The Forge is a four-year program where ambitious teens build real ventures inside The Link — Nocatee's innovation center. Real founders, real projects, real momentum. A few hours a week.
Everyone their age is running one of two plays. The traditional path stacks up transcripts. The Forge stacks up a track record — real ventures, real work, real experience that compounds, year over year.
Two degrees and ten years later, the conventional route can leave a bright kid half a million dollars behind — before they've earned a dollar. Start building now and the same decade flips the other way.
| State school UF/FSU |
Private BA+grad |
You, building | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's — 4 yrs | ~$84K | $240K | $0 |
| Master's — 2 yrs | ~$50K | $160K | $0 |
| Interest by graduation | ~$30K | ~$98K | — |
| Earned instead (14→24) | — | — | +$500K |
| Net at ~24 | –$165K | –$500K | +$500K |
| How far behind | $665,000 | $1,000,000 | — |
Forward-looking estimate for a student enrolling 4+ years out. Private = private bachelor's (~$60K/yr) + grad school (~$80K/yr), financed, interest accrued to graduation. State = UF/FSU cost of attendance; Bright Futures can lower it. "You, building" earnings assume real ventures, internships, and paid project work. Real outcomes depend on the student.
AI fluency, entrepreneurship & professional skills — the foundation today's careers are actually built on.
Real projects with real founders — plus internship opportunities with companies inside The Link. Experience, not theory.
Earning opportunities through student ventures, project bounties & demo-day prizes — real stakes, real momentum.
inside The Link — Nocatee's innovation center, home to 100+ founders, startups, and investors. Your teen learns in the room where it actually happens.
Between school and home, most teens end up somewhere by default — a bedroom, a parking lot, a phone screen. The Lounge is the intentional alternative: a real space, with real people around, where good things happen without anyone forcing it. Whatever your teen is into, there's a reason to walk in.
Theater, art, music, content. A space to create, collaborate, and find their people.
Off-season or after practice — somewhere to decompress, hang out, and not be bored.
Fast WiFi, quiet zones, and a place to knock out homework before enjoying the night.
Ready to do something real. Projects, mentors, internships — the Accelerator is their next step.
“I don't know where he goes after school or what he's doing.”
Staff present, controlled access, clear expectations. You always know where they are.
“She comes home and goes straight to her phone for four hours.”
Something to do, people to do it with, and a reason to be somewhere real.
“I'm not sure his friend group is pushing him in the right direction.”
A community of teens with different interests, all in the same purposeful space.
“We spend a fortune on activities but nothing sticks or compounds.”
A membership that builds on itself — and for Accelerator members, can pay for itself.
Staff present, controlled access, clear expectations.
Evenings and weekends — the hours teens actually need somewhere to be.
Teens from across Nocatee — different interests, same positive environment.
Not just a place to kill time. Skills, friendships, and for builders — real experience.
Start with the Lounge. Step up to the Accelerator when your teen is ready to build. Both tiers lock in founding pricing for life.
A real place to be. Drop in whenever — to study, chill, hang out, or just not be home.
Step up to the Accelerator any time — no re-enrollment.
For teens who want more than a place to hang. Real projects. Real founders. Real stakes — and real money on the table.
★ Committed members can earn their way to free — and beyond.
Accelerator members get direct access to founders and companies actively looking for interns and project help. A few paid projects a month can offset the fee entirely — and driven members go further than that.
Founding pricing locked for life · 50 spots total.
The money's already being spent. The Lounge just gives it a better destination — and something to show for it.
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