Our Team


Stephan Nieuwoudt

Originally hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, I have lived and studied in the United States for the past 8 years. I am recent graduate of Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering. From the early age of 12 I’ve been programming and delving into computer technology. I would like to share my love of technology with others through education. I also am fluent in three languages and am an avid volleyball, basketball and tennis player. In August I’ll start graduate school at Case Western Reserve University in the Physiology and Biophysics department pursuing a PhD.


Chris Churavy

For as long as I can remember, I have been taking electronic devices apart to see how they work. My youthful zeal for electronics led me to study electrical engineering at Cleveland State University, where I was graduated summa cum laude in 2009. Since then, I have been working as an embedded electronics engineer, developing cutting-edge hardware and software for companies as FirstEnergy, ABB, InstroTek Inc., and IEC Infrared Systems to name a few. My primary interests nowadays are in control theory, robotics and sensor technologies. In my spare time, I'm an active musician and avid bicyclist. I also enjoy creative writing and ballroom/swing dancing. Me and my fiancée Rebecca will be getting married in July and we hope to start a family.


Steve Floro

My name’s Steve and hopefully I’ll be your instructor today! I'm studying Media Communication at Indiana Wesleyan University and I love technology of all sorts. My favorite area of tech is video and film production. I’ve done 5+ years of writing, shooting, editing, animation, and special effects composition. I’ve worked as an audiovisual technician for the Cleveland Clinic and done work as an independent videographer. Here at Funutation I’ve taught video production, game design, robotics, 2D and 3D animation, computer repair, and Web page design. I’m also an avid player of paintball, airsoft, and video games. Seeya in class!


Nathan Doerr

Hello! My name is Nathan Doerr and this is my third summer with Funutation. I have a background working with computers and students. I earned my B.S. in Computer Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. I then went on to become an Ohio certified teacher and have several years of experience working in schools. When I am not working with students or computers, I enjoy volunteering in my church, at the Boys and Girls Club, and as a Big Brother.


David Belle

I am a Northeast Ohio native who relocated to Chicago Illinois to study at the Art Institute of Chicago and The Second City. I currently run Patient Technology Group which integrates technoloagy training into the lives of teachers and administrators. I enjoy the benefits of showing people of all ages how to creatively integrate technology practices into their life. My passions include family life, gardening, and frisbee tossing to our Red Merle Border Collie named Pilot.


Sally Maikarfi

My name is Sally Maikarfi. I went to Carnegie Mellon University. I graduated with a degree in Biology and a Masters in Health Care and Public Policy. Carnegie Mellon is a great school for computer science. I was able to take classes in programming and learn a lot about computers and video games! I have worked in many different after school and summer programs with children. I helped organize fun science experiments for the children to do, and helped them with their homework! I love making learning fun for students!


Daryl Royer

I am a technology nerd. My computer interest was formed in the mid 80's out of pieces of lesser geeks. I love video games, movies, some TV and just about any media I can get my hands on. I work for the Indians and Browns Scoreboard crews and I teach at Funutation and the Ohio Center for Broadcasting. Video is my specialty, but I can hold my own with programmers and trivia nerds.


Lisa Zupon

Hi, my name is Lisa Zupon and I am the Education Director/Program Manager for Funutation Tekademy LLC. I am an Art Education graduate from Case Western Reserve and the Cleveland Institute of Art. I received my Masters from Kent State University in Elementary Education. I have a long career of teaching from PreK – Adults. I taught Art in Ohio in the rural suburb of Chardon for 22 yr and at Lake Erie College in Painesville for 12yr; then in the inner city of San Diego, CA for 2 yr; then taught English in Jinan, China for 1yr; and now teaching technology for Funutation. I love to travel and meet new people. My favorite things to do are watch movies, draw and paint.


Kevin Tong

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from San Francisco State University. I will be going to graduate school at Cleveland State University for a Master of Computer and Information Science. I love all things technological and enjoy playing video games. I like to read Scientific American magazines in my spare time.



Jude Fernando

My name is Jude Fernando, I am a rising junior at Clemson University with a major in Computer Information Systems. My interests are hanging out with people, making new friends, working out, and reading a few novels. Things I almost do daily are workout and talk with friends. My life motto is hakuna mata,"no worries", I believe stressing out only makes things worse.


Brandon Miller

I was born in Evansville, Indiana on June 14th, 1987. I am a 2010 graduate from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a focus on performance, interactive-art, audio and video. I've shown work at a number of local galleries including Frontroom Gallery, Project Pop-Up Galleries, and had a performance featured at the 2010 Ingenuity Festival. With a strong art background I will have a more hands-on & interactive approach encouraging creativity and self-learning in the classroom.


Carl W. Entemann

Hi. My Name is Carl Entemann and I am a retired (sort of, I have been teaching one or two Computer Science courses per semester at Cleveland State University) college professor of Computer Science. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Antioch College, an MS in Physics from Wake Forest University, and an MS and PhD in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology. I spent a quarter of a century in corporate data processing before getting my PhD and entering academia, where I spent 15 years teaching Computer Science courses at Roosevelt University in Chicago. I like to hike (arthritis permitting) through Ohio woods, and, most especially, ride my bike through Ohio. I enjoy building robots, touring Ohio's archaeological sites, and reading about both topics.


Aaron Jones

I am a non-profit specialist in the areas of; youth and community development. Since 1995 I have worked in Southwestern and North-East Ohio to assist with housing legislation, youth and family counseling and within the administrative set-up of several non-profit businesses and charter schools. During the years of 1999-2001 I was Director of Social Services and Youth Residential Program; a program designed to transition youth ages 13-21. These youth came to our program directly from Ohio Department of Youth Services and Ohio Department of Human Services programs and affiliates. As director, I was also certified in Therapeutic Assault Prevention Systems (trainer), serving children with special needs, as well as chemical dependency. Currently me and my wife Alecia have assisted non-profit businesses for over 10 years with start-up funding, grant writing, development and training. Myself and Alecia reside in University Heights and have one daughter (Ajah), who's ready to attend Cleveland Heights High School (Renaissance School) in the fall, as a freshmen.


Rich Schmittgen

My name is Rich Schmittgen. I'm 20 and I'm a rising junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!). Even though I go to school in the South, I'm from Shaker Heights and am a Clevelander through and through. In my free time I like playing and listening to music or just hanging out with my friends, as well as playing video games, obviously. This is my second year teaching with Funutation and I'm really excited to see what cool, new ideas the kids have in store this year. I'm shipping out to China in August so I really want to find some cool projects to show people when I leave. Hopefully I'll see you guys soon.



Michael Epstein

Hello! My name is Michael Epstein. I am a computer science and game design student starting at Northeastern University in the Fall, (formerly of The New England Institute of Art). My background is mainly in Flash and Actionscript 3.0, though I know C++ and do web design using HTML/CSS as well. I am very interested in games and game design. My main interest of note is Dungeons and Dragons; I enjoy the freedom of choice in problem solving that tabletop RPGs allow, so I eventually want to design a video game that embodies that freedom in its gameplay. I play D&D regularly, and also love music, cooking, and movies. All in all, I'm a fun guy.