Tan Bahia
orn in the UK and currently splitting his time between Winter Garden, FL and London, Tan Bahia is a seasoned financier and real estate developer with a career spanning over two decades. Beginning his journey in banking in the early 2000s, Tan founded Federal Group in 2009, a private equity and debt advisory firm, Prior to this he working within the banking sector with HSBC & Barclays Bank. Since then, he has spearheaded major developments across the UK, New York, New Jersey, and most recently, Florida.
Tan is currently leading several high-profile projects, including the landmark Bath & Racquet redevelopment in Sarasota.
Beyond business, Tan is a lifelong soccer enthusiast and a devoted Arsenal supporter. He has played sport throughout his life and now sees a unique opportunity to bring a major sports franchise to his hometown—aiming to elevate Central Florida’s presence in the world of soccer.
The $110 million initiative includes the preservation and restoration of Hinchliffe Stadium (a National Historic Landmark that was home to the New York Black Yankees, New York Cubans and Newark Eagles), 75 senior low-income housing units and a 4,500-square-foot museum dedicated to Negro League baseball and the Paterson Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Adofo-Wilson was the Deputy Mayor/Director of Economic and Housing Development for the City of Newark, NJ. He also is a 2014 Harvard University Loeb Fellow and a U.S. Army Veteran with degrees from Rutgers University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
As a Patersonian, Baye sees the creation of men’s and women’s professional soccer teams in his hometown as the best way to guarantee Hinchliffe Stadium’s long-term success while meaningfully impacting the diverse communities of Paterson, Passaic County and Northern New Jersey.
Spaced Out – Portrait View
Tan Bahia
orn in the UK and currently splitting his time between Winter Garden, FL and London, Tan Bahia is a seasoned financier and real estate developer with a career spanning over two decades. Beginning his journey in banking in the early 2000s, Tan founded Federal Group in 2009, a private equity and debt advisory firm, Prior to this he working within the banking sector with HSBC & Barclays Bank. Since then, he has spearheaded major developments across the UK, New York, New Jersey, and most recently, Florida.
Tan is currently leading several high-profile projects, including the landmark Bath & Racquet redevelopment in Sarasota.
Beyond business, Tan is a lifelong soccer enthusiast and a devoted Arsenal supporter. He has played sport throughout his life and now sees a unique opportunity to bring a major sports franchise to his hometown—aiming to elevate Central Florida’s presence in the world of soccer.
The $110 million initiative includes the preservation and restoration of Hinchliffe Stadium (a National Historic Landmark that was home to the New York Black Yankees, New York Cubans and Newark Eagles), 75 senior low-income housing units and a 4,500-square-foot museum dedicated to Negro League baseball and the Paterson Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Adofo-Wilson was the Deputy Mayor/Director of Economic and Housing Development for the City of Newark, NJ. He also is a 2014 Harvard University Loeb Fellow and a U.S. Army Veteran with degrees from Rutgers University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
As a Patersonian, Baye sees the creation of men’s and women’s professional soccer teams in his hometown as the best way to guarantee Hinchliffe Stadium’s long-term success while meaningfully impacting the diverse communities of Paterson, Passaic County and Northern New Jersey.
Austin root
Austin began his career on Wall Street in 2000 in Merrill Lynch’s Global Markets and Investment Banking group creating, developing and marketing complex, structured financial products for Fortune 500 companies. Since his days at Merrill Lynch, Austin set up his own company to advise entrepreneurs, small and medium sized businesses in business strategy and development. He also works with multi-family offices, asset managers and investment funds on various types of financing opportunities across the capital stack. Fueled by their passions in soccer and real estate, Austin and Tan set up Federal Sports Alliance in 2023 to create amazing Live-Work-Play ecosystems that add value not only to the clubs themselves but also to the communities and cities that surround them. Austin holds a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Austin is an avid adventurer and explorer of the world having traveled to over 70 countries, diving into anything related to food (eating and cooking!), the built environment, world cultures, ancient wisdom and health and wellness. He is also a fan of soccer!
As former Managing Director of Red Bull New York and then COO of the New York Cosmos, Erik oversaw the construction and operation of Red Bull Arena, recruited international soccer legend Thierry Henry and led the Cosmos to three NASL championships in five years. He won the MLS Executive of the Year Award in 2010.
Erik was also the Managing Director of Match IQ USA, representing the North American commercial and sporting interests of European clubs like FC Schalke 04, Eintracht Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli.
Most recently, he was part of the purchase of Akademisk Boldklub in Copenhagen, Denmark and served as the club’s CEO.
He lives in Northern New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.
