APPLY
VISIT
GIVE
Platform Party
Mr. Thomas Braun
President and Chief Operating Officer, LA Galaxy
STUDENT SPEAKER
Kathy (Thy) Nguyen
BS, Business Administration
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS
- Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal
President - Dr. Jenn Brandt
Dean, Undergraduate Studies - Mr. Thomas Braun
Keynote, President and Chief Operating Officer, LA Galaxy - Dr. Tim Caron
Dean, College of Arts and Humanities - Dr. Kim Costino
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs - Dr. Andrew Drummond
Associate Vice President, Academic Advising and Career Development - Dr. William Franklin
Vice President, Student Affairs - Dr. Justin Gammage
Vice President, Information Technology - Dr. Philip LaPolt
Dean, College of Health, Human Services and Nursing - Dr. Terry McGlynn
Academic Senate Chair - Mr. Edgar Mejia-Alezano
President, Associated Students, Inc. - Ms. Kathy (Thy) Nguyen
Student Speaker, BS, Business Administration - Dr. Enrique Ortega
Associate Dean, College of Health, Human Services and Nursing - Dr. Jessica Pandya
Dean, College of Education - Dr. Bobbie Porter
Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice - Ms. Eva Sevcikova
Vice President, University Advancement - Dr. Tayyeb Shabbir
Associate Dean, College of Business Administration and Public Policy - Ms. Deborah Wallace
Vice President, Administration and Finance - Dr. Joseph Wen
Dean, College of Business Administration and Public Policy
Commencement Speaker
Thomas Braun
President and Chief Operating Officer, LA Galaxy
Tom Braun serves as President of Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer for the six-time MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy. In this role, Tom oversees LA Galaxy, Ventura County FC, LA Galaxy Academy, and the LA Galaxy Foundation鈥檚 business and club operations, reporting directly into AEG President & CEO, Dan Beckerman. Under his leadership, the team has set revenue records in both Ticket Sales, Sponsorship, Programming, Merchandise, Concessions and Foundation. The club also won its sixth MLS Cup championship title in Tom鈥檚 first year as Club President 鈥� the first win in ten years.
In addition to his LA Galaxy responsibilities, Braun also created and leads AEG鈥檚 Sports Business Development. Tom was responsible for organizing and executing the inaugural Soccer Champions Tour in 2022, and the Tours to follow since, featuring several of the most famous international soccer clubs in the world. Tom also designed and launched the inaugural Coachella Valley Invitational: a first of its kind MLS preseason event on the same footprint of the iconic Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Under his leadership, the event has grown from five clubs in 2022 to twenty-two clubs across MLS and NWSL in 2026.
Prior to his current role, Tom was a member of the LA Galaxy executive leadership team for ten years and has been an important figure in the club鈥檚 organizational success. During Tom鈥檚 tenure with the club, he has also expanded the LA Galaxy鈥檚 brand and business in new and innovative ways, including leading the transition of LA Galaxy II to Ventura County Football Club, and from the USL Championship to MLS NEXT Pro. Additionally, Braun supported the development and launch of the LA Galaxy Academy鈥檚 education program 鈥� a first of its kind endeavor for the club and North American sports. The program combines both high-school studies and soccer training, and helps young athletes grow their knowledge and skills both on and off the field.
Previously, Tom was the Director of Analytics and Research at AEG working with multiple sports teams and events including the LA Galaxy (MLS), LA Kings (NHL), LA Galaxy II (USL), Manchester Monarchs (ECHL), Ontario Reign (AHL), Amgen Tour of California and several European hockey and soccer franchises. Prior to joining AEG and the LA Galaxy, Tom was an Associate Vice President of Institutional Equity Sales at FBR Capital Markets in Washington, DC focusing on small- and midcap U.S.-listed equities and private offerings.
In 2023, Tom was named to the prestigious Street and Smith鈥檚 Sports Business Journal鈥檚 Forty under 40 honorees. He obtained his Master of Business Administration degree, with honors, from University of Southern California鈥檚 Marshall School of Business, in Los Angeles, CA. He received a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Marketing and Management from Georgetown University, in Washington, DC. Tom serves on the Advisory Board for the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission.
Tom is a two-time IRONMAN triathlon finisher and a sub-3-hour marathoner and currently participates in various endurance competitions. He resides in Redondo Beach, CA with his wife Raquel and their sons, Jack and James.