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Team & Board

Since 2020, the Learning for Well-being Foundation has established an intergenerational board with members of different ages, all of whom have equal voting power.

We offer specific support to younger board members to help them prepare for board meetings and engage safely and meaningfully.

Daniel Kropf

Chair and Founder

Corinne Evens

Co-founder and Board Member

Cova (Maria) Orejas

Vice Chair

Freek Noordman​

Secretary and Treasurer

Maria Herczog

Board Member

Konstantinos Papachristou

Youth Board Member

Miguel Chantelot

Youth Board Member

Dominic Richardson

Managing Director

Yakarah Attias-Rosen

Director of Operations & Planning

André Camecelha de Abreu

Executive Assistant

Giovanni Vassallo

Grants Manager

Celia Hsiao

Head of Programmes

Carolina Ledezma

Head of Communications

Luis Manuel Pinto

Programme Lead

Hila David

Programme Lead

Maria Belén Paz

Programme Lead

Darren Bird

Child Rights Consultant

Valeria Valda Vera

Communications Officer

Chiara Piccolo

Advocacy and Partnerships Specialist

Léa Verzeroli

Junior Project Officer

Willemijn van Sandick​

Fincancial Advisor to the Board

Pro-Bono Collaborators​

Jonathan Wohl

Legal Advisor to the Board

L4WB-Fellows & Associates

Colin Longhurst

L4WB Fellow

Jean Gordon
(1949-2019)

Senior Fellow: Co-editor of the L4WB Magazine

Linda O'Toole

Senior Fellow: Co-editor of the L4WB Magazine / Research

Moshe Garelik

Associate: Partnership Advisor

Raymond Georgis

L4WB Fellow

Shanti George

Senior Fellow

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The Learning for Well-Being Foundation

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File No. 34206704
Dutch RSIN 813511860

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Copyright © 2025 Learning for Well-Being Foundation

Daniel Kropf

Chair and Founder

Daniel is the Founding Chair and Chair of the Learning for Well-being Foundation, formerly the Education Foundation. From a young age onwards, Daniel took a great passion in a more holistic approach of human beings, education and health care.

As a healthcare entrepreneur, Daniel has always pursued a deeper understanding of human functioning. With diverse approaches encompassing tools and methodologies from the Western and Eastern cultures. He has established, chaired or directed several healthcare businesses ranging from biofeedback and cognitive behavioural therapy to tools for genetic diagnostics, cell therapy, glycol-protein mapping, finger printing and sequencing to medical devices. He is also a Board member of the Evens Foundation, of EPTO (European Peer Trainers Organization) and on the board of EIESP (European Institute for Education and Social Policy).

Daniel is married and currently living in Belgium.

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Corinne Evens

Co-founder and Board Member

Ms. Evens is a prominent figure in the realms of international business and philanthropy. As the President of the Evens Foundation, she has dedicated her efforts to fostering diversity, respect, and tolerance throughout Europe. Her work includes providing grants, organizing conferences, and recognizing significant cultural and educational initiatives. The Evens Foundation also contributes to European social integration through its Prizes for Intercultural Education.

Ms. Evens launched her career in real estate by establishing a business in Paris focused on property acquisition, renovation, and resale. She has since expanded her real estate ventures internationally, with investments in Belgium and France. Since 1997, she has managed several real estate companies and holdings in France. Prior to her business career, Ms. Evens was active in the arts. She trained in cinema at New York University from 1975-1977 and subsequently worked as an assistant to a producer. From 1981 to 1985, she directed documentaries and video art in Paris and Belgium.

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Cova (Maria) Orejas

Vice Chair

Maria is currently the Director of Operations at the Evens Foundation. Before joining the Evens Foundation, she was the Director of Policy & Programmes and a member of the Leadership Team at the European Foundation Centre. The EFC is a Brussels-based international platform representing over 300 institutional foundations and corporate funders focusing on Europe and an eye towards improving the global philanthropic landscape. She has held senior positions at international associations for more than a decade.

Maria is currently a Board Member of The Learning for Well-being Foundation and also of Social Economy Europe, the voice of social business in the EU. She is a member of the Steering Committee of Community Living for Europe: Structural Funds Watch created by the Lumos Foundation and Co-Chair of GAP, UN-Habitat III philanthropy group. She also dedicates time to help as an Advisory Board Member of Belgium Play 4 Peace and as a correspondent in Belgium for the Olbios Network.

