Board of Directors
Krista Washington
Krista Washington brings nearly 15 years of experience working in sports-based youth development, marketing, communications, and philanthropy. She currently serves as the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Healthier Generation) - a national children’s health nonprofit advancing health equity through its work with schools, out-of-school time organizations, and corporations across the country. Prior to Healthier Generation, Krista held support and leadership roles at USA Football, Soccer United Marketing, U.S. Soccer Foundation, Coaching Corps, and the East Bay Community Foundation.
When she’s not reading about the latest trending topics, Krista serves as a core organizer and holistic healing practitioner (Yoga and Reiki) for the Freedom Community Clinic. Through Freedom Community Clinic, she launched the Healing for Nonprofits program that works with mission-driven organizations in the Bay Area to provide employees with opportunities to decompress and build their self-care toolkit.
A former college athlete, Krista has personally felt the power of sport and its ability to build community, provide a safe space to play, boost confidence, and achieve academic success. She has also seen and experienced how systems can prohibit youth and their families from experiencing the benefits of playing sports. She believes that OGSC’s mission to break down barriers to participation while supporting kids’ abilities to live out their dreams is paramount to helping the current and next generation of Oakland youth thrive. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for inclusive programs, dedicated coaches, and a community of peers that felt like family,” says Krista.
“OGSC’s mission perfectly aligns with my personal experience as well as my professional background. and I am excited about OGSC’s future and its potential impact on the community.”
Jazmin Hicks
Jazmin Hicks is currently a Senior Self-Sufficiency Policy Analyst for the County Welfare Directors Association. The organization represents all of California's 58 County Social Service Directors, and Jazmin's portfolio includes the program areas of CalWORKs, Child Care, CalFresh, homeless services, and poverty reduction strategies. Prior to joining CWDA in 2017, she served as a Consultant to the California State Assembly Budget Committee for public safety, state administration, and health and human services programs, a Legislative Aide to Assemblymember Shirley Weber, and began her career as a Capital Fellow in the office of Senator Juan Vargas. Jazmin has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis.
Jazmin's hidden talent is that she is a healer. She is interested in holistic approaches to health and recently began facilitating breathwork healing sessions and is working towards her yoga teacher certification.
Jazmin is passionate about OGSC because she grew up playing soccer in Sacramento, and was fortunate that her parents had the socio-economic means to allow for both she and her sister to play competitive sports. The barrier to access in competitive sports is something that was apparent to her as a youth, and she hopes that clubs like OGSC will inspire similar programs nationwide.
Hailai Arghandiwal
Hailai is a first generation Afghan-American from Alameda, California. She grew up playing with local recreational teams then made her transition to the ECNL league and finally reached the collegiate level. Hailai’s drive for success and relentless pursuit of growth allowed her to earn a scholarship from one of the best soccer programs in the country while also pursuing a Marketing and Entrepreneurship degree from Santa Clara University. Alongside captaining the Santa Clara Women’s soccer team, Hailai was also a member of the Afghanistan National Team, helping build the foundation for future generations of Afghan girls.
Hailai then made her life-long dream of playing professional soccer internationally into a reality, becoming the first Afghan Woman to play in both Italy’s Seria A and Germany’s Bundesliga. After retiring last year, Hailai has pivoted her career and is now working at Nike HQ.
Through her journey, Hailai has experienced the various systems that players have to go through to play the sport they love, from the lowest levels to the highest. This experience is intersectional as a person growing up in a minority community, as a young girl, and as a Bay Area native. She is a product of incredible culture that has molded her passion to create impact within the sports world.
Soccer has shaped her into who she is today. It has taught her what leadership is and the impact it can have on people beyond the sport world. Sport is one of the most incredible mediums to impact and enact change. Once an athlete, always an athlete. Despite not playing anymore, Hailai seeks to be a part of organizations that strive to get the youth involved with the sport of soccer. Her personal values align deeply with the OGSC mission, especially the holistic approach with coaching young players from home, to school, and the pitch. The ability to serve the community that raised her and to work with the younger versions of herself is an opportunity and responsibility she is eternally grateful for.
Ramiro Rodriguez
Rodriguez’s involvement in the game of soccer is deep. He represented his country, Peru, in the first Youth World Cup in Argentina in 1981. He played under the Peruvian National Development Youth program, CEDENA, until he came to the United States in 1987 when he decided to focus his career on coaching and the development of talented youth. He earned his USSF “A” license in 1998, the NSCAA “Premier License” in 2003, and the USYSA Youth National License shortly after. Internationally, he has earned the CBF “B” license from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the “Director Tecnico” license from the Peruvian Football Federation. He also holds a Masters of Science in Kinesiology and Sport Science from California State University East Bay.
Ramiro Rodriguez now begins his eighteenth season with Cal North and USSF Coaching Education as a State Olympic Development coach and as a State Coaching Instructor respectively. Rodriguez has been involved with the State ODP Olympic Development Program since 2001 helping both the boys’ and girls’ side. As the boys’ head coach of the 1990, 1994, 2003 and 2005 age groups, he has been crowned Regional Champions in 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2019 respectively. He has coached at the club soccer level for over 20 years with multiple clubs in the Bay Area and he has been a mentor to youth throughout his career, always encouraging involvement in the community, academic engagement and college education.
