About
THE LEAPINGSTONE TEAM
LeapingStone Foundation is a California based non-profit. We received our 501(c)(3) Letter of Determination in 2008. LeapingStone is focused on providing primary education to children in West Africa.
On this page you can read about our team members. Click here to jump to our West African consultants.
NATALIE HUBERMAN
Founder / President
Natalie is the founder of LeapingStone. She has been a teacher for over thirty years; she served on the board of directors for the Humboldt Arts Council from 2001 to 2006.
In the past decade Natalie and her husband have traveled regularly throughout the developing world, where the West African people captured her heart. In recent years Natalie’s vision of giving back to the communities she has enjoyed visiting has became a reality in LeapingStone, which she founded in June of 2007.
Natalie lives in central California with her husband and three dogs; Mali, Lefty, and Jaya.
MELAYHA FLUKE
Vice President
Melayha has a background in fine art. She lived in New Orleans for twenty years where she worked as a portrait artist, and served on the board of directors of the Humboldt Arts Council.
Melayha has traveled to 33 countries, most recently to volunteer with Project Vietnam doctors, and with Cross Cultural Solutions caring for infants and toddlers in India.
She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and two cats.
JANN CARR
Secretary
After attending college in Sacramento, Jann returned home to Humboldt County, where she pursued a career in dentistry. She currently holds a management position in a large dental practice in McKinleyville CA.
Jann is an avid traveler; her annual vacations include destinations in Europe and Hawaii. Her other interests include literature, theater and music, and attending to her cat and two dogs.
CURT BECKMANN
Treasurer
Curt started his career in the high tech world as a software engineer. After moving through the ranks he co-founded Rhapsody Networks, later bought by Brocade Communications, where he continues to manage product lines.
After years on the sidelines of international development, Curt co-founded The Appropedia Foundation, fostering and expanding open information sharing, and collaborative problem solving.
Curt has a BS in Physics and an MBA. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and son; he has two grown daughters.
JAIME GRANT
Jaime is a founding partner of consulting company Release 3. By developing unique systems to help companies minimize the costs and risks associated with bringing new products to market, Release 3 has found itself clients in the software, professional services and non-profit sectors.
In addition to founding Release 3, Jaime has held several executive and management positions in the software industries. He has been Vice President of Product Strategy at CORESense, Inc. and Director of Professional Services at NextPage Corporation among many others.
EMMA ALMERAS
With a background in international development, Emma completed a Master of Science in Development and Planning with a specialization in Environment and Sustainable Development at University College London.
Looking specifically at the issues of the environment and poverty in low-income nations, she has conducted fieldwork both in London and Mumbai.
Emma has extensive experience in the non-profit sector, focusing on the intersection of the environment and human rights. Her experience includes translation, donor database management, and project development.
NANDOR VADAS
Nandor is currently a Magistrate Judge at the US District Court, Northern District of California.
From 1989 to 1992 he was an Assistant United States Attorney with the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in San Francisco. During this time he was involved in the prosecution of several heroin and cocaine distribution groups based in Africa and South and Central America.
Nandor has been active at many well known organizations throughout his distinguished career, including as member of the Board of Directors for the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, and as member of the Advisory Group of United States Magistrate Judges to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
THE LEAPINGSTONE COMMUNITY
LeapingStone relies on the expert advice and assistance of key contacts both here and in West Africa. Below, you can read about our Togolese consultants.
PAUL AGBOGLO
Paul was born into a family of eight children and attended schooling in Lycee de Tsevie, which culminated in BA in Literature and Philosophy. He also has a BA in Germanistics from the University of Lome in Togo.
From 1993 to 1999 Paul taught German at secondary school; he currently works in the cultural sector as a Tour Leader. He has worked as a ground agent for National Geographic in the making of a documentary film on voodoo, filmed in Togo and Benin.
Paul lives in Lome, Togo. He is married, and is the father of three boys.
ELEONORE D’ALMEIDA
Eléonore holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Graduate Diploma of Finance and Banking from DESS Banque Finance.
She worked for the Central Bank of West African States from 1989 to 2005, including as CEO in 2000, and Controller of Financial Activities from 2003 to 2005 where she specialized in macroeconomics.
Eléonore currently works in management at Josel, a business and consulting firm. She has been a member of the Club St.Jean de Dieu since 1980, and a member of the Soroptimist International Club since 1996, acting as President from 2001 to 2003.
She currently live in Lome, Togo.
ABEL GBOGBO
Abel has a long and rich history as a community organizer. He joined The North American Convention for Togo in 2001 and was elevated to the position of President in 2005. During his term as President he visited refugee’s camps in Africa and oversaw the rehabilitation of local villages when Togolose refugees came under attack in 2006.
That same year, he organized the North America Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina, followed by the 2007 Convention in NYC, New York.
Left to Right M. Vincent Dosseh Omaha, NE, Natalie Huberman Founder Pres. of LeapingStone, Abel Gbogbo, Iowa, President d'AMETOCO, Alfred De Souza, Kansas, Secretaire General.
He regularly negotiates the reinstatement of refugees to other countries, and donates much of his time to assisting fellow Togolese with their immigration. In 2007 he subsequently founded the American Togolese Community, or AMETOCO.
Abel is currently a Senior Residential Advisor at Siouxland Residential Services Inc, where he has worked since 2002. He is also CEO of Victoria-Cargo, a Europe based shipping company, and he holds a management position with Elegant Laptops.
He lives in Sioux City, Iowa with his wife Phany, and their four children.
ED HIHETA
For over fifteen years, Ed had worked in the high tech industries at Silicon Valley. He held a variety of engineering and management positions there, including with NEC America, Octel Communications and many other e-commerce companies.
As well as his extensive experience in high tech, Ed worked in the RTRO/US Peace Corps in Lome, Togo, he co-founded the NGI Legacy, an online publisher of African political, economic and social commentary, and contributed to ‘Ewe of Togo and Benin’, an account of culture and tradition in the lives of Ewe men and women.
Ed currently holds executive positions in a variety of high-tech start-ups, as well as in the Education sector across the US, Europe and Africa. He resides in California.
