The globally celebrated artiste and cultural icon Tems brings her passion for creativity and community to SDFC
SAN DIEGO (Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025) – San Diego FC (SDFC) today announced 2x GRAMMY® Award-winning, Oscar nominated, Lagos, Nigeria-based singer, songwriter, and producer Tems, through her company The Leading Vibe, as the latest addition to the Club’s ownership group. Known for her effortless, one-of-a-kind, warm, vibrational sound, Tems brings her creative spirit and passion for community to the world of soccer as SDFC’s Club Partner.
“Tems is an extraordinary artiste and cultural force worldwide,” said SDFC CEO Tom Penn. “We are honored to have her join our Club and bring her visionary perspective to San Diego FC. Her passion for empowering the next generation aligns perfectly with our mission, and her commitment to creating opportunities for young talent domestically and globally reflects the core values of Right to Dream. We also look forward to creating meaningful connections between the music world and San Diego FC, uniting communities through the shared power of culture and sport.”
Tems has captivated audiences worldwide with her music, earning accolades such as a GRAMMY Award for Best African Music Performance for “Love Me JeJe” from her acclaimed debut album Born In The Wild, as well as a GRAMMY award for her work on Future’s chart-topping, triple platinum single “Wait for U,” and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her work on “Lift Me Up,” the lead single off the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Her artistry and authenticity have made her an icon of empowerment and cultural connection – values that align seamlessly with San Diego FC’s vision to unite communities through the global game.
“I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a Club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community,” said SDFC Club Partner Tems. “Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
The Lagos, Nigeria native joins a distinguished group of Club Partners who share a commitment to excellence and community engagement, including trailblazing actress Issa Rae, World Cup-winning footballer Juan Mata, retired U.S. Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, and founding partner and San Diego Padres’ perennial MLB All-Star Manny Machado.
Tems is joining San Diego FC is in partnership with Pave Investments, an African private investment firm that was recently involved in leading an investment group to invest in NBA Africa’s entity in 2021. Tems joins a group of influential global figures whose personal journeys and achievements deeply align with the values and vision of both Right to Dream Academy and San Diego FC. As part of this commitment, Tunde Folawiyo, Chairman of Pave Investments, and Kwamena Afful, Founding Director of Pave Investments, will also join the San Diego FC ownership group. Together, this diverse group brings their individual global platforms, influence, and personal commitment to amplify the mission of Right to Dream Academy and San Diego FC – to inspire and empower communities meaningfully on and off the pitch.
To learn more about SDFC’s ownership group, please visit www.sandiegofc.com/ownership.
About San Diego FC
San Diego FC is an expansion team in Major League Soccer, scheduled to begin play at Snapdragon Stadium in 2025. San Diego FC is jointly owned by Sir Mohamed Mansour, a distinguished entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist with global ties in the sport, and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, the first Native American tribe with a significant ownership stake in a men’s professional team, across all major sports leagues. Manny Machado, San Diego’s perennial MLB All-Star, is an investor in the Club. San Diego FC is a proud member of the Right to Dream community, a group of youth academies and professional football clubs around the world. San Diego FC’s stated vision is to become the epicenter of football excellence and innovation in North America.
About Right to Dream
Right to Dream is a global football community of world-class academies, clubs and educational partners with a unique approach to identifying and nurturing talent. Right to Dream provides professional football and education pathways for all students through this network. Founded in 1999 by social entrepreneur, Tom Vernon, Right to Dream began in Ghana, adding the first fully residential girls academy in Africa in 2013. To further development opportunities, in 2015 Right to Dream acquired Danish club, FC Nord sjælland (FCN) with teams playing in the mens Superliga and womens Kvindeliga, a club that has now been recognised for having the youngest top tier team in Europe for the past 5 years. In 2023 both academies ranked best in Denmark by Danish FA. In 2022, this approach expanded to Egypt after purchasing TUT FC, a professional women’s and men’s team. Whilst also opening the RTD Academy, Egypt in 2023. In the same year RTD announced they had acquired the 30th MLS franchise in San Diego, in partnership with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. The team start playing in Spring 2025, alongside the opening of another academy developing boys and girls in San Diego. By 2025 Right to Dream will have four strategically placed academies in Ghana, Egypt, Denmark and now the US under the same multiple pathway model. www.righttodream.com