Investor, entrepreneur and creative executive. Partner at PLC Venture Capital. Hollywood screenwriter/producer. Technology executive/investor with multiple exits. V Foundation Wine Celebration Board member & Frostig School Trustee. Minority stake in Angel City Football Club of the NWSL and Querétaro in LigaMX.

Serial entrepreneur turned venture investor.  Managing Partner at Grit Capital Partners.  Napkin sketch to IPO founder/CEO.  Investor in tech for digital experiences and transactions.  Sports investments include Italy’s Cesena FC (Serie B), Simplebet.ai (DraftKings), Betr, Jackpocket (DraftKings), Scorestream, ELOS Thermal.

John Smelzer is 30-year veteran of the professional sports industry, having held legal and commerical roles with the World Cup USA 1994, the NFL, NBC Olympics and FOX Sports. A serial entreprenuer, John has co-founed three previous starts ups, including an acquisiton by Yahoo! With twin passions for soccer and travel, John has witnessed the Beautiful Game played in 43 countries around the World. John is a graduate of UCLA and NYU Law.

Brian Kleiban joins AV ALTA FC as the first Head Coach in club history, bringing 20 years of coaching experience. Known for his player development expertise, Kleiban played an integral role in the creation of the LA Galaxy High School Program, with three consecutive National Championship appearances.

Brian previously held internships with FC Barcelona’s first team while under legendary manager Pep Guardiola, as well as the Barcelona B team under Luis Enrique (2008-2013). Additionally, he spent time studying with the Argentina National Team during the Copa America in Peru coached by Marcelo Bielsa (2004). Kleiban credits his experience with these elite programs for his training methodology and team culture. His leadership directly contributed to the development of extraordinary talents, including Alex Mendez (Ajax Amsterdam) and Mexican Nationals Julian Araujo (FC Barcelona) and Efrain Alvarez (Club Tijuana).

During his four years at the helm, he oversaw the progression of over 20 players to the professional ranks.  Most notably, Kleiban was instrumental in the development of: Julian Araujo, Efrain Alvarez, Alex Mendez,  Leonardo Sepulveda, Jalen Neal,  Jonathan Perez, Mauricio Cuevas, Jorge Hernandez, and Ulysses Llanez.  

Kleiban was the head coach of the Chivas USA Academy (2013-2015) and director Total Football, formerly Barcelona USA Academy (2011-2013). Most recently he was appointed head coach at LA Galaxy Academy for the U14, U17 and U18’s (2015-2019) and LAFC So Cal Youth head coach for the U15 and U18’s (2022-2024). Brian was born in Torrance, CA and grew up in La Mirada, CA He holds a National A Senior coaching License.

Raised in the Antelope Valley, Panchito Ramirez was a standout youth player who won a national championship with Ambush Soccer Club and was a four-year varsity starter at Littlerock High School, where he graduated as valedictorian. He went on to play Division I soccer at UC Riverside and later earned his master’s degree on a full scholarship from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.Panchito is a faith-based community leader passionate about investing in local youth and building meaningful partnerships within the Antelope Valley community. He is well known in the community and brings extensive experience working with top soccer organizations like Alianza de Futbol (Role: LA Market Regional Director) and Yours in Soccer Foundation (Role: College Recruitment Advisor).

William Flores was raised in the Antelope Valley, where he grew up playing soccer with local clubs. He went on to play collegiate soccer at Kansas Wesleyan University at the NAIA level. After college, Flores built his career in sales leadership with Verizon, where he led multiple teams and implemented successful sales strategies that consistently exceeded targets. At AV ALTA FC, he combines his passion for soccer and the Antelope Valley community with his background in sales to help grow the club and connect the sport with the region.

Nehemias “NiNi” Blanco started his playing career with the Fresno Fuego FC of USL League Two, and later at Fresno Pacific University (2005-2009). In 2010, Nini signed a professional contract with C.D. Chalatenango of the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador and was also loaned to C.D. Barrio México of the Primera División de Costa Rica. 

After his playing career, NiNi helped lead the Fresno City College Men’s Soccer program to two state titles in 2017 and 2019 as head assistant coach. Over his career, NiNi established a vast network in the professional ranks, while helping young players sign professional contracts. In 2020, he joined Central Valley Fuego of USL League One as Vice President of Futbol, helping to establish both the operations and technical side of the expansion franchise.

Born and raised in Torrance, CA, and an AV resident for 5 years, Arielle Dos Santos holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science, from UC Santa Cruz, and has a background in physical art forms, specializing in printmaking and spatial design. With a strong foundation in strategy and human-centered thinking, Arielle brings a thoughtful, systems-driven approach to brand storytelling and product development to grow the club’s retail presence and connect meaningfully with supporters. 

As a former competitive endurance athlete, she brings grit, tenacity, and disciplined focus to every project, consistently pushing creative and operational boundaries.

Zaki Tahari brings a diverse background to AV ALTA FC, including coaching, scouting, television production and digital media. Zaki holds a USSF C license and a degree in public policy from the University of Southern California. Before joining AV ALTA FC as Sporting Director, Zaki coached for San Fernando Valley FC in UPSL premier and scouted for the US Club Soccer’s Player Development Program.

Born and raised in Preston, England. Andy grew up on soccer (football), including being a season ticket holder for over 10 years at Preston North End. At the age of 17, he made the difficult decision to step away from playing soccer and signed a professional cricket contract, launching a 10-year playing career. His journey included representing England at the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. Following his playing career, Andy transitioned into the business side of professional and international sport, rising through the executive ranks to become Chief Operating Officer of a global cricket tournament staged around the world. In this role, he specialized in partnerships and built an extensive international network across sport and business.
In 2024, Andy joined Rugby Football Club Los Angeles in Major League Rugby as Director of Ticketing and Marketing, where he helped establish the club’s ticketing operations, marketing strategy, and partnership development as part of building a professional franchise in LA.

Marcos Croskey is a multidisciplinary creative from California’s Antelope Valley specializing in brand development, visual storytelling, and strategic marketing. Rooted in his Black and Mexican (Tijuana) heritage, his work blends culture, design, and audience engagement to build impactful brands both on and off the field. His experience spans creative direction, campaign development, and digital marketing strategy — crafting visuals and narratives that drive fan engagement, ticket sales, and community growth. Marcos has collaborated with label companies such as T.W.G GLOBAL and 1OF1, and brands including Polaroid. His work has been featured by Los Angeles Times, USL League One, Urban Pitch, Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, and Sway’s Universe.