Founder/Executive Director
Charis
The Founder and CEO of Humanity Hale, home grown right here in Kailua-Kona, has been an advocate for underserved youth for many years. Charis has been involved with community organizations, who’s primary goals were cultivating change and fostering a sense of well-being within our youth. As a mentor for Sunburst Youth Academy & Awaken Arts, with additional training in art therapy, she heard endless stories of sexual and physical abuse, sex-trafficking, self-harm and unfathomable traumas. After mentoring several groups of these strong, amazing young kids over several years, it became very obvious to her that her life mission was to create a safe haven…A place to cultivate warriors who could do more than survive, but to thrive! It has taken four years, working three jobs to self-fund Humanity Hale, but with the support of the amazing people within our Big Island Community, we were able to launch our first program Happy Hearts, Healing Arts, June 2022! Her three year goal is to create a large group foster home, a community center and housing for foster youth aging out of the foster care system. “We have witnessed foster kids being passed around from home to home and being forced back into unsafe environments and we will do everything in our power to create a fully staffed, permanent housing foundation for them, for as long as they need us. A place to keep them safe, protected and loved…A place to create healing and the life skills needed to become contributing members of society…A place they can always call their home…We are that place…we are their forever hale and we will be their forever ohana.” Charis dreams big, but there are no limits to the healing we can create when we come together in love.
Kim Brown
Born and raised in Kailua Kona Hawaii, Kim Brown has been actively serving her community over the years. Kim dedicates her days off to nonprofit organizations such as Ikaikamauloa Youth Foundation, where she coaches boxing on the weekends, and now Humanity Hale, where she gets to be a champion for inclusion, diversity, and growth. As a member of the LGBTQ family, Kim knows how it feels to be placed in less than ideal circumstances as it relates to gender and equality. These challenges have only built her resilience and Kim is determined to help create a space where it’s safe for all children to recognize and respect themselves and others for who they truly are. Kim believes using her own experience to mentor youth is a critical ingredient in supporting positive outcomes for our Keiki, their healing, and their future.
Brianna Torres
Dominique Jacot
for Creativity Explored in San Francisco, an Art Center for individuals with developmental disabilities. She also has been teaching art and gardening at the Ke Kula ‘o Ehunuikaimalino Hawaiian immersion school in Kealakekua, where her two sons, Kai and Zed, attended school. She also has taught art to keiki throughout South and North Kona, and has volunteered in numerous community events that involved caring for the ʻāina and its people.
Dominique’s home is on a Kealakekua farm, which she strives to make a puʻuhonua, a place of refuge that is at once safe and healing. It is here where she raised her sons and where she grows numerous vegetables and fruits in a manner that is sustainable. It is a place which she now extends to others when they need a place of refuge.
For Dominique, art has sustained her in difficult times, and it is a gift that taught her how to free and heal herself, which she now wants to use to give back to the community. “In art anything is possible, there are no limits! There is room for everything, we make the invisible visible! We can create space and give voice to the unspoken or forgotten. “We learn from each other no matter what age or story we carry, and we can share and exchange our humanity. That in itself creates connections and ripple effects to bring healing into this world, one small step at a time.”
Malia Tanaka
Spencer Kelly
Board of directors
President
Anne van Leynseele
Attorney, Anne van Leynseele’s spent four years as a federal attorney advisor in Washington DC. Prior to that, Anne managed commercial transactions, business development of production and technology start-up entities, advised on process efficiency, defined stronger corporate communication strategies for Fortune 100 companies, and did business management consulting in Sydney, Australia, as well as other Pacific Rim countries. Anne is also an author, having just finished another book, Savor Your Chocolate, Anne is refining her patent pending processing technique for cacao into a savory product line and developing her website www.FlavoroftheHand.com to encourage capturing family food traditions. Next under Cultivating Change Media, Anne is currently writing Girls to Rule, wherein she delves into the societal forces that oppress girls’ full potential; interwoven with statements from global female leaders on the obstacles they overcame. Through sharing exemplary individual success stories, Anne proposes needed interventions to thwart stifling girls to build more strong women to run the world. In her spare time, Anne van Leynseele mentors at-risk youth, surfs, travels, is an amateur fashionista, and co-owns/manages an international award- winning chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
Secretary
Chantelle Kapua- Secretary
Chantelle Kapua is an O’ahu born, Native Hawaiian mother, wife, and mentor. Her passion to serve the community of Hawai’i derives from her own experiences as a teenager and young adult. These experiences drove her to volunteer over the years for various community organizations, schools, and events, working directly with youth. Her mission is to make a difference in other’s lives by providing support, being present, and allowing them to see their true potential.
Chantelle holds an A.S. in Audio Production and currently serves as the Booking and Artist Manager for Haku Collective, a full-service music, media and talent production group. With over 25 years of experience in Hula, she brings an additional and strong cultural presence to Humanity Hale.
Treasurer
Lynn Nguyen- Treasurer
I was born and raised in Hawaii, and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2018 with a B.S. in Biology. I originally intended to be pre-med and was accepted into the John A. Burns School of Medicine, but found my true calling in the field of social work. My first “real job” post-college was with Parents and Children Together, where I worked as a home visitor for about 4 years. Then, I started working with Big Brothers Big Sisters as their enrollment and match specialist in 2022. Now, I’m with Aloha United Way and assist with managing their funds and grants as their Community Impact Coordinator. I have experience with managing finances through my current position, and I also was formerly the Treasurer for the Golden Key Honor Society. I am passionate about working with youth and working to further improve and support our community. In my free time, I am usually trying to stay active, so I’ll either be camping, hiking, or at the beach with family and friends.
Board Member
Kekoa Kapua-Board Member
Kekoa Kapua is currently the Director of Recreation at the Four Seasons Hualālai. His passion for Humanity Hale comes from having a handful of mentors to help him overcome his childhood trauma. As an underprivileged youth & growing up in low income housing, he is a product of perseverance & determination to break the generational curse that has been set on his family. His joy comes from serving his wife, two daughters & the youth in his community.
Vice President
Kristin Francis
Beyond the fitness realm, Kristin Francis is also a part owner of Big Island eSports, where she diligently manages operations, payroll, social media presence, website maintenance, and marketing efforts. Recognizing the significance of comprehensive well-being, Kristin co-founded MindFull Parent Life Coaching. In this venture, they assume responsibilities encompassing operations, program development, marketing initiatives, recruitment, social media management, and community involvement. Through their coaching programs, Kristin empowers and supports parents, guiding them through the challenges and triumphs of parenthood, while fostering healthy family dynamics and personal growth.
With a diverse background encompassing communications, marketing, and entrepreneurship, Kristin Francis seamlessly integrates their expertise to make a positive impact within the fitness industry and the lives of parents. Their unwavering dedication to community involvement and the cultivation of supportive environments is evident in all their endeavors. Kristin’s remarkable journey exemplifies the transformative power of combining passion, knowledge, and a genuine commitment to making a difference.