Ownership

Mohamed Mansour

Mohamed Mansour is a founding partner and Chairman of San Diego FC.

The British-Egyptian entrepreneur Mohamed Mansour jointly owns San Diego’s MLS club through his UK-based family office, Man Capital, which invests with impact and purpose across a range of sectors including education, technology, healthcare, logistics and clean energy, as well as soccer.

The firm has an established track record in soccer as the owner of Right to Dream, one of the most purpose-driven organizations in the sport. The Right to Dream community operates soccer academies, schools and professional teams in Denmark, Ghana and Egypt. A Right to Dream academy in San Diego will be an integral feature of the new venture.

Social impact, environmental investment, and nurturing the next generation have always been at the core of Mr. Mansour’s investment strategy.

Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation is a founding partner and Cody Martinez is the Vice Chairman of San Diego FC.

The Sycuan Tribe are San Diego’s ancestral family, with over 12,000 years in the region of Southern California and Mexico.

As industry leaders in hospitality and entertainment, among other ventures, they own the top casino and resort destination in San Diego County.

They lead multiple award-winning community outreach programs which focus on youth development.

They have been major sponsors of professional sports in San Diego for over 30 years, including the MLB’s Padres and the NFL’s Chargers.

This venture makes history and breaks the glass ceiling as the first ever Native American ownership group in global football.

Manny Machado is a founding partner of San Diego FC.

Machado is a six-time MLB All-Star and current third baseman for the San Diego Padres. He was the 3rd overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut in 2012 with the Baltimore Orioles. He earned his first All-Star selection in 2013.

In addition to being a feared hitter winning a Silver Slugger Award, he has also been recognized as one of the best fielders in the league, winning multiple Gold Glove Awards and a Platinum Glove Award.

Machado was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and now splits his time between Miami and San Diego with his wife, Yainee.

Tom Vernon is a founding partner of San Diego FC.

Right to Dream has always been a life mission for Tom. Since founding the organization in Ghana, Right to Dream has continued to grow with the acquisition of FC Nordsjælland transforming what’s possible in youth development at 1st team level, more recently the launch of Right to Dream Egypt and future expansion into the US.

Tom’s passion stems from his desire to provide young people, regardless of their background, with world class pathways and development into football and education. Believing there is a wealth of unrealized talent which needs to be exposed to the right pathways to thrive, Tom enjoys seeing students and players continue to flourish and realize their potential and excellence. This is something he has deep firsthand experience of, having lived in Ghana and Denmark alongside academy and club operations.

Dan Dickinson is a founding partner of San Diego FC.

He is the CEO of the Right to Dream Group. He is a Co-founder and Executive Chairman at HCI Equity Partners, assisting in the oversight of the firm strategy, management company and LP relations while continuing as a board member of several legacy HCI investments.

Prior to joining HCI Equity, Mr. Dickinson was the Co-Head of Global M&A at Merrill Lynch. He also had roles as Head of European M&A and Head of Global Manufacturing and Services M&A at Merrill and started his career in the M&A Group at The First Boston Corporation (now Credit Suisse).

Tom Penn is CEO of San Diego FC.

A sports industry veteran with over 25 years of experience, Tom Penn is nationally known as a sports executive, entrepreneur, and television personality.

Previously, Penn co-founded Major League Soccer expansion team LAFC in 2014, serving as President and Co-Owner and spent 11 years as an NBA executive, including four seasons as Vice President of Basketball Operations and Assistant General Manager of the Portland Trail Blazers, and seven seasons as Assistant General Manager and legal counsel of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Brad Termini is a founding partner of San Diego FC.

Brad Termini co-founded Zephyr in 2006 with a commitment to enhancing communities in California. His focus on large scale developments that have massive positive impact in specific communities remains central to the company’s guiding ethos.

He is locally known in San Diego not only as a discerning real estate investor, but also as a person who can bring unlikely parties together to create partnerships and successful collaborations.

Through the Zephyr Foundation, Termini has been deeply involved in the communities in which Zephyr does business supporting homeless causes and youth organizations including Boys and Girls Club, Solana Beach School Foundation, Elmwood Franklin School and others. As a board member for Doors of Change, he has also brought great attention to the charitable organization that focuses on addressing youth homelessness in San Diego.

