Connected & committed to your son’s future
We have assembled an incredible team of leaders with the shared purpose of developing remarkable young men with the capacity & confidence to build meaningful & prosperous lives
Meet Our Founders
Carolyn & Geoff Helt
An entrepreneurial couple, Carolyn & Geoff started Forge in 2020 to give their two sons an opportunity to tap fully into their immense potential (something they believed would not have happened in the traditional school system).
Carolyn had a storied career as an executive in Austin, TX, where she started and/or led numerous high-tech ventures, including being part of the founding team of Centaur Technology. After her high-tech career, Carolyn returned to her creative roots by launching a furniture design business.
Geoff operates his own management consulting business; and has served as an executive coach & strategic advisor for over 25 years. In addition, he spent six years teaching MBA & Exec Ed classes on innovation at UT-Austin. From his years of research & experience, he has created a proprietary method for assessing talent & accelerating leadership development.
Meet Our learning guides
ZACK HENRY
Outdoor Leadership & Storytelling
Zack joined Forge in 2023 after teaching middle school for four years in Crook County and Redmond schools. Zack had been seeking an environment where the constraints of the public school system were removed so that he could pursue his passion of creating exceptional real-world learning experiences for his students. He thrives in building and maintaining deep and meaningful relationships with his students and their families.
Zack graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Literature and History. After graduation, he became a Senior Field Instructor for Evoke Wilderness Therapy Programs.
From the wilderness therapy experience, Zack went on to guide and teach in various outdoor environments including whitewater rafting, snowboard instructing, and downhill mountain biking. Through these guiding and teaching experiences, Zack decided to level up his instruction and attended OSU Cascades in order to obtain his MA in Secondary Education and Teaching. He successfully graduated with an MA in 2019.
Zack’s emotional intelligence, coupled with his kind and humane manner, make him an excellent resource for our students. His energy for guiding and mentoring youth, and his ability to shape amazing young humans through his own love of learning and the great outdoors is his reason for being, and make him a great fit as a guide for the young men at Forge.
“Students love my studio because it gets them outside, in the dirt, and away from screens. We practice hands-on learning activities that occur in the real world and that involve real world systems. Whether it is on campus starting fires or out on a trail somewhere, students know that they will be getting authentically challenging experiences in Outdoor Leadership.”
PAUL RUIZ
Digital Arts
“Students love the Digital Arts Studio because they get to learn industry standard, professional multimedia techniques and true traditional art methods”
Paul joined Forge in the fall of 2023. He has been a professional VFX Artist in Television and Film for over seventeen years. His vast knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite and other Compositing software has given him the opportunity to work on multiple, very notable films and television series. He has worked around the world as a Compositor and Storyboard Artist for film and television. Including Toronto, Canada, London, England, and Bucharest, Romania. Paul has been an Assistant to the Head of Technical Studies at the collegiate level for aspiring students at Mesa and City College in San Diego, California. He has also been an educator and facilitor for developmental progression with autistic and massive head trauma patients in the Bay Area to assist in their recovery process. Paul received his BS in Psychology from Saint Mary’s College of California and he received a Media Arts and Animation degree from the Art Institute of San Diego, California. He was a former semi-professional soccer player as well! So in his off-time, Paul loves being a soccer coach for Mountain View Senior High School. He has a passion for the game as well as coaching and has coached young players all the way up to young adults. Paul’s ability to engage the learners in trying technologies is a gift and he brings his soccer coach disciplines to the classroom and studio. He eagerly integrates his curriculum with the other four Forge studios.
“Students love the Build Studio because they get to experience the satisfaction of fixing and fostering material creation. Boys are natural problem solvers, and the world around them is full of opportunities to use those problem solving skills to make structures, develop motion and create energy. The effect of seeing those pieces come together to make structure out of chaos has a profoundly engaging effect on a young man’s mind.”
SEAN DRONIA
Build Studio and
Auto Mechanics
Sean is the definition of a true renaissance man and found his way to Bend after growing up in Vermont. Vermont seems to spawn many a craftsman, artist and outdoor enthusiast. He epitomizes the Forge ethos as he has a number of passions and talents and has immersed himself in those domains, thus acquiring proficiency in each.
It was in Vermont that Sean first experienced the joy of sparking young people to explore, discover and grow; for several summers, he ran a resort marina and was responsible for managing the team that taught 8-to-18 year olds how to ski, wakeboard and wake surf, while honing their leadership skills.
Since relocating to Bend 10 years ago, Sean has developed extensive skills in photography, carpentry, construction, auto mechanics and he is a published author (Mitaca - his book about his 1,000 mile journey on a fully loaded bicycle and the fascinating culture of coffee in Columbia).
He is skilled at general construction and finish carpentry. He believes the build process - being able to take something from an idea all the way through to a final product - is a crucial skill for both young men and women to possess.
Sean’s passion for classic vehicles is what opened the door to his auto mechanic expertise and he has deep experience working on both modern and classic vehicles.
BEN HASKELL
Math and Technology Studio
Ben found his way to Bend via Maine and Vermont. As many Bendites, he was drawn to the power and adventure of our Cascade mountains as well as the endless opportunities for adventure.
Ben received his undergraduate degree in education from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire and taught PE in grades 6-12 for a number of years in Vermont. He eventually relocated to Bend so he could combine his love for outdoor adventure with his passion for being an educator.
Once in Bend, he taught math and computer science at Cascade Middle School. In his off time he discovered a deep passion for ski mountaineering and alpine climbing. That bug hit hard and he chose to travel the lower 48 chasing peaks and snow. Upon returning to Central Oregon, he purchased a property and designed and built a house from the ground up. He took this venture on with his dad and extended family and learned the value of perseverance, problem solving and hands-on learning.
Ben will be bringing math, engineering and computer science to Forge. His mission is to demonstrate to students how these subjects power the real world and how they can use these tools to power their own futures.
“Students love the hands-on aspect of Tech. They see the real-world application right away. Students are allowed to think and ask questions. They have open choices and have freedom to make mistakes and work through problems. The mutual respect we have in class is immediately noticeable and it shows in the students' work. You can tell they really buy in, and they take pride in their work.”