Team

Drew Chafetz

Drew has had a ball at his feet since before he can remember. By the age of 12, he had traveled with his family to 6 continents, finding the game and connecting with kids who shared the same passion. In a small town in Morocco in 2005, Drew saw children playing pickup in a dangerous alley, inspiring him to start love.fútbol. Drew is driven by his gratitude and love for the game and travel, interest in economics and social enterprise, and belief in self-expression as an instrument for personal and community development.

Mano Silva

Football was Mano’s ticket to a higher education in the United States, where he earned a B.A. in Business Administration and a Masters Degree, with emphasis on International Development. Before love.fútbol, he coordinated Development through Sport programs from the Sahara Desert of Niger to the tropical forests of Haiti. Mano has accumulated 14 years of experience in the sports for development sector, leading projects in 12 different countries throughout the Americas, Caribbean and Africa.

Gabriela Castro

At first, Gabi thought love.fútbol was just a new job opportunity, but being a Financial Assistant turned out to challenge her in unexpected ways and bring on great learning experiences as she took on new administrative and financial responsibilities. She is not even so passionate about football, but what fills her with pride is being part of an organization that goes beyond sports to overcome barriers and create joy through play for children all over the world.

Kenza Gravois

Optimistic, passionate about people, attentive to social causes and committed to making a difference, Kenza is a changemaker, using her professional skills to create social good. After 10+ years in marketing, half of which were in the nonprofit world, she joined the love.fútbol team as a Development Officer to further advance its mission by focusing on philanthropy strategies and impact-oriented partnerships. For her, the power of human connections is the single most important driving force for positive change in the world, and she views love.fútbol’s inspiring efforts — to globally bring communities together and improve youth conditions through sports — as a powerful fuel to keep on impacting people’s lives for the better.

Pedro Leal

Pedro has been an internationalist and passionate about football as far as his memory goes. His relationship with love.fútbol began at a Náutico game in 2012, his local football club in Brazil, more than 5 years ago. Starting out as a volunteer, and then project apprentice, Pedro is now a Project Manager that has identified and mobilized communities in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. He views every project and community as an opportunity to exchange experiences, learn and grow together, which is his main goal within the organization.

Individual and Corporate Giving Officer

Adele Bruggeman

As a seasoned soccer and lacrosse goalie, Adele has found herself at the intersection of sports and social good for the last ten years. Passionate about gender equality, community development, and social business, Adele has worked for organizations around the world to drive change making efforts that put people front and center in their own development. She is thrilled to continue championing these values at love.fútbol to support efforts in creating more safe spaces for children to play and communities to thrive.

Lilian Cléany

Passionate about people and human relations, Lilian was delighted when she first learned about love.fútbol. She believes in the connection that sports can generate among people, and that access to space is a development opportunity. With a bachelor's degree in design and experience working in the social sector, she is proud to be part of an organization that genuinely seeks to work in partnership with communities. Lilian believes that each new project is a flame of hope that lights up for future generations.

Rayanne Almeida

With a Bachelor's degree in accounting, Rayanne is passionate about financial systems and is now combining this with a passion for love.fútbol’s mission. She previously worked at another philanthropic institution where she was able to learn about the third sector up close. This awakened her desire to work to support social change. She admires the way love.fútbol uses sport to connect people and communities, promoting social impact.

Karina Paz

Karina is a social entrepreneur and creator of the Pazear Movement, which uses sport as a tool for social transformation. She coordinates projects such as Escolinha Social de Futebol, which serves 120 students, the As Jogadeiras de Olinda Project, which uses football to empower girls and women, and the Rio Doce community network, which manages the community’s football pitch, built in partnership with love.fútbol and that has become a social platform for development and leisure.

Emilio Martinez

Emilio is a Project Manager based in Mexico. He is passionate about community empowerment and has been working with NGOs since 2000. He has experience in a variety of social organizations and also works as a professor of social and educational subjects in several Mexican universities. love.fútbol's mission resonates deeply with Emilio. He is convinced that every new pitch offers real chances for positive change in communities and offers the potential to positively shape the trajectory of young people’s growth.

Vitória Santos

Vitória is a Black woman, social educator, and activist for racial causes. She recognizes herself as an African woman in the Brazilian diaspora. Leading a Black collective in the community where she grew up, she carries out racial awareness work with children and young people. She considers her work an ancestral legacy and a “pact” for the survival of her body and ancestral culture. She encountered love.fútbol during the community mobilization process at one of the organization's projects in Brazil. Today she is Director of the partner NGO where the project was carried out.Her community leadership role reflects her commitment and involvement with love.fútbol's work and the communities we work in. In addition, she is a born sports fan, and she loves to celebrate collective achievements.

Grantmaking and Special Projects Manager

Breno Lacet

Breno first remembers being amazed by football's incredible potential to mobilize people during the 2002 World Cup. Witnessing the festive atmosphere made up of green and yellow shirts in the streets of Brazil made him realize that football was more than just a game — it was about passion and community. He studied in Montevideo, Uruguay, holds a degree in Political Science and Marketing in Montevideo, Uruguay. Breno has been a part of the love.fútbol team since 2012, coordinating our efforts in fundraising and institutional development.

