Who We Are
Jeffrey Aresty, Founder and President
Jeffrey Aresty, Founder and President
Jeffrey Aresty, Founder and President
Jeff Aresty founded InternetBar.org Institute, the nonprofit behind Youth Innovation Studio, built on his belief that technology can expand access — to justice, to opportunity, to understanding — for a more peaceful and fairer society. He leads PeaceTones, creating income opportunities in conflict zones, and The Invisibles, addressing id
Jeff Aresty founded InternetBar.org Institute, the nonprofit behind Youth Innovation Studio, built on his belief that technology can expand access — to justice, to opportunity, to understanding — for a more peaceful and fairer society. He leads PeaceTones, creating income opportunities in conflict zones, and The Invisibles, addressing identity barriers facing stateless refugees. A Fellow at UMass's Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution, he has spent decades using technology to bridge divides, the same principle guiding YIS's work with the next generation of storytellers
Yvonne Nath, Executive Director
Jeffrey Aresty, Founder and President
Jeffrey Aresty, Founder and President
Yvonne has spent her career in the legal industry — first at for-profit firms, now leading non-profit work on access to justice: making the legal system work for everyone, not just those who can afford it. That access starts earlier than most assume. Before someone can walk into a courtroom, or simply take part fully in their community an
Yvonne has spent her career in the legal industry — first at for-profit firms, now leading non-profit work on access to justice: making the legal system work for everyone, not just those who can afford it. That access starts earlier than most assume. Before someone can walk into a courtroom, or simply take part fully in their community and economy, they need a fair shot at education, mentorship, and stability growing up. That's why our work centers on youth.
Access to justice also means being heard — a voice that goes unheard is harder to appreciate and advocate for. That's why storytelling is core to our programming: younger generations deserve to be heard.
Panel of Experts
Sergio R. Angeles, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Longmont Public Media
Sergio R. Angeles, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Longmont Public Media
Sergio R. Angeles, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Longmont Public Media
Sergio's background is in back-end and front-end application development for Fortune 500 companies. In 2017, he co-founded the Longmont Observer to bring local news to Longmont — now Longmont Public Media, a professional multi-media production studio where everyday community members produce and share civic and artistic media. Longmont Pu
Sergio's background is in back-end and front-end application development for Fortune 500 companies. In 2017, he co-founded the Longmont Observer to bring local news to Longmont — now Longmont Public Media, a professional multi-media production studio where everyday community members produce and share civic and artistic media. Longmont Public Media and Youth Innovation Studio share a mission: building an informed, engaged community through media. See: Longmont Public Media – Longmont's Public Access TV
Mackenzie Shelswell-White, Visual Media Specialist
Sergio R. Angeles, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Longmont Public Media
Sergio R. Angeles, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Longmont Public Media
"Mack" helps our students navigate the ethical and technical elements of digital storytelling. As a recent graduate from the CU Boulder journalism program, she can easily remember what it's like to be a teen wondering what path the future may take. She is passionate about journalism and visual storytelling and dreams of working as part o
"Mack" helps our students navigate the ethical and technical elements of digital storytelling. As a recent graduate from the CU Boulder journalism program, she can easily remember what it's like to be a teen wondering what path the future may take. She is passionate about journalism and visual storytelling and dreams of working as part of a news team one day. See her portfolio here: Mack On The Ground
Tana Benitez, Filmmaker & Marketer
Sergio R. Angeles, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Longmont Public Media
Brian Hedden, Filmmaker & Owner-Operator of Earth Dog Films
Tana Benitez is a filmmaker and marketer with experience in documentary production, youth film education and community storytelling. She has worked on various documentaries and creative projects and produced a 2026 Student Academy Awards finalist. She previously supported teen filmmakers at Bryn Mawr Film Institute and interned with Wome
Tana Benitez is a filmmaker and marketer with experience in documentary production, youth film education and community storytelling. She has worked on various documentaries and creative projects and produced a 2026 Student Academy Awards finalist. She previously supported teen filmmakers at Bryn Mawr Film Institute and interned with Women Make Movies. She now works in marketing and communications, where she uses storytelling to connect people with local businesses, events and community initiatives. See portfolio here: tanabenitez.com
Brian Hedden, Filmmaker & Owner-Operator of Earth Dog Films
Calvin Shepherd, Producer & Filmmaker, Co-Owner of Deescalated Pictures
Brian Hedden, Filmmaker & Owner-Operator of Earth Dog Films
Brian Hedden graduated with a BFA in film production and a minor in philosophy from NYU in 2008 where he co-wrote and directed an award-winning student film, Horses Eat Each Other, starring Will Brill and Louise Lasser. In 2024, Brian debuted his first feature documentary, Fracking the System: Colorado’s Oil and Gas Wars, which won mul
Brian Hedden graduated with a BFA in film production and a minor in philosophy from NYU in 2008 where he co-wrote and directed an award-winning student film, Horses Eat Each Other, starring Will Brill and Louise Lasser. In 2024, Brian debuted his first feature documentary, Fracking the System: Colorado’s Oil and Gas Wars, which won multiple festival awards.
