The Venture Expeditions Team

   Our Staff   

Paul Hurckman, Executive Director

Paul has spent time working in higher education, the church, and the non-profit sector. The common thread with each of these has been a passion for advocating on behalf of those affected by injustices happening in the world, as well as educating and mobilizing communities as to their responsibility and opportunity to change these situations. Paul holds a MA in Organizational Leadership from Bethel University. He is pursuing his PhD in International Relief and Development from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Together with his wife Candace, and their two children, Lola and Justus, they are committed as a family to engage in the story of justice and hope. Paul loves both camping in the wilderness and drinking coffee in the city.

Ryan Skoog, President and Co-Founder

Ryan, Venture's co-founder, oversees finances, development, staff, and board. Ryan earned his MBA from University of Saint Thomas's Schultz School of Entrepreneurship before founding two companies, Fly for Good and International Volunteer Card, which serve customers such as Harvard University, Invisible Children, and Youth With A Mission.  He has presented and shared at colleges and churches internationally and has visited many places Venture works (such as Tibet, Burma, Kenya, and Zimbabwe) to spread the tangible love of Jesus. Ryan enjoys anything outdoors that involves adrenaline, such as skydiving, snowboarding, surfing, kayaking, and mountain biking. Ryan and his wife, Rachel, have two ginger-headed kids, Colin and Sydney.

Aaron Smith, Administrative Director and Co-Founder

Aaron founded Venture Expeditions while still attending North Central University in 2002. After he graduated with a Journalism BA in 2004, he fostered Venture into a growing non-profit organization with a philosophy of Christian compassion at the center. He led several cross-country bicycle tours in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Aaron focuses on communications, design, campaign coordination, and future planning. He often commutes by bike to the Venture office and enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with family. Together with his wife, Krista, they parent two children, Alaithia and Jotham. Aaron and his family desire to relocate to Thailand in three to five years and work with refugees and hill-tribe cultures. 

Josh Iniguez, Tour Director

Josh manages every aspect of Venture's tours from training leaders, organizing details, safety training, and dealing with the road bumps along the way. While studying International Relief and Development at North Central University, Josh biked down the East coast and fell in love with the Venture’s vision. Josh went on to lead the first team to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, and has facilitated over 20 cross-country domestic and international cycling and hiking trips since. An avid snowboarder, you can often find him catching air off abandon buildings' rooftops in the Twin Cities. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Kristina and his two dogs.

Penthai Thewin, Foundation Coordinator and Director, Venture Community Center

Penthai coordinates all the classes, activities, and services in the Venture Community Center. Located near Chaing Mai in Ban Pong, Thailand, the Venture Community Center provides education and activities for young students and Basic English classes for adults. Penthai taught for eight years in Thai and international schools. He holds a Business English and Tourism degree from Rajamangkala University in Chaing Mai. A Christian from a young age, Penthai felt a vocational call to fight human trafficking in Thailand. In addition to coordinating the Venture Community Center, he works with the Protection Section, a Thai organization working to protect children from becoming victims of human trafficking. He is also a member of World Concern’s San Jai Network—an anti-human-trafficking organization based in Thailand. He enjoys biking in Thailand, delving into a good book, and constructing new thought-provoking lesson plans.

Erin White, Team Training Leader

Erin led the Ride:Well South Tour in 2009 and 2010. With her experience, she assists in team training for the cross-country tours such as the Just+Hope Northern Tour and the Venture Pacific Tour. She received a BA in Pastoral Studies with a minor in leadership at North Central University before gaining a MA in Organizational Leadership at Bethel University. She currently works as a Resident Director at Bethel University. Erin ice climbed the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska and kayaked in the Pacific. She enjoys rock climbing in Minnesota and Colorado, backpacking on the Superior Hiking Trail, and biking in Minneapolis.

Jonathon Heide, Content Editor

Jonathon works in a part-time capacity writing and editing Venture's web and print content. He studied English and Journalism at North Central University before pursuing his Masters in Technical Communication at Minnesota State University, Mankato. In 2007, he and his wife canoed 600 miles from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to Iowa, raising money for a community of returning refugees near Juba, Sudan. He has traveled to Argentina, Chile, Panama, Mexico and—as a Duluth, Minnesota native—to Canada. A certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture, he desires to see the church take a role in protecting the environment.