Maria started her career as a practising lawyer and is a Member of Madrid’s Bar. She graduated with a Law degree from the University of Oviedo (Spain) and the University of Aberystwyth (UK) in 1997, and she completed post-graduate studies in European Affairs Law at the University of Paris – Assas II (France) in 1999.

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Freek Noordman

Secretary and Treasurer

Freek Noordman is a senior tax consultant for Pereira. Although he is an all-round professional, he mainly focuses on the planning of corporation and income tax of companies and private individuals. The clients are mainly international corporations and internationally operating private persons. ‘As a tax consultant, I am constantly challenged to solve relatively complex issues, and to find concrete solutions for complicated tax situations. I really enjoy bringing in my creativity in my work.’ Working at Pereira since: November 2008 Educational background: Tax law, University of Groningen. During his studies, Freek was the editor-in-chief of a tax journal, Forfaitair.

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Maria Herczog

Board Member

Maria Herczog has started working as the senior technical advisor of Better Care Network in November 2015. She is an economist and a sociologist with over 35 years of experience in teaching at university courses and in vocational training courses.

Maria has been playing an important role in the child protection reforms of Hungary and other transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe during the last almost three decades in different capacities, as a temporary scientific advisor of UNICEF, WHO, Council of Europe, national governments, and the EU. She has been also active in the building of the civil society in the CEE region, becoming the first Eastern European member of the executive board of IFSW for 6 years, later a board member of IFCO for two years. She was elected to the UNCRC Committee in 2006 and reelected in 2010, where she was the rapporteur of the Committee for the last 2 years. A founding member of Eurochild on behalf of the Family, Child, Youth Association operating in Hungary with her different leadership roles since 1993. She has been working as an elected member of the Management Board in 2009, and as president since 2010 in Eurochild.

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Konstantinos Papachristou

Youth Board Member

Konstantinos Papachristou is studying politics and international studies at the University of Warwick. He is the founder of the 1st online think tank for teenagers in Greece, Teens4greece. He has also gained international experience by being a member of the Eurochild Children’s Council and the Child Advisory Team that was set up by Child Rights Connect. For his advocacy work for children rights he was also nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize of 2019. He is a member of the youth group working for Act2gether and in his own words : ‘ It’s a great pleasure to work with such an inspiring team of individuals that aim to change the world by inviting all generations to work together and create a just and sustainable world’. Additionally, he is currently developing Teens4world, a global initiative that young people can use to raise their voice.

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Miguel Chantelot

Youth Board Member

Miguel Chantelot is a student at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), pursuing a Bachelor’s in bioengineering. His passion lies in addressing inequalities within the educational system and recognizing the long-term effects such disparities can have on children. This commitment has been shaped by a lifetime of personal experiences, motivating him to advocate for the widespread adoption of the Learning for Wellbeing approach in schools worldwide, which he believes holds the key to helping resolve educational inequalities.

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Dominic Richardson

Managing Director

Dominic Richardson leads the Learning for Well-being Foundation with a wealth of experience researching family policies and child well-being. Prior to joining the foundation, Dominic served as Head of the Education Research Unit and the Social Policy and Economic Analysis Unit at UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight.

He has also contributed to the OECD Social Policy Division, where he worked on diverse studies in child well-being, family policy evaluation, integrated human services, and social impact investment. Dominic’s commitment to advancing policies that support holistic development drives his work at the Learning for Well-being Foundation.

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Yakarah Attias-Rosen

Director of Operations & Planning

With over 20 years of managerial and leadership experience across the business and non-profit sectors, Yakarah specializes in operational and financial management, team well-being, planning and compliance.

Her inward focus strengthens the foundation’s internal operations, building a well-functioning, cohesive organization that values the well-being of its people as much as its processes, providing a solid base for the outward-facing work of the Managing Director and ensuring the team can carry out its activities effectively.

As a certified LOTS® Coach and a trainer in Nonviolent Communication and Human Dynamics, she brings expertise in fostering dialogue and understanding. Her upbringing across South Africa, Ireland, and Israel shaped her appreciation for diversity and her drive to enhance relationships, particularly between adults and children, through inner exploration and mutual respect.

When not ensuring the smooth operations of the Foundation, Yakarah enjoys yoga, running, and singing.

She finds inspiration in travel and cherishes quality time with her family.

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André Camecelha de Abreu

Executive Assistant

André provides executive support to the Managing and Executive Directors of the Learning for Well-being Foundation.

With a background in Communication Sciences and over a decade of experience in cultural industries, he has skills in relationship building and events coordination, aligning with the foundation’s mission to create environments where every child can fulfill their unique potential.

