Sound Business, Inc. (SBI) is an independent, 501 (c) (3) New York City not-for-profit education services organization founded and run by Charles Thompson. Its program, the College and Career Preparatory Institute (CCPI), based at West Harlem's A. Philip Randolph Campus High School, is designed to enhance the public high school educational environment and culture. Through CCPI, SBI fosters systemic socio-economic change through the education of high potential youth from socio-economically disadvantaged communities. CCPI's diverse extra-curricular programs address students' informational, academic, attitudinal and socio-cultural needs. The programs, which are scheduled during lunch periods and during after school hours, include college admission strategy courses, performing arts programs, college campus workshops and tours, and parent/guardian college planning workshops.
In New York City's public schools, beset with instability and scarcity of resources, longevity is a rare virtue. Since 1991, SBI has been Randolph's constant (an extracurricular anchor) that typically enrolls 15 percent of the school's 1,200-1,500 students. Though not a Department of Education staff member, Charles Thompson has become, in the words of Nathalie McFarlane, a former Randolph principal, "a key part of the school's fabric."