactics for Women – May 9, 2011
Angry Reader of the Week: Carmen Sognonvi
Angry Asian Man – April 1, 2011
Location-Based Services: Factors and Considerations for B2C and B2B Marketers
GigCoin – March 8, 2011
Facebook Ads: What You Need to Know to Create a Successful Campaign
GigCoin – March 1, 2011
Lessons Learned in 2010
Fox Business – February 4, 2011
About Sensei Serge Sognonvi
Sensei Serge Sognonvi [pronounced Sun-Yo-Vee] is owner and head instructor of Urban Martial Arts.
Urban Martial Arts, a mixed martial arts school in Brooklyn, NY, has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The New York Daily News, Fox Business, Inc.com, Crain’s New York Business, Direct Marketing News, and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
Sensei Serge won the New School of the Year award from leading martial arts association United Professionals in 2009 and was named one of “five urban entrepreneurs you should know” by BrandMakerNews in 2010.
Sensei Serge has practiced martial arts for over 20 years and holds a 5th-degree black belt. He started his training at the age of 11 and achieved his 1st-degree black belt at the age of 15. He currently trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master Renzo Gracie.
He fought on the competitive circuit for five years as a nationally-rated fighter in the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) and the Professional Karate League (PKL). Sensei Serge was a member of the Metro All-Stars, which was the No. 1 team nationwide for five consecutive years. He was also one of the top 10 nationally-rated fighters in the junior black belt division.
Sensei Serge is a born and bred New Yorker. He grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.
About Carmen Sognonvi
Carmen (Van Kerckhove) Sognonvi [pronounced Sun-Yo-Vee] is owner and general manager of Urban Martial Arts.
Urban Martial Arts, a mixed martial arts school in Brooklyn, NY, has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The New York Daily News, Fox Business, Inc.com, Crain’s New York Business, Direct Marketing News, and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
In 2004, Carmen founded a diversity education firm called New Demographic. Her views on race and racism were featured regularly in media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times. She visited as a guest lecturer at Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, among many other colleges and universities across the country.
Carmen created a network of blogs, podcasts, and email newsletters that reached over a quarter million people each month. The network included Racialicious, an award-winning, influential blog about race and pop culture; Love Isn’t Enough, a blog about parenting and race; and Addicted to Race, a podcast about all things race.
In 2010, Carmen decided to close down New Demographic and join Urban Martial Arts full-time as General Manager.
Carmen was born and mostly raised in Hong Kong, but also spent much of her childhood living in Shanghai and Belgium. She graduated from Columbia University with a BA in Political Science, and lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and daughter.