Full Name
Mr. Tony Sanneh
Job Title
CEO
Current Employer
The Sanneh Foundation
Speaker Bio
Tony Sanneh is a former U.S. Men’s National Team player, global sports diplomat, and the founder and CEO of The Sanneh Foundation.
Over a professional soccer career spanning more than fifteen years, Tony competed at the highest levels of the game, including Major League Soccer, Germany’s Bundesliga, and the USMNT. He played every minute of the United States’ historic run to the quarterfinals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. And, following the Summit on May 1, he will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Off the field, Tony has become a leading voice in leveraging sport as a driver of social and economic impact. In 2003, he founded The Sanneh Foundation to use sport as a platform for youth development and community engagement. Under his leadership the organization has grown from one program and a budget of $60,000, into a comprehensive community-based nonprofit with a revolving budget of over $10M. The foundation delivers wraparound services in youth programming, food access, workforce development, and crisis response across the Twin Cities and beyond.
Tony’s work sits at the intersection of sport, community, and economic opportunity—using global sporting moments to create meaningful local impact. As a U.S. Department of State Sports Envoy, he has led international efforts that use sport to promote inclusion, strengthen communities, and foster cross-cultural connections.
At the 2026 Concordia Horizon Summit, he will contribute to a conversation on economic revitalization, workforce development, and the growing role of sports diplomacy. His perspective reflects both lived experience at the highest levels of sport and two decades of building partnerships across government, business, and community to expand opportunity and stability for youth and families.
Over a professional soccer career spanning more than fifteen years, Tony competed at the highest levels of the game, including Major League Soccer, Germany’s Bundesliga, and the USMNT. He played every minute of the United States’ historic run to the quarterfinals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. And, following the Summit on May 1, he will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Off the field, Tony has become a leading voice in leveraging sport as a driver of social and economic impact. In 2003, he founded The Sanneh Foundation to use sport as a platform for youth development and community engagement. Under his leadership the organization has grown from one program and a budget of $60,000, into a comprehensive community-based nonprofit with a revolving budget of over $10M. The foundation delivers wraparound services in youth programming, food access, workforce development, and crisis response across the Twin Cities and beyond.
Tony’s work sits at the intersection of sport, community, and economic opportunity—using global sporting moments to create meaningful local impact. As a U.S. Department of State Sports Envoy, he has led international efforts that use sport to promote inclusion, strengthen communities, and foster cross-cultural connections.
At the 2026 Concordia Horizon Summit, he will contribute to a conversation on economic revitalization, workforce development, and the growing role of sports diplomacy. His perspective reflects both lived experience at the highest levels of sport and two decades of building partnerships across government, business, and community to expand opportunity and stability for youth and families.
Speaking At