Fabiane Cavalcante

Enchanted by cultural processes and passionate about human nature, Bia was pleased to have the opportunity to experience the love.fútbol methodology. She is a Black woman from the outskirts of town, has worked with NGOs since she was 13 years old, and currently works as a social psychologist. She strongly believes in the transformative potential of community mobilizations and creating connections between people. For Bia, each project acts as a portal of possibility for social empowerment, rescuing local culture and promoting humanitarian development. Being part of this team is a symbol of hope, social responsibility, love, and a lot of pride.

Fabiola Mercedes

Fabi started as a volunteer in an organization that carries out infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life of people in vulnerable situations. Then, one day she heard a phrase that changed her life: “Pasar de la protesta a la propuesta”, in English "to switch from the protest to the proposal”. She understood that she wanted to be part of the solution to the causes she was concerned about, in particular social inequality and poor access to education. She has a great passion and commitment to work with, empower and help people build the necessary capacities to create a better and different future.

Fabi worked as a Community Development Coordinator for TECHO Dominican Republic and as a Program Coordinator for Global Glimpse US, a youth leadership program to promote community work.

Marisol Carmona

Former Mexican and international soccer player and coach. Marisol, has always shown an interest in achieving social change through sports; nowadays she promotes it as a tool for change in different towns and cities. She is widely considered to be an agent for change for the young people of Mexico.

Friendly, passionate and fun. She has been supporting and working in social programs for about 9 years, she is convinced that a dignified and safe space can change lives.

Paco Hinojosa

Football has always been a part of Paco’s life, as a technically challenged but enthusiastic central defender Paco always found football was the best way to meet and connect with others. That’s why when presented with the opportunity, he gave up a career in politics and lobbying to get his Master’s in Sports Industry Management. Passionate about equality, development through sport and providing children with safe spaces to play, Paco seeks to bring over 10 years’ experience in the lobbying, consumer and diplomatic sectors to help love.fútbol continue to provide safe spaces for children to enjoy and connect with others worldwide.

Sandra Machuca

With experience in international cooperation with global organizations, foreign governments, and civil society. Sandra is passionate about cultural diversity and optimistic that we can make the world a better place through social initiatives aimed at kids and youth to create an impact on future generations. Recently she has been supporting and working on gender projects mainly focused on empowering women through developing their creativity in arts, writing, and literature. She considers herself as an activist for women's causes.

She enjoys being part of a team that works with communities to undergo the process together.

Sean Ndebele

Sean has diverse experience serving in various roles in sport for development. As a multifaceted sport impact professional, Sean has helped lead elite organizations in developing and executing a wide range of functions such as: non-profit management, community and public relations, fundraising, operations and administration, and marketing. Sean is a fervent proponent of the power of sport and has a demonstrated history of intersecting sport and philanthropy to leverage it as a social impact tool. He has been able to combine his passion for sport and charity to conduct initiatives that support altruistic causes.

Brenda Perez

Brenda is passionate about changing lives using sports to promote values such as environmental care, water conservation, and helping street animals. She started in 2017 as a project coordinator in Mexico City with the support of love.fútbol. A phrase that helps her face life's challenges is: "Failure is a great opportunity to start again with more intelligence." Brenda is someone who always smiles at new opportunities to transform communities, enabling more than 1600 students to change their perspective on life.

Marketing and Digital Transformation Manager

Leonardo Medreiros

Leo is a passionate Marketing & Digital Transformation Manager driven by the power of sports and its ability to unite people. With a deep-rooted love for football, Leo has experienced firsthand the transformative impact of sports through roles as a producer at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. A global citizen at heart, Leo thrives on multiculturalism, powerful social impact projects, travel, and immersing oneself in diverse cultures. This passion is reflected in a successful career leading digital transformation journeys for companies across various industries. As the former Head of Creative Economy at Porto Digital, Latin America´s largest tech park, Leo has a proven track record of driving innovation and growth. Additionally, as the co-founder of REC'n'Play Festival, a trendsetting event attracting over 90,000 attendees annually in Recife, Leo has demonstrated a talent for creating impactful experiences that resonate with audiences.

board of directors

**Drew Chafetz**
Board Member
Co-founder and CEO of love.fútbol

**Jasyn Polowitz**
Board Member
Product, Oracle Data Cloud

**Ricardo Shelley**
Board Member and Philanthropic Committee Member
Former Managing Director and CSO for global CPG brands

**Nick Sprague**
Board Chairman
Co-Owner of Orreco & Head of Special Projects,

**Clare Cunningham**
Board Member
Vice President of Finance at conceptcsi

**Chris Kenny**
Board Member and Philanthropic Committee Member
Principal at Level 5 Capital Partners

**Skye Eddy**
Board Member Founder at Soccer Parenting & The Sideline Project

**Kofi Sarkodie**
Board Member Former Professional Soccer Player

**Dave O’Connor**
Board Member
Co-Founder at 18K Sports

**Farrukh Quraishi**
Board Member
Soccer Executive and Former Professional Star

**Fred Eck**
Board Treasurer CEO and Founder of The Randolph Group, LLC

Matt Hill
Board Member and Philanthropic Committee Member
CEO of Spat Media, Inc.

EMERITUS

Former board members who have played important roles in the history of love.fútbol.