Meet the women building AFC Toronto beyond the pitch and shaping the club's future every day

A football club is built long before matchday.

Behind every announcement, partnership, supporter experience and community initiative is a team working to grow the game, connect with fans and build something that lasts.

As part of She Leads the Game, we're celebrating the women helping shape AFC Toronto beyond the pitch. From establishing the club's identity to creating unforgettable experiences for supporters, these leaders are helping define what professional women's soccer looks like in Canada, both today and for the future.

Helena Ruken | CEO & Co-Founder
For Helena Ruken, AFC Toronto has always been bigger than football. 

As CEO and Co-Founder, she is helping build more than a professional sports team. She leading a club where women can compete, lead and inspire the next generation, while proving what's possible when women's sport is given a platform. 

From launching a founding club in the Northern Super League to fostering a culture rooted in community, ambition and purpose, Ruken's leadership has helped establish AFC Toronto as one of Canada's most exciting new sports organizations. 

 “I came to soccer through my kids involvement in the sport, and I understand firsthand the impact sport has on young girls — building confidence and developing leadership skills. I also saw what was missing. Girls could grow up playing and loving the game, but there was no professional league in Canada for them to aspire to and role models to look up to. That was a big part of why we built AFC Toronto and helped launch this league. We created opportunities for women in girls in soccer that didn’t exist before. 

Building a sustainable professional game takes all of us — investors, players, fans, communities and partners who believe in professional women’s soccer. We all have an important role to play in growing the professional game together, and as the game grows, so do the opportunities for women and girls to see a future for themselves in soccer, on and off the pitch.”

Kathleen Hegarty | Vice President, Brand & Partnerships
Every brand tells a story. Kathleen Hegarty's job is to make sure AFC Toronto's story resonates far beyond the final whistle.

As Vice President of Brand & Partnerships, Hegarty leads the club's commercial partnerships, helping connect organizations with a shared vision for growing women's sport. But for Hegarty, the value of those partnerships goes well beyond investment or exposure. It's about finding organizations that genuinely believe in what AFC Toronto is building and want to help take it further.

"I grew up playing soccer, so it's really special to now be part of building the professional game for the next generation. I want young girls to see a future for themselves in the sport, and that takes more than what happens on the pitch."

For Hegarty, the right partners can play an important role in creating that future.

"They're not just bringing investment or exposure; they're choosing to believe in what we're building and helping us take it further. When brands genuinely get behind women's soccer, it creates more opportunities for players, brings more people into the game and helps the next generation see what's possible."

It's a philosophy that shapes how Hegarty approaches partnerships every day: not simply as business relationships, but as opportunities to build something bigger for the game and the people who love it.

Stephanie Pennie | Director, Fan Engagement 
Whether it's introducing new supporters to the club or creating unforgettable matchday moments, Stephanie Pennie is focused on building lasting connections.

As Director of Fan Engagement, Pennie leads the strategies that bring AFC Toronto to life for supporters across the city. Her work is centred on a simple belief: that the most powerful thing sport can do is make people feel like they belong.

"When people feel connected, they don't just remember the match, they remember how they felt."

For Pennie, turning a first-time attendee into a lifelong supporter isn't about transactions. It's about relationships, every smile, every conversation, every interaction that makes someone feel like they are part of something bigger.

“Lifelong supporters are created through relationships, not transactions.”

Brittany Arner | Director of Operations 
While supporters experience the excitement of matchday, Brittany Arner is focused on everything that makes it possible.

As Director of Operations, Brittany oversees the countless moving pieces that bring AFC Toronto to life, from stadium logistics and team operations to creating an environment where players, staff, partners and supporters can focus on what matters most: the match. For her, no two days look the same, and that is exactly how she likes it.

"Every day is completely different. There are so many projects going on at once and I love the challenge of managing the chaos."

The most rewarding part, she says, isn't the logistics. It's the moments that result from them.

"Definitely the best part has been making our events come to life and seeing new fans in our building, having a great time and making memories with their friends and families. We work hard so our community can have a good time."

The Women Behind the Club
Behind every AFC Toronto matchday is a talented team of women whose work helps bring the club to life. Their expertise spans communications, partnerships, marketing, operations, finance, merchandise, ticketing and community engagement, all united by a shared commitment to growing the game.

This She Leads the Game, we also recognize the contributions of:

• Adjoa Atuahene, Director, Partnership Marketing
• Maailah Blackwood, Director, Digital Content and Creative Productions
• Kaitlyn Jung, Manager, Digital Strategy & Growth Marketing
• Ashley Paul, Manager of Merchandising
• Rosie Nichols, Social and Digital Media Coordinator
• Denise Mendoza, Account Executive, Memberships
• Ashlynne Koly, Account Executive, Ticket Sales
• Tuuli Jauhola, Manager of Community Impact & Engagement
• Fahada Ayderus, Community Engagement Lead

Together, they're helping build not just a football club, but a movement for the future of women's sport.