On Wednesday morning The Town FC announced the formation of a parent company to oversee the creation and financing of their pro men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as their youth development program. The Town Group will also oversee The Town Futures Project, a charitable arm that will support community improvement projects.
Known as The Town Group, the organization’s future will be overseen by its Board of Directors that includes Benno Nagel, one of the founders of the Oakland Roots; Eric Toda, the Global Head of Social Marketing at Meta; and Min Park, a venture capital investor and partner at RNR Capital.
Nagel and Toda are co-founders of The Town FC, while Park is expected to bring his investment knowledge to drive financing for the organization.
“Min has already been a tremendous asset for us behind the scenes, bringing his wealth of experience, his deep networks, and a ton of drive to help us reshape what it means to be a professional sports organization in the world today,” noted The Town FC’s CEO Benno Nagel in the company’s announcement.
“As we continue ramping up our efforts across club initiatives, Min’s involvement couldn’t come at a better time. His knowledge will be invaluable and creates a foundation for our aspirations as an organization,” added Eric Toda.
“I’m honored to join the board of The Town Group and to be a part of growing The Town FC,” said Min Park. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with such a dynamic and forward-thinking organization and to be able to help drive this effort as we work to achieve our goals in the years ahead.”
The organization also announced its initial management team. EL Johnson was named the company’s Creative Director, Gina Woodward as the Head of Community Soccer, and Tennyson Wilson as Head of Club Affairs.
A Blueprint for Growing the Local Soccer Community
In April 2022, The Town FC announced its arrival, declaring that the East Bay needed a club that would develop a full pathway for local youth to become professional players and building interest in the sport throughout the community.
The Town Group will be responsible for making that happen, developing soccer development programs for players of all ages and skill levels in the East Bay, from youth to adult leagues.
The Town FC has also developed ambitious plans so that the players they develop will have the chance to play professional soccer in Oakland. Earlier this year, they announced that their women’s team will join the WPSL in 2024 and then the league’s new third-division pro league in 2025.
Besides their women’s team, The Town FC is also looking at bringing a men’s pro team to the Bay Area, most likely in the third-division MLS Next Pro league.