As an Oakland Unified School District educator and professional coach I have noticed the lack of participation from our underprivileged youth within the main US soccer stream. Private soccer clubs are too expensive for our Oakland families and the “pay to play” system doesn’t help young athletes have the chance to train and develop with highly qualified coaches. When I met Cody and Matt and they explained the OGSC mission, it totally got my attention. To have the chance to be a part of something totally new with core family values and educational support, it only reminds me of how much help we can provide throughout sports to keep our communities engaged in a positive way.
Nana Attakora
Clement ‘Nana’ Attakora is currently a Professional Soccer player with Oakland Roots SC. He is a 15 year veteran of professional soccer and has played in leagues across North America, including MLS, NASL, USL and NISA. He has a long history of living and playing in the Bay Area with the San Jose Earthquakes, San Francisco Deltas and in his current home with the Oakland Roots. He also sits on the Board Of Directors for the United Soccer League Players Association (USLPA) where he serves as the Director Of Career Development, a role where he is trusted to develop pathways and opportunities for players throughout the league both during and after their careers.
Nana was born in Toronto, Canada, one of the most multicultural cities in the world. He was raised in an area that is predominantly African American and oftentimes overlooked when it comes to allocating resources for supporting youth. Nana is excited about helping to bring increased opportunity to the Oakland communities that remind him of the neighborhood that shaped the man he is today.
Nana is passionate about OGSC because he sees himself in the youth the program aims to empower. Knowing how difficult it is for large parts of today's youth to access competitive soccer programs, Nana believes that a program like OGSC, which combines access to competitive soccer with free transportation, academic support, and college counseling, can make a big impact in the lives of youth from Oakland’s underserved communities.
Jordan Ferrell
Jordan has spent many years coaching and developing players, teams, and clubs at the youth, collegiate, and professional levels in California. Ferrell has led and/or been on staff for the development of successful systems with CV Monarcas Academy, San Joaquin Delta College, University of the Pacific, and Sacramento Republic FC Academy. He joined as the 1st Assistant Coach before a ball was kicked with Oakland Roots SC, and has been integral to building one of the strongest community and purpose-driven professional sporting clubs in the world. Additionally, he led the Roots to the final of the NISA Championship in 2020 as head coach before transitioning into his current role as Technical Director, developing the larger technical project, including the development of young players. Jordan is a Stockton native who played at Cal State East Bay prior spending time in Germany as a player and youth coach.
When it comes to youth soccer, Jordan is immensely passionate about utilizing the sport of soccer as a means to connect with kids in communities with less resources or where trauma is a part of everyday life. Having previously built pathways to higher education through soccer for kids from underserved communities in the Central Valley, in his previous posts, he desires to work with other like-minded people to find ways to overcome inequities and barriers to information and opportunity for similar populations here in Oakland. Oakland Genesis provides that platform and community. In his role on the board, he is able to support the development of curriculum, programming, and procedure for soccer, academics, and life-skills that will allow young people of Oakland who have traditionally been overlooked to have a place to turn for education and resources to help change their lives and the lives of those around them.
Bob Spears
Bob is a Co-Founder and Director of Shoreline Venture Management and a General Partner in all Shoreline Venture Partner Funds. He formerly held senior executive marketing positions at General Mills, The Clorox Company and The RAM Group, a consumer products consulting firm. Bob has been on numerous boards and has served as acting CEO for two Shoreline portfolio companies. He holds an AB from Stanford and MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth.Bob allocates time for not-for-profits and squeezes in travel and an occasional round of golf when time permits.
Tim Ford
Tim is currently a Growth Equity Investor with TPG Global. In his role at TPG, Tim works with innovative management teams at early-stage internet and digital media businesses to help unlock their next stage of growth. Prior to TPG, he worked in New York with PJT Partners. Tim has an M. Phil. in Latin American Studies from the University of Cambridge and a B.S. in Commerce and Spanish from UVA. His current non-profit board service includes the McIntire Young Alumni Committee, America SCORES Bay Area Leadership Council, and the Highwind Impact Fund. When he’s not out for a run or trying to get through the NYT crossword, Tim can be found in search of the Bay area’s best diner.
Tim’s passion for OGSC stems from a lifelong love for soccer and excitement about the crossover between sport and youth development. Growing up playing and coaching soccer, Tim made his first foray into the “business world” with a coaching and tutoring company – Sportsitters – he started in high school. At the University of Virginia, Tim led student volunteers coaching in local athletics programs, reaching over 1,500 youth in the Charlottesville community. Originally from the East Coast, Tim worked with organizations such as South Bronx United and America SCORES NYC to help increase access to soccer and academic coaching in New York City. Over the course of a single practice, a season, or multiple years, seeing young soccer players grow as teammates, student athletes, and people is what motivates Tim to work with OGSC to break down barriers to access to this opportunity in Oakland.