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We're proud of Woza Soccer's past success as we close our doors indefinitely.
Please visit our blog for a letter to the Woza Community.
Woza's Boards
Board of Directors
Ben Bishop, Board President
Senior Brand Manager, Brewed Coffee at Starbucks
Ben works in brand management at Starbucks, having previously been in management consulting at Bain & Company. His experience with international travel & soccer extend across decades & continents: his first experience with the connective power of soccer came during a pick-up game in Ecuador as a 10-year-old. Since then, he has traveled and played across the globe, and he is excited to help the next generation of Woza trip participants get equally transformative experiences.
Angelica Weiner
Senior Manager, Science Programs at Amazon
Angelica leads a team at Amazon that builds programs and partnerships to accelerate artificial intelligence research. She grew up playing soccer in New Jersey and continues to play as an adult on intramural teams in the Seattle area. Angelica participated in summer programs as a high school student in Costa Rica and Mexico made possible by financial aid scholarships that were hugely transformative. She has her BS and Masters in City Planning from MIT. Angelica is a firm believer in the power of soccer and cultural exchange to change the world, and she is proud to be part of the Woza organization.
Ben Snyder
Director of Experiential and Community Engaged Learning (EXCEL)
at Noble and Greenough School
Following twenty years as the Head of Upper School and Assistant Head, Ben is now the Director of EXCEL at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass. During his tenure at Nobles, Ben has led many strategic planning efforts for the school while overseeing and developing virtually all aspects of Nobles’ academic and co-curricular programs. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Ben continues to be a history teacher, coach, advisor, and leader of student service travel opportunities that he developed to across the world. Ben has also been intimately involved in the creation of two programs for low-income, first-generation college-bound students (Achieve and Upward Bound). Ben serves on the boards of the Cape Eleuthera Island School and the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. Ben has coached both the boy's and girl's varsity at Nobles over the last 20 years. He received his BA from Bowdoin College and his EdM. from Harvard University. Ben’s wife Sarah taught English at Nobles until 2014 and his two children - Abby N’07 and David N’08 - have both pursued careers in education and public service.
Jennifer Grijalva
Managing Principal Consultant for Oracle's National Security Group
Jen is a Managing Principal Consultant for Oracle's National Security Group, where she is in charge of growing the Service Solutions business for the Military Intelligence Team, as well as provide technical expertise to the various government and DoD organizations the Mil-Intel Team supports. Previously, Jen served in the Navy for 8 years as a Surface Warfare Officer and attended the United States Naval Academy where she played on Division 1 Navy Women's Soccer team. Jen developed a passion for soccer at a very young age and has played on various competitive teams that have allowed her to travel the world. Through her travels with soccer and the Navy, she has developed a deep appreciation and passion for connecting with people through culturally immersive experiences and is excited to bring that passion to the Woza organization.
George Maguire
Founder of Ascent Academy
George Maguire founded Ascent Soccer (formally Known as Chigoli) in 2014. Ascent's goal is to give young people a future and create role models for generations to come through soccer. Ascent Soccer invests deeply in their players’ lives by providing each player elite soccer training, access to private education, and offering nutritional and emotional support to help them fulfill their potential. The goal is to provide these players with the structure and resources to have a bright future as a soccer player and a responsible adult. On our Malawi trip, our players become a member of Ascent Soccer, playing with the most elite players in Malawi.
Roberto & Marcella Wong
Puntarenas FC
Roberto Wong is a professional soccer player in Costa Rica's 2nd division and runs a local soccer academy, Roberto Wong Futbol Academy. Roberto's academy provides players in the community a place to thrive and offers scholarships players in need of assistance and past Woza groups have loved coaching and playing alongside academy members. Marcella Wong is a special education teacher at a nearby school where Woza groups spend time volunteering. Our Costa Rica Trip works directly with Roberto, Marcella, and their Academy.
International Advisory Committee
Sheldon Hughes
Founder of Mtuba Football Acamdey
Sheldon Hughes runs Mtuba Football Academy (MFA), a Zulu soccer academy located two hours north of Durban and just inland from the beautiful Indian Ocean in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Sheldon works with over 80 players each week, teaching both soccer and life skills and provides a father figure for many young men who come from unstable homes. Sheldon was a founding partner of Woza back in 2013 and our first Woza trip work directly with his academy. Today, our South Africa Leadership Course implements life skills sessions with MFA for two weeks of their trip.
Anna Nyman
Founder of Football
for Life
Anna Nyman, originally from Sweden, moved to rural Zululand 10 years ago to start an all-female soccer training academy, Football for Life (FFL). With football as a tool, Football for Life works to strengthen young girls' self-esteem and self-confidence in South Africa. Anna, along with a local coaching staff, runs holiday camps for female players from across rural Zululand. They build their days with a balance of soccer training and life skills curriculum. She also provides pathways for talented girls to attend national camps and join more organized teams. Our South Africa Leadership Course implements life skills sessions with FFL for two weeks of their trip.
vuyolwethu kayi
Community Project Coordinator at Grassroots Soccer/ Head Coach of RV United
Vuyo Kayi is the Community Project Coordinator at Grassroot Soccer in Khayelitsha, South Africa. He is also the founder and head coach of RV United, an amazing all women's soccer team combating gender norms and providing an arena for talent to girls to play the game they love. Vuyo inspires young people daily to create change in their community using soccer as a vehicle to start the conversation. He is a wizard at running holiday camps for youth of all ages. Our South Africa Leadership Course works directly with Grassroot Soccer and RV United to see first hand the power soccer has to change lives.
Pedro Figueroa Tagle
Supporter of Escuela Chicon
Pedro Figueroa works closely with Escuela Chiocon, a rural, underfunded school located in Peru's Sacred Valley. The Woza team first met Pedro during their first scouting trip to Peru and were immediately inspired by his dedication and loyalty to the school. Pedro has served as an advisory and support of the school, and has even stepped in as a physical education teacher when the school was unable to afford one. With Pedro's help, Woza groups have volunteered with the school by putting on physical education classes, donating equipment and helping reconstruct a community field. Our Peru trip works directly with Perdro.
Edwin Gonzalez
Program Director for Peruvian Hearts
Edwin is the in-country Program Director for Peruvian Hearts, an organization providing support and education to Peruvian young women. Edwin oversees all new projects on the ground and is the beloved Peruvian Hearts ambassador for visitors and volunteers - including all Woza groups. He has worked in the hotel industry for over 45 years and currently owns and operates La Quinta Eco Hotel in Urubamba, Peru. Edwin is a former member of the Cusco Rotary Club and also worked as the head tourism adviser for former President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo. Edwin speaks eight languages and enjoys spending time with his family in the Sacred Valley near Cusco. Our Peru trip works directly with Edwin.