White House Author
![](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/files/styles/person_large_photo/public/person-photo/ben_gucciardi.jpg?itok=nU9Xu4ih)
Ben Gucciardi
Ben Gucciardi is the founder of Soccer Without Borders (SWB), a non-profit organization whose mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of underserved youth, providing them with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion and personal success. Each year, Soccer Without Borders’ USA programs create positive team communities for over 750 newcomer refugee, asylee and immigrant youth in Baltimore, Maryland, Boston, Massachusetts, Greeley, Colorado, and Oakland, California. Ben is a former collegiate and semi-professional soccer player and holds a Master's degree in Global Educational Leadership from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.