Aaron is a lawyer/principal at Aaron Bruce Law Corp.  He has been providing legal and strategic advice to Indigenous Nations since 2004. A member of the Squamish Nation, Aaron was driven to become a lawyer to support Indigenous communities in resolving land, natural resource and jurisdictional issues with federal and provincial governments and industry.  He has represented First Nations in litigation, regulatory hearings, and negotiations with other levels of government and industry as well as acting as mediator and facilitator in alternative dispute resolution processes. Aaron has a deep love for soccer and remains connected to the game by coaching his son’s teams and being a ‘Caps Season Ticket Member.

As the Chief Administration Officer & General Counsel, Manav is a member of Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s executive team with oversight of the club’s Legal, HR, IT, and Facility Operations departments.

Manav’s career in professional sports spans a decade and prior to joining the Whitecaps, he managed hockey operations at an NHL player agency, while representing and advising professional hockey players. As a soccer player who played at the provincial, university, and national levels in his youth, Manav is deeply passionate about increasing access to grassroot sport for marginalized groups and he believes that sport can help build and diversify communities. His past volunteerism in sport includes sitting on the board of Free Play for Kids and the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission.

Taunya leads Host City Operations for the FIFA World Cup 26™ in Vancouver. She leads a dynamic team in delivering Vancouver's event obligations end to end, ensuring that our city shines as one of the premier hosts in 2026.

Prior to this, Taunya played a crucial role within Sport Hosting Vancouver at the City of Vancouver, where she spearheaded strategy development and crafted winning bid proposals for globally renowned events. Her efforts have helped elevate Vancouver's status as a top-tier global host city.

Taunya's connection to FIFA and soccer runs deep. As a former NCAA Division I soccer player for the University of Louisiana, her passion for the sport laid the foundation for her career. When away from the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and being a mom to her 4-year-old son, Parker.

As the Vice President, Community & Social Impact at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Jennifer is responsible for leading the overall strategic direction of the club’s community initiatives. To learn more about this work, please visit the club’s website here or view the 2024 Community Impact Report here.

Jennifer is passionate about leveraging the power of sport to build leaders and uplift communities. Throughout her career in professional and amateur sport, she has witnessed the capacity of sport to drive positive social impact.

Prior to joining Whitecaps FC, Jennifer was the Director of Sport Burnaby, where she built partnerships with governments, tourism partners, and sport organizations to bring notable events to Burnaby, BC, in driving positive economic, sport and social impact.

Rizwan, known as "Riz" among his peers, is an experienced executive and a dedicated philanthropist with a proven track record in the tech industry.

Riz has served as the Head of Technology, COO, and CEO at Cymax Group Technologies – an ecommerce, logistics and technology company.

As a dedicated philanthropist, Riz is deeply committed to making a positive impact on his community. A lifelong advocate for the power of sport in bringing people together, Riz has spent countless hours coaching youth and men’s soccer teams as a volunteer coach and/or assistant. He takes immense pride in seeing young immigrants integrate into their new communities through the common language of sports and is dedicated to creating opportunities for these individuals to thrive.

As a mentor and leader with the BC Newcomers Association, Riz has had the privilege of supporting hundreds of newcomers as they settle into their new lives.