TC Foundation
About Us
The Tennis Central Foundation is a fully accredited 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization. Our goal is to develop sustainable paths for talent to rise. We want to eradicate financial hurdles from global rising scholar athletes.
Our mission is to find, activate and elevate talented scholar-athletes in areas of the world where poverty and lack of opportunity has hindered them. We will connect them to American scholar-athletes, creating a lasting relationship of shared learning.
Fostering leadership roles in the international community with an emphasis on service and empowerment.
Our Mission
Our mission is to locate, elevate, and activate talented scholar athletes worldwide, removing the hurdles of financial hardship from their path to athletic achievement and educational opportunities.
Our Vision
Let’s create a world where like-minded rising stars assist each other toward collective success. An American student-athlete in Potomac, Maryland, can create a launchpad for an equally talented but less fortunate African counterpart in Lagos, Nigeria.
Meet the Team
President
Samantha Guilder
Samantha Guilder practices law, representing a number of female entrepreneurs and women-led startups, including Tuckernuck, a Washington, DC-based fashion and apparel company. She previously worked at two Big Law firms, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she focused her practice on litigation and antitrust clearance and compliance. Samantha graduated from the National Cathedral School and Princeton University. As a junior she was ranked as high as No. 1 regionally and finished her career ranked No. 10 in doubles nationally, while she won three league championships and was named to the Washington Post All-Met team four times. At Princeton she played singles and doubles and helped the Tigers regain the Ivy League championship and win the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship, defeating the University of Virginia. Her Ivy League championship team was undefeated. Samantha majored in history at Princeton. She then attended law school at George Washington University. Samantha lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband, two sons, Harrison and Campbell, and a menagerie of pets, which currently includes two dogs, two cats, and a toad. She is passionate about continuing to grow the game of tennis by providing exposure and access to talented junior players all over the world who need financial support to do so.
Chair
Olivia Ricchi
Olivia oversees company operations, sales, customer service and communication at Tennis Central. She joined the company in 2017 and brings project management experience from her time in the White House and US Department of State. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the London School of Economics and is the proud mom of three young children who all love tennis. In addition to her daily operations management, Olivia has provided invaluable strategic direction in creating Tennis Central’s youth tennis offerings as well as elevating user experience.
Treasurer
Yann Auzoux
As a former Davis Cup player who starred at his Division I university and was ranked No. 1 in his country, Yann has excelled at every level of the game. And as a coach for WTA/ATP players, NCAA Division I teams, ITF juniors, and grade school and high school programs, Yann has developed players of all ages, from newcomers to stardom. Yann is the visionary behind the Tennis Central Experience, where the focus is placed exclusively on each player’s journey. With the Tennis Central Foundation, Yann’s mission is to build the bridge to the finish line for all under-resourced scholar-athletes to pursue their destiny.