Jocko Willink is a partner of San Diego FC.

Willink, who is a resident of San Diego, is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” and “Dichotomy of Leadership,” host of the top-rated Jocko Podcast, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer.

Willink is also a leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor. Jocko spent 20 years in the SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the U.S. Army’s First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War.

Juan Mata is a partner of San Diego FC.

Spanish international football legend and World Cup champion Juan Mata is the first active international soccer player to hold an ownership stake in Major League Soccer (MLS) and joins David Beckham as only the second international player to be involved in MLS ownership.

Mata is widely respected as a humanitarian. He founded the Common Goal initiative, pledging one percent of his salary to social causes, a commitment that has inspired athletes, coaches, and clubs worldwide. Common Goal is a partner of Right to Dream (RTD).

Mata has had one of the most decorated careers in the world game. He won club honors in England, Spain, Turkey and Japan, and was a key player in the golden era of the Spanish men's national team which won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 UEFA European Championship.

Mata is also a strategic investor in Alpine Racing Ltd, a Formula 1 team backed by the historic Renault Group through Otro Capital, a private investment fund focused on sports, media, and entertainment ventures.

David C. Michan is a partner of San Diego FC.

David C. Michan and his family have been proud San Diego residents since moving from Mexico City in 1981. He is currently the CEO of Strata Equity Group, a family-owned real estate investment firm specializing in owning and operating multi-family and commercial properties and entitling undeveloped land for master planned communities. Prior to joining Strata in 2003, Michan started his real estate career at Colony Capital and spent two years equity trading in New York City.

In addition, David is regularly in various leadership roles supporting foundations and institutions in the local San Diego community. Majority of the initiatives have focused on education and strengthening culture among younger generations. David holds a Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of San Diego. David also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics specializing in Latin America, along with a Minor in Accounting, from the University of California Los Angeles.

Issa Rae is a partner of San Diego FC.

Known for her groundbreaking work in television and film, including the Emmy-nominated HBO series Insecure, Rae has become a cultural icon and an inspiration for many. Beyond her success in entertainment, she is a fierce champion for fostering community connections and creating opportunities for diverse voices to thrive – values that align perfectly with SDFC’s goal to unite and inspire through the global game of soccer.

Rae is joining San Diego FC is in partnership with Pave Investments, an African private investment firm that was recently involved in leading an investment group to invest in NBA Africa’s entity in 2021. Rae joins a group of influential global figures whose personal journeys and achievements deeply align with the values and vision of both Right to Dream Academy and San Diego FC. As part of this commitment, Tunde Folawiyo, Chairman of Pave Investments, and Kwamena Afful, Founding Director of Pave Investments, will also join the San Diego FC ownership group. Together, this diverse group brings their individual global platforms, influence, and personal commitment to amplify the mission of Right to Dream Academy and San Diego FC – to inspire and empower communities meaningfully on and off the pitch.

Kwamena Afful is a partner of San Diego FC.

Kwamena Afful, a Ghana-based entrepreneur and co-founder and Director of Pave Investments, brings extensive experience in venture capital, business strategy, and sports investments. Over the past decade, Kwamena has been instrumental in the success of dozens of seed investments, supporting groundbreaking startups across Africa and beyond, including LemFi, Paystack and Flutterwave etc. He is also an investor in NBA Africa and part of a sports investment group that champions talent identification and development and investments in global sports assets.

Tunde Folawiyo is a partner of San Diego FC.

As Pave’s main investor, Mr. Tunde Folawiyo brings a legacy of excellence in industries spanning sports, entertainment, banking, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, hospitality and real estate. Mr. Folawiyo served as a Non-Executive Director of MTN Nigeria, the largest telecommunications company in Nigeria for 18 years from 2001-2019, was a Non-Executive Director of Access Bank Plc, the largest African financial institution by assets, where he retired after his statutory 12-year term. He is Chairman of Pave Investments, a private investment holding company that invests in private equity and venture capital opportunities with a particular focus on technology and entertainment. He is on the Advisory Council for the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, a member of the Global Board of Directors of Global Citizen, a fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh’s World Fellowship and a member of the Global Advisory Board of the African Leadership Academy. Tunde also serves as a key figure in global sports development as a member of the Board of Directors for NBA Africa, an entity that owns the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL) – a partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.