Passionate about creating inclusive, meaningful connections, André believes collaboration, trust, and respect are essential for fostering transformative growth.

In his free time, he enjoys classic cinema and exploring Lisbon’s vibrant cultural scene, finding inspiration in the arts’ ability to unite diverse perspectives.

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Giovanni Vassallo

Grants Manager

Based in Rome (Italy), Giovanni Vassallo conducts monitoring and reporting of existing grants and, in collaboration with the Programmes Team, identifies funding opportunities and delivers grant proposals that align with the Foundation’s values and goals.

Before joining L4WB, Giovanni spent the last 7 years working on national and EU grants – namely Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe – on behalf of companies and universities, where he also managed education projects aimed at involving and empowering young people. He previously worked as a journalist, where he tried to give voice to those most in need.

He strongly believes in the power of empathy, honesty and meaningful relationships. In his free time, he dedicates himself to activities that fill his cup, such as spending time with his wife and daughter, travelling, swimming, and connecting with nature.

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Celia Hsiao

Head of Programmes

Celia Hsiao leads the Learning for Well-Being Foundation’s programmatic portfolio by bringing the holistic well-being of children, youths, and the adults serving them to the forefront. Trained as a researcher in developmental psychology, Celia brings over a decade of knowledge, expertise and experience in child development research and practice, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Prior to joining the foundation, Celia served as Director at the LEGO Foundation heading up the foundation’s first evidence initiative focusing on measurement. She also served as Research Manager at Save the Children South Africa, using research across programmatic areas to strategically position Save the Children as a leading and credible child rights organization in South Africa.

Having worked in academia, civil society, and private philanthropy, Celia has persistently advocated against ‘cutting the child up’ into pieces to better suit adults’ needs. Children’s needs and their development are deep and complex, and it is only by seeing and understanding the child as a whole can we truly effect the meaningful change we all strive for. Celia is excited to have joined the L4WB-F to achieve exactly that.

In her spare time, Celia delights in her two young children, who are true funny bunnies and whose laughter and giggles are the sweetest sounds on earth (other than the sound of silence of course!)

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Carolina Ledezma

Head of Communications

Carolina was born and raised in Bolivia and holds a Bachelor degree in Graphic Design and Visual Communications. She has worked in branding, institutional communication for social development, sustainability, and education. She also loves teaching and has different interests that go from calligraphy to user experience research and psychology.

She is a mental health advocate and aims to help build a community based on empathy and mutual collaboration that acknowledges the importance of emotional education. In addition, she enjoys reading and discovering new music and artistic movements.

Carolina is responsible for the L4WB’s communication management, working to bring more visibility to the Foundation’s projects.

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Luís Manuel Pinto

Programme Lead

Luis designs and facilitates educational programmes that nurture holistic well-being, anchored in the recognition of self-organisation and inner diversity. In his role, he creates initiatives that cultivate core capacities, bridging physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual growth to align with the foundation’s mission of realising one’s unique potential.

Luís has 20 years of experience in elementary school teaching, youth work, educational science, and personal development. He brings expertise in strategic planning, somatic practices, and participatory approaches to learning.

Passionate about the intersection of body awareness and spiritual growth, Luis believes in the body’s role as a tool for self-knowledge and deeper connection. Outside of work, he enjoys cultural activism, performance art, and exploring the rich potential of embodied practices. He currently lives in Redondo, a small village in the interior of Portugal.

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Hila David

Programme Lead

Hila David leads the Relationship and Communication Programme at the Learning for Well-Being Foundation, focusing on enhancing communication skills and fostering the holistic well-being of families. She specializes in nurturing healthy relationships between couples, parents and children, and individuals.

Hila is a certified personal and couples counselor, mediator, and Nonviolent Communication (NVC) facilitator, as well as an NLP Trainer with over a decade of experience leading NVC trainer courses. Previously, she served as CEO and Professional Director of “Meitarim,” the Center for Nonviolent Communication based in Israel, where she co-developed the NVC coaching training programme.

Passionate about guiding individuals and groups, Hila helps people develop self-awareness, effective communication skills, and stronger relationships. She believes in the transformative power of mindful communication to resolve conflicts, boost self-confidence, and create fulfilling and meaningful lives.

In her free time, she enjoys exploring self-development and spirituality, spending time with her family, traveling, and connecting with nature.

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Maria Belén Paz

Programme Lead

In her different roles for the last 6 years Maria has been supporting the implementation through the Learning for Wellbeing framework of the Act2gether global programme with her expertise on Child Participation and building strong international partnerships that would support this development.

