Major League Soccer, RBC Wealth Management and Black Players for Change today announced the 2025 MLS Hometown Heroes – four Austin-area community leaders who exemplify innovation, resilience, and service.
Each MLS Hometown Hero will receive a $15,000 grant to support the mission of their respective organizations.
These initiatives focus on removing barriers to soccer participation, empowering young people as future leaders, and sustaining and protecting green spaces throughout the Austin area.
The 2025 MLS Hometown Heroes include:
- Fidel Campuzano Gonzalez, Co-Executive Director, Austin Youth River Watch
- LaKissa Bright, Founder & Executive Director, Ladders for Leaders
- Gabriela Kane Guardia, Executive Director, Latinitas
- Bill Wallace, Founder & Executive Director, Tomorrow’s Promise Foundation
Additionally, Ismael Guzmán has been named the 2025 Honorary Hero for his vision and commitment to youth soccer.
He launched East Austin Soccer Club – a community-based initiative that provides affordable soccer and life skills programming to local youth.
Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver will serve as the official ambassador for the 2025 MLS Hometown Heroes program, continuing his commitment to community advocacy and equity-focused initiatives across Central Texas.
“We are honored and grateful to celebrate this extraordinary group of MLS Hometown Heroes, leaders and organizations who drive lasting and meaningful change in communities and lives throughout Austin,” said Sola Winley, MLS Executive Vice President, Chief Engagement Officer. “Showcasing exceptional talent on and off the field and being a force for good speaks to the heart of what MLS All-Star week is all about.”
“As a company deeply rooted in the communities we serve, we are incredibly proud to recognize the work of these Hometown Heroes,” said Shareen Luze, Head of Business Administration for RBC Wealth Management – U.S. “These inspiring individuals and their organizations are making a positive impact in Austin and we are honored to help further their missions.”
In collaboration with Black Players for Change and Austin FC, the honorees will be celebrated at the fourth annual MLS Hometown Heroes Showcase, presented by RBC Wealth Management. The private event will take place on Monday, July 21, at Antone’s in downtown Austin.
"We are incredibly proud to stand alongside Major League Soccer and RBC Wealth Management to honor these exceptional Austin leaders," said Allen Hopkins Jr., Executive Director of Black Players for Change. "Their unwavering dedication to empowering youth, fostering community, and driving positive change truly embodies the spirit of the Hometown Heroes program and inspires us all."
The MLS Hometown Heroes Showcase is one of several official events leading up to the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, featuring MLS vs. LIGA MX on Wednesday, July 23, at Q2 Stadium in Austin.
For more on this year’s honorees, visit MLSHometownHeroes.com.
Austin Youth River Watch
Austin Youth River Watch combines mentorship with intensive environmental education and engages youth through nature-based and experiential service-learning programs in environmental science. Students engage in water quality monitoring, restoration projects, and outdoor experiences—often for the first time. To ensure accessibility, AYRW provides transportation, nutritious meals, and stipends.
Ladders for Leaders
The mission of Ladders for Leaders is to connect high school students to careers through education, training, and impactful internships. We aim to ensure students acquire workplace readiness skills and experience, thus becoming more competitive as they apply to colleges, scholarships, trade schools, or enter the workforce.
Latinitas
Latinitas is an Austin-based nonprofit that empowers girls and their communities through culturally relevant education. Their work helps girls build confidence, develop a strong sense of identity, and grow as leaders while gaining critical content knowledge in technology, media, and creative fields. Through afterschool clubs, summer camps, and youth conferences, Latinitas equips participants with the tools to continue their STEAM education, pursue diverse career pathways, and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Tomorrow's Promise Foundation
Tomorrow’s Promise Foundation seeks to divert children from systems and promote wellness and an upward trajectory in their lives. Understanding that to impact the youth you must also support the parents or caregivers in the home. TPF has taken a holistic approach to connect parents with peer support, parent coaching, direct services, referrals to services and systems education opportunities so they can successfully advocate for their families. TPF centers youth wellness through the lens of youth and offer a number of services in addition to the signature events such as positive youth development, youth coaching and peer to peer mentoring.
Ismael Guzmán and his team established East Austin Soccer Club in 2004 to address a critical gap in the community: the lack of affordable, competitive soccer opportunities for children from low-income families. Guzmán envisioned a place where every player could reach their full potential, without being limited by their family’s financial constraints. The mission was clear: to make high-level soccer accessible to all and to empower youth through the sport.
Guzmán's unwavering dedication to East Austin Soccer Club stems from witnessing the transformative impact of soccer on young players and the belief that sport instills a strong sense of self-worth, discipline, and teamwork. Guzman is particularly passionate about the club's holistic approach, which extends beyond the field to offer life skills and pathways to higher education, including college opportunities through soccer.
