Our Team
Founders
Digital Dragon was born when the founders’ nine-year-old son fell in love with technology, back in 2013. After an exciting summer at tech camp, the family went looking for an after school program in the fall, but none existed. The Finns believed they were like many local parents who want their children to pursue their interest in tech thoughtfully, creatively, and with brainpower. So they launched Digital Dragon.
Their son, now an advanced technologist, is now a college graduate, teaching part time, and the business has grown too. Technology continues to evolve but the vision that started Digital Dragon remains the same: To provide kids with well-rounded exposure to technology so they can find their own passion. The Finns are UCLA grads who run all aspects of the business and strive to make sure every family has a great experience from start to finish. They look forward to taking this tech adventure with you!
Seth Finn
Seth Finn has a background in non-profit having worked in East LA for the Boyle Heights College Institute, as well as a Community Relations Director for the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder). While working for the Sonics, Seth created and managed a technology program offered to Seattle Public School’s 50,000 students. Seth was active in his son’s K-12 education, serving on school site governance at Roosevelt Elementary in Santa Monica, and frequently volunteering in elementary classrooms, as well as various fundraising, and event involvement.
Laurie Kantor Finn
Laurie started her career in the entertainment industry as a segment producer for Entertainment Tonight, followed by creating and producing Access Hollywood. She continued her work with celebrity talent, producing photo shoots and interviews, as West Coast Editor at Stuff Magazine. Most recently she headed up the talent and casting department at cable network, G4TV, which featured a lot of tech and gaming content (in fact it was previously called TechTV). As her son has matriculated through Santa Monica schools, Laurie was and continues to be very active at Roosevelt Elementary, Lincoln Middle School, and Santa Monica High School.
Staff
Teacher: Kelly
Kelly is a passionate educator who specializes in introducing young learners to new and emerging technology. Thanks to her background in escape room design and fabrication — she has a strong foundation in game design, creative coding, microcontrollers, 3D printing, and laser cutting.
She previously worked as a Makerspace for companies like Design Hive and Two Bit Circus helping schools launch their Makerspace programs. She’s also worked as an interactive curriculum designer for Plato Learning (Camp Half-Blood) and Camp Augusta.
Kelly’s goal is to create an engaging, hands-on learning environment where students not only understand the concepts but also enjoy the process of discovery. She believes technology should be fun, engaging, and accessible.
In her free time Kelly enjoys reading, playing board games with friends, and trying new flavors of tea.
Teacher: Carlos
Carlos is a passionate and experienced technology educator and creative technologist dedicated to inspiring the next generation of digital innovators. With a strong foundation in interactive design, immersive technologies, and creative coding, Carlos brings a wealth of expertise to teaching roles like the Technology Teacher position at Digital Dragon.
Carlos’ professional background includes roles such as Developer at The Mill, where he spearheaded the development of augmented reality filters for major brands like Meta, Bulgari, and Samsung. His technical proficiencies span Unity Engine, Unreal Engine, Blender, with a deep understanding of programming languages like JavaScript and C#. In these roles, Carlos has consistently demonstrated an ability to blend technical innovation with creative expression, fostering engaging and impactful digital experiences.
As an educator, Carlos has served as an Adjunct Professor at Otis College of Art and Design, where he developed and taught a curriculum on virtual reality and storytelling, as well as a Teaching Assistant at UC Santa Barbara, where he guided students in studio art, digital media, and art theory.
At Digital Dragon, Carlos aims to bring his expertise and enthusiasm to create a vibrant, inclusive, and innovative learning environment where students are encouraged to explore technology as a tool for creativity and problem-solving. By integrating cutting-edge practices with engaging instruction, Carlos hopes to inspire the next generation of creators and innovators.
Teacher: Jack
Jack has loved storytelling since he was a kid. He was always looking for new ways to tell stories, and exploring new technologies to help him with that. He began taking filmmaking classes in middle school, where he learned how to execute on all of the stories he had been wanting to tell for so long. He fell in love with film, and graduated from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in 2024. He taught a number of film classes and camps at the same children’s theater that taught him before moving to LA and joining the Digital Dragon team.
Due to his love of all things narrative, Jack has explored a variety of artistic mediums, from game design, to graphic novels, to film and television, and he loves to share what he has learned with young creatives!
Teacher: Eli
After many years of taking every Digital Dragon class offered, we are lucky that Eli is now part of the teaching staff. Eli has designed and coded apps, created digital designs, shot and edited many media projects, and after endless hours of playing Minecraft – he now passes along all this knowledge and passion to his students.
Eli has been working with Digital Dragon for 6 years as a class and camp instructor, and birthday party host. He has been passionate about technology his whole life and likes to stay up to date on the latest and greatest in tech products and the industry. He recently graduated with his Business Entrepreneurship degree from San Jose State University.
In his free time, Eli enjoys tennis, following sports stats, Pickleball with friends, and testing out fast food menu items labeled “spicy.”
Tech Education Explorer & Consultant: John Balash
John Balash is the Director of Educational Engagement at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center. John has worked on educationally focused initiatives with clients ranging from D.A.R.P.A. to Disney. Working from both sides of the desk, you can find John in classrooms and conferences around the world exploring new uses for technologies in learning environments.
John is an alumnus of Notre Dame College, with degrees in education, fine art, and graphic design. After graduating, he taught creative computer applications for over five years at a private academy in Northeast Ohio. Always eager to learn and constantly surrounded by technology, he continues to forge a path between education and entertainment. With a diverse background of education and art, John hopes to develop entertainment that is engaging, meaningful, and progressive. John has a Master’s of Entertainment Technology, from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D, Educational/Instructional Technology, from Ohio University.
John was instrumental in Digital Dragon’s launch in 2013 as its first Curriculum Director and is now consulting on all the latest and greatest in tech education. You can read his blog, “Tech News From the Frontier” on our blog page.