Passionate about children’s rights and participation from an early age as a young activist, Maria pursued a path in International Law, Human Rights Mechanisms and Cooperation. Born in Bolivia and later moving to Paris, she specialized in education and children’s rights, leading initiatives like the ‘Education for Peace Programme’ with Initiatives of Change France. She was also part of the Core Team of the global conference CATS Children as Actors for Transforming Society for 5 years. Returning to Bolivia in 2016, Maria opened the Latin America office for CATS that then became Act2gether, where she has driven projects on child participation and intergenerational collaboration.

Maria has a 7 years old daughter who she enjoys playing with very much. She likes to spend time in nature, reading, traveling, and engaging with diverse cultures and ages worldwide building bridges between hearts.

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Darren Bird

Child Rights Consultant

Darren Bird has dedicated his entire career to working with children and young people, holding roles in NGOs, local government, and private practice in play work, education, youth work, and children’s rights. His 12-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Funky Dragon—the Children and Young People’s Assembly for Wales—marked a key chapter in his commitment to youth empowerment.

At the Learning for Well-being Foundation, Darren advises integrating participatory approaches and ensuring children’s voices are genuinely heard, reflecting the foundation’s core values.

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Valeria Valda Vera

Communications Officer

Hailing from La Paz, Bolivia, Valeria holds a background in Graphic Design and Visual Communication and a Master’s in Communication and Digital Marketing. She brings her skills in graphic design and marketing strategy to the Learning for Well-being Foundation, managing the foundation’s visual identity and social media presence.

Valeria finds balance through travel and meditation, which fuel her curiosity, broaden her perspective, and keep her centered. Exploring new cultures and meditative practices nurtures her growth and resilience, helping her approach life with gratitude and clarity.

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Chiara Piccolo

Advocacy and Partnerships Specialist

Growing up in Naples, Chiara Piccolo embodies the energy and passion of her Italian roots, with a strong foundation in pedagogy, philosophy, and psychology. She moved to Brussels in 2006 and has since focused her work on EU policies in child rights, education, and social inclusion.

At L4WB, Chiara cultivates relationships with EU institutions and key stakeholders, overseeing the Learning for Well-being Foundation’s advocacy for education, social welfare and mental health, following the L4WB perspective to put the child at the center in any EU policies related to children’s holistic well-being. She has been part of the European Commission’s expert group on enhancing supportive learning environments for vulnerable learners and for promoting wellbeing and mental health at school.  She is a proud mother of two boys and a political activist.

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Léa Verzeroli

Junior Project Officer

Growing up in Southwest France, Léa Verzeroli found inspiration in her surroundings to pursue education as a path to societal change. With a Bachelor’s in Humanistic and Scientific Culture and a Master’s in Educational Sciences, she combines theory and practice to drive innovation in education through a holistic and systemic approach.

At the Learning for Well-being Foundation, Léa leads educational projects to create learning environments that promote well-being and inspire meaningful school reform. Her commitment to childhood development and youth empowerment guides her work and aspirations.

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Willemijn van Sandick​

Financial Advisor to the Board

Founder of Vastrecht, Willemijn van Sandick brings over three decades of expertise in tax law and administrative services to her role as Financial Advisor. After spending eight years with a major tax law firm, Willemijn founded her own firm, where she has spent 24 years specialising in tax advisory, administrative support, and financial issue resolution for families. Her work often involves serving as an executor of wills or financial guardians, fostering her clients’ trust and peace of mind.

At the Learning for Well-being Foundation, Willemijn provides essential administrative services that underpin the foundation’s growth and sustainability, ensuring that the organisation can focus on its purpose to promote holistic child development and well-being.

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Jonathan Wohl

Legal Advisor to the Board

Jonathan Wohl is a lawyer in the Paris office of the international law firm McDermott Will & Emery where he advises on international business transactions and is also head of the pro-bono practice of the office.

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Colin Longhurst

L4WB Fellow

Colin Longhurst is a fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA), Dutch Register Accountant (RA). He kindly served pro-bono as the Financial Advisor and Secretary to the Board for eight years and has just recently stepped down from his post. His commitment to the team, expertise and clarity of mind were a great source of comfort and support which has helped the foundation become what is it today. Colin continues to follow the work of L4WB-F with interest and in the light of his invaluable contribution will always be an honorary member of the foundation.