Pressed together – Portrait View
Tan Bahia
orn in the UK and currently splitting his time between Winter Garden, FL and London, Tan Bahia is a seasoned financier and real estate developer with a career spanning over two decades. Beginning his journey in banking in the early 2000s, Tan founded Federal Group in 2009, a private equity and debt advisory firm, Prior to this he working within the banking sector with HSBC & Barclays Bank. Since then, he has spearheaded major developments across the UK, New York, New Jersey, and most recently, Florida.
Tan is currently leading several high-profile projects, including the landmark Bath & Racquet redevelopment in Sarasota.
Beyond business, Tan is a lifelong soccer enthusiast and a devoted Arsenal supporter. He has played sport throughout his life and now sees a unique opportunity to bring a major sports franchise to his hometown—aiming to elevate Central Florida’s presence in the world of soccer.
The $110 million initiative includes the preservation and restoration of Hinchliffe Stadium (a National Historic Landmark that was home to the New York Black Yankees, New York Cubans and Newark Eagles), 75 senior low-income housing units and a 4,500-square-foot museum dedicated to Negro League baseball and the Paterson Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Adofo-Wilson was the Deputy Mayor/Director of Economic and Housing Development for the City of Newark, NJ. He also is a 2014 Harvard University Loeb Fellow and a U.S. Army Veteran with degrees from Rutgers University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
As a Patersonian, Baye sees the creation of men’s and women’s professional soccer teams in his hometown as the best way to guarantee Hinchliffe Stadium’s long-term success while meaningfully impacting the diverse communities of Paterson, Passaic County and Northern New Jersey.
Austin root
Austin began his career on Wall Street in 2000 in Merrill Lynch’s Global Markets and Investment Banking group creating, developing and marketing complex, structured financial products for Fortune 500 companies. Since his days at Merrill Lynch, Austin set up his own company to advise entrepreneurs, small and medium sized businesses in business strategy and development. He also works with multi-family offices, asset managers and investment funds on various types of financing opportunities across the capital stack. Fueled by their passions in soccer and real estate, Austin and Tan set up Federal Sports Alliance in 2023 to create amazing Live-Work-Play ecosystems that add value not only to the clubs themselves but also to the communities and cities that surround them. Austin holds a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Austin is an avid adventurer and explorer of the world having traveled to over 70 countries, diving into anything related to food (eating and cooking!), the built environment, world cultures, ancient wisdom and health and wellness. He is also a fan of soccer!
As former Managing Director of Red Bull New York and then COO of the New York Cosmos, Erik oversaw the construction and operation of Red Bull Arena, recruited international soccer legend Thierry Henry and led the Cosmos to three NASL championships in five years. He won the MLS Executive of the Year Award in 2010.
Erik was also the Managing Director of Match IQ USA, representing the North American commercial and sporting interests of European clubs like FC Schalke 04, Eintracht Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli.
Most recently, he was part of the purchase of Akademisk Boldklub in Copenhagen, Denmark and served as the club’s CEO.
He lives in Northern New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.
Joe Giannuzzi
Joe brings over 20 years of corporate operations and project management experience to Federal Finance. With more than seven years as a commercial and residential construction project manager and sales professional, Joe specializes in the development of single-family and multifamily residential communities, ranging in scale from 10 to 500 units. Growing up in the sports town of Pittsburgh, PA, Joe developed a lifelong passion for athletics—from playing competitively and working as a personal trainer to cheering on his hometown’s championship teams. Whether it’s the Super Bowl, World Series, or Stanley Cup, Joe proudly supports the iconic “Black and Yellow” franchises of Pittsburgh.
Siddharth Shankar
A seasoned entrepreneur and leader in the global retail, wholesale, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors. With over a decade of experience, he is best known as the co-founder and driving force behind Tails Trading Group, a company that connects British brands with Asian markets. Under his leadership, Tails Trading grew into the world’s 14th largest brand portfolio company, handling 285 brands and serving over 150,000 global customers.
Originally from India, Siddharth studied computer science engineering before earning an MBA from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He launched his first venture during college and later expanded into global business with Tails Trading.
Key achievements include:
Growing Tails Trading’s £2 billion trade finance arm, currently in talks for a £750 million sale.
Successfully exiting the consumer brand division in 2024 for over $500 million.
Navigating COVID-19 challenges by focusing on UK markets and maintaining business continuity.
Beyond business, Siddharth is a mentor and advocate for sustainable entrepreneurship, contributing to initiatives like Strathclyde Inspire. He continues to work with private equity firms and global companies, advising on strategy, growth, and market expansion.