In the years between these two films, Brian explored various careers and pursuits, including biodynamic farming, teaching, men’s circle facilitation, civic technology entrepreneurship, Buddhism, climate activism, and freelance video production. He is currently the owner-operator of Earth Dog Films, based in Boulder, Colorado.
Alix Moad, Writer & Filmmaker, Co-Owner of Deescalated Pictures
Calvin Shepherd, Producer & Filmmaker, Co-Owner of Deescalated Pictures
Calvin Shepherd, Producer & Filmmaker, Co-Owner of Deescalated Pictures
Alix Moad is a writer and filmmaker based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. She co-owns Deescalated Pictures, production company that helps independent and early-career filmmakers bring their ideas to life no matter their budget. While the nature of independent filmmaking has made her learn a little bit of every department, she is most pass
Alix Moad is a writer and filmmaker based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. She co-owns Deescalated Pictures, production company that helps independent and early-career filmmakers bring their ideas to life no matter their budget. While the nature of independent filmmaking has made her learn a little bit of every department, she is most passionate about screenwriting, directing, and editing. Deescalated Pictures
Calvin Shepherd, Producer & Filmmaker, Co-Owner of Deescalated Pictures
Calvin Shepherd, Producer & Filmmaker, Co-Owner of Deescalated Pictures
Calvin Shepherd, Producer & Filmmaker, Co-Owner of Deescalated Pictures
Raised in Colorado, Calvin is from a mountain town almost no one has ever heard of - the closest movie theater was an hour away but it quickly became his favorite place. Co-Founder of the Colorado film production company, Deescalated Pictures, Calvin has been making independent feature films since 2016. In this time, Calvin has made Forge
Raised in Colorado, Calvin is from a mountain town almost no one has ever heard of - the closest movie theater was an hour away but it quickly became his favorite place. Co-Founder of the Colorado film production company, Deescalated Pictures, Calvin has been making independent feature films since 2016. In this time, Calvin has made Forgery, Country Mustard, and Safe House 1618, the last of which was picked up for distribution and played at Kevin Smith’s Smodcastle Film Festival. Calvin has also produced films for local filmmakers like those behind Field of Screams and Nice Spare. Calvin just completed a secret feature under the production title: Spaghetti Brain. Calvin has an MFA in Creative Writing with a focus in Screenwriting from Western Colorado University. Deescalated Pictures
Kaden Karel, Film Editor & Motion Graphics Creator
Nicholas Thompson, Founder & Editor of Thompson's Colorado
Nicholas Thompson, Founder & Editor of Thompson's Colorado
Kaden Karel is a film editor and motion graphics creator, bringing a unique blend of creativity. He has a passion for bringing together visual design and storytelling. Kaden is pushing to keep real human work and design in the digital media industry, where innovation and creativity are the core roots. Here's his PORTFOLIO.
Nicholas Thompson, Founder & Editor of Thompson's Colorado
Nicholas Thompson, Founder & Editor of Thompson's Colorado
Nicholas Thompson, Founder & Editor of Thompson's Colorado
Nicholas Thompson is the founder and editor of Thompson’s Colorado, a Longmont-based publication. Before moving to Colorado, he reported at KOLR-TV in Springfield, Mo. and KTVI-TV in St. Louis, Mo. He won an Emmy for his work in 2016. He brings a Midwestern curiosity and straightforward style to stories about Longmont, Boulder, RTD, local
Nicholas Thompson is the founder and editor of Thompson’s Colorado, a Longmont-based publication. Before moving to Colorado, he reported at KOLR-TV in Springfield, Mo. and KTVI-TV in St. Louis, Mo. He won an Emmy for his work in 2016. He brings a Midwestern curiosity and straightforward style to stories about Longmont, Boulder, RTD, local government, business, and the people who make the community interesting. He believes good journalism starts with asking better questions. Nick graduated from the University of Missouri, a top journalism school. Thompson's Colorado
More to Come
Nicholas Thompson, Founder & Editor of Thompson's Colorado
More to Come
Our program invites guest speakers to share their knowledge with our students — filmmakers, journalists, audio engineers, professors, and more, drawn from the local communities where our program takes place.