Jean Gordon (1949-2019)

Senior Fellow: Co-editor of the L4WB Magazine

As a Senior Fellow of the L4WB-F, Jean had been with us from the beginning of the foundation’s establishment. Jean was an integral part of the Learning for Well-being family and her passion and energy were the source of countless activities that enriched and improved all of our lives. Her strong personality, love for contributing to what she believed in, constant support, advice and dedication to our shared work will  be sorely missed.

Bringing change and improvements to education and training and all situations where children, young people and adults are learning so that everyone can flourish and lead happy, healthy and meaningful lives was the core of Jean Gordon’s work. She worked for many years for a European institute (European Institute of Education and Social Policy) based in Paris working mainly with the European Union, the countries across Europe, and in the Mediterranean region. Her work aimed to contribute to lifelong learning opportunities and personal development through improving access to learning and its recognition, individualising pathways, developing key competences and increasing transparency of learning and qualifications.

Jean was the Joint Editor of the European Journal of Education from 2004 to 2015 and a Co-editor of the Learning for Well-being Magazine. She enjoyed writing and editing articles and reports so that more people could inform themselves about new ideas and initiatives. She worked with the Learning for Well-being Foundation developing advocacy tools and partnerships to support Learning for Well-being for children, young people and adults in different settings.

Linda O’Toole

Senior Fellow: Co-editor of the L4WB Magazine / Research

Linda’s professional experience has focused on helping individuals and groups understand their distinctive ways of functioning in order to enhance their interactions and achieve their goals. She is particularly interested in the patterns through which people engage and process their inner and outer experiences. Her approach uses a whole system perspective, integrating the cognitive, emotional, and sensory aspects. In the 1980s Linda played a key role in original research on individual differences, later formulated as Human Dynamics. As Director of Training & Product Development for over 20 years, she designed and delivered seminars, including producing multimedia workshop materials. She trained facilitators in more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Linda began working with L4WB-F in early 2006, participating in the Voice of Children surveys. She developed the L4WB Framework, offers workshops, and is co-editing the L4WB Magazine. She has found a home within L4WB-Foundation for her approach to inner diversity.

Moshe Garelik

Associate: Partnership Advisor

Activist for entrepreneurship and international relations in the European Union.
After his rabbinical studies in the USA, France and Israel Moshe was ordained Rabbi in Australia in 1995. He taught and successfully ran several non-profit organisations in the education, cultural, humanitarian, social and religious sectors. Currently, he is facilitating UniOne way of life through networking of relevant foundations and individuals.

Raymond Georis

L4WB Fellow

In 1954, Raymond received a Doctorate in Law from the University of Louvain and in 1957 got a diploma in Economic and Political Sciences from the College of Europe in Bruges. In 1962-63, he spent a year in Paris to study Economics and Educational Planning.

In 1958-60, he was appointed Administrator at Western European Union in London and was transferred from 1960-1962 to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. From 1963-1966, Raymond was Professor in Planning and Financing of Education at the UNESCO Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration at New-Delhi. In 1967, he was recruited by the European Cultural Foundation in Amsterdam to manage its Plan Europe 2000 and, in 1973, he became Secretary General of the Foundation until his retirement in 1995.

Raymond was the Founding Chairman, in 1989, of the European Foundation Center in Brussels and has since remained involved in the world of Foundations: Director of the Association for Innovative Cooperation in Europe in Brussels from 1995-2001 and of its successor the Network of European Foundations (NEF) from 2002-2004, he was Secretary General of the Madariaga College of Europe Foundation from 2005 until 2007. Raymond Georis served as Chairman to the Board of the Foundation for 14 years and has just recently stepped down from his post.

He is former Chairman of the Foundation’s Board & former Board Member. His commitment to the ideas and purpose of Learning for Well-being together with the relationships he forged, has helped the Foundation become what it is today. He continues to be an avid supporter of our work and will always be an honorary member of our Foundation in light of his invaluable contribution.

Shanti George

Senior Fellow

Underlying Shanti’s contributions to the Learning for Well-being Foundation’s support to children and young people is her double experience of childhood — both her own childhood growing up in India and her daughter’s childhood located within the Netherlands where Shanti lives now. This exposure to the diversities and commonalities of childhood in a globalised world has been further enriched by her training as a social anthropologist, which has encouraged her to listen to people’s stories and conversations as a vital part of knowledge generation.

Shanti’s varied career includes positions at universities on three continents and working with Foundations on a similar scale. She has published five books and her many articles have been translated into various languages. Involvement with the Learning for Well-being Foundation enables her to span networks around knowledge, practice, activism and philanthropy– in the exciting context of promoting recognition for children and young people as competent partners with adults in building a just and sustainable world.