About Us

OUR BOARD

Andrea Yoch, President, Chair of the Board

Andrea Yoch, President of Andrea Yoch & Co., is an experienced Marketing professional specializing in small business, media, sports and entertainment. With a diverse range of skills including events, media relations, social media and digital marketing, Andrea knows what it takes to make any project successful. As Vice-President of Business Development at Minnesota United, Andrea was part of the team that was awarded the MLS expansion franchise after building up the NASL team. She has also led a wide range of events for different organizations including the International Champions Cup and WICC, two Minnesota Super Bowls, Twin Cities Summer Jam, Gray Duck Spirits, and Cultivated CBD. Andrea serves on the board for ACES, an organization committed to closing the achievement gap in Minnesota. Proud mother of Ryan and Ben, Andrea has logged many hours on soccer fields. She and her husband Steve currently live in St. Paul. 

Andrea Carroll-Franck, Vice President of Community

Andréa Carroll-Franck is our Vice President of Community, and has been working in community organizations and sports for over 20 years. Additionally, she is the Kicking and Culture Coach for the Highland Park Football program. As a long-time soccer player and coach, she centers youth work practices in sports so players build community, compete to their highest ability, and stay lifelong lovers of the game. She is active in her community, including playing on multiple soccer teams, mentoring young adults, supporting local AmeriCorps programs, and is a current or recent board member with Like a Girl, Monarch FC, and The JK Movement.

Wes Burdine

Wes owns The Black Hart of Saint Paul, a queer soccer bar at the heart of soccer supporters culture in the Twin Cities. After earning his PhD from the University of Minnesota, he spent years as a writer and editor with the 55.1 and Northern Pitch web sites, as well as having written for the Four Four Two and Howler Magazine. He is now the long-time host of the 55.1 soccer podcast and before that, the du Nord Futbol Show. At the center of his work is a mission to make soccer a creative force for good and to build a community energy that creates and drives change is at the center of his work. 

Matt Privratsky, Secretary

Matt is currently the director of government affairs for Nokomis Energy, a clean energy company based in Minnesota. He has worked in journalism, public policy, and communications within public and non-profit sectors for the last decade. In 2016, Matt’s dedication and passion for soccer led him to start covering women’s soccer in Minnesota. He currently runs Equal Time Soccer, a site dedicated to elevating all the fantastic women’s soccer stories that are otherwise under-reported. He lives in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul with his wife Rochelle. 

Allie Schmidt, Designer

Allie Schmidt is the Creative Lead for Marani, a med device startup specializing in maternal and fetal prenatal care. A University of Minnesota soccer alumna and a Graphic Designer by trade, Allie is very excited to see her two passions come together in her work with Minnesota Aurora FC. In addition to her professional life, Allie has coached youth soccer for St. Croix Academy and follows many of her former teammates and players as they continue with their soccer careers. She lives in various places throughout the year, but calls the Twin Cities home every summer.

Mai-Anh Tran, Community Board Member

Mai-Anh Tran is the Associate Vice President of Philanthropic Services at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, the state’s largest community foundation. She has more than 24 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, donor relations and marketing and communications. She has served as a lobbyist for state and federal policies and is a former television news and weather anchor and reporter. Active in her local community, Mai-Anh’s board service includes the social and racial justice nonprofit All Square, 2gen economic mobility for single parents nonprofit Raise the Barr, and the Minnesota Council on Foundations where she co-chairs the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. She is a former Humphrey Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota and holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification through Boston University. Mai-Anh has a daughter in high school, one in college and lives in NE Minneapolis.

Jamie Becker-Finn , Community Board Member

Jamie Becker-Finn has served in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2016 and is currently Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Her policy work is focused on lifting up voices that are otherwise not heard and addressing systemic problems with an anti-racist lens. In addition to her legislative work, Jamie is also an attorney and owns Makwa Coffee, an independent community-focused coffee shop in the city of Roseville. Most importantly, Jamie is a soccer mom of two kids who play for North Suburban Soccer Association (NSSA). Jamie is Leech Lake Ojibwe and maintains strong connections to her tribal community in northern Minnesota.

Susan Earle, Chief Financial Officer

Susan Earle is currently the Budget Director for Ramsey County. With over 10 years of professional experience in public sector budgeting, Susan is very excited to use her public service experience and financial management skills to help bring more women’s soccer to Minnesota! She and her husband live in Minneapolis with their two kids, and feel lucky to call this community home. 

Matthew Bergeron, General Counsel

Matthew Bergeron is an attorney with Larkin Hoffman, where he practices in the firm’s health care and government relations groups. In addition to his professional activities, Matthew, a former high school and collegiate athlete, has coached various youth sports. He has also invested significant time and energy into personal and professional mentoring. Matthew has also held leadership roles in a number of community and non-profit organizations, serving as an officer for the West Side Community Organization, Vinland National Center, and his collegiate alumni board. Matthew and his wife Ashley Nepp currently live in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul with their son. 

FOUNDERS

Elisa Vicuña, Advisory

With over 10 years of experience, Elisa Vicuña is currently a Forensic Services Manager for KPMG, but soccer has always been a part of her life and still is to this day. Her passion for building stronger communities and soccer has led her to be involved in various different community reinvestment activities, such as serving on the Board of Directors as President for ALPFA Twin Cities, teaching bilingual yoga for HCMC, and being a volunteer soccer coach. Embodying what it means to help build up community bonds in order to help them thrive, Elisa believes that investing in communities, be it through service or financially, is the best investment one can make. 

Rob Spence

Rob Spence is a marketing communications consultant, photographer and graphic designer. He is President Emeritus and currently on staff at Saint Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club where he is dedicated to making quality, competitive soccer available and affordable to all kids in St. Paul and surrounding areas. His experience includes apparel development, merchandise management and brand calibration for various Minnesota soccer clubs and other organizations. He lives in St. Paul with his wife Christina and two high school aged sons.