Answergirl oversees the vibrant crew of volunteers responsible for reviewing and placing interactive camps and other groups in Black Rock City. The Placement team works to arrange participants’ intended interactivity to create a unique version of Black Rock City each year. She also manages Placement-related communications and is active in the city planning process.
Calling on her Social Work PhD, Answergirl emphasizes the importance of communication and collaboration to build and strengthen communities in everything she does. Anything is possible with a questionnaire, a pencil, and a great team.
Ballyhoo Betty has been working for DPW since 2011 and managing Burning Man’s Community Yellow Bike Program since 2013. In addition to participating in Regional Burns around the world, she is an avid supporter of cycling communities, teaches yoga, and works in digital design.
Ben Buchholz (a.k.a NotBlue) has written several books and articles, including "One Hundred and One Nights", the forthcoming non-fiction book "The Tightening Dark", and an ongoing writers advice column called "The Path to Professionalizing" at The Writer. He's spent more than 20 years in the US Army, working as a Foreign Area Officer out of various embassies throughout the Middle East and now serves as the CEO of Nthos Solutions, based in San Diego. NotBlue has been part of the Big Imagination (747) team for the past three years, where he had the awesome experience of camping with his son, Jack, who attended as a 16-yr old in 2018.
Beth is a Massachusetts-based curator, Burner, and mom of two kiddos and a kick-ass cat named Beastie. Over the course of her career, she been driven by a passion to make the arts more accessible to all populations. As Chief Curator at Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts, she has developed a number exhibitions focusing on alternative modes of making, including Playa Made: Burning Man Jewelry and Revolution in the Making: The Pussyhat Project. A first-time Burner in 2018, Beth was blown away by all the unfettered creativity she witnessed on the playa and looks forward to finding more ways in which to spotlight the Burning Man arts community.
Bibi Bliekendaal (aka BB Queen) is a Kiwi artist based in Amsterdam. She's spent 15 years creating and writing campaigns, short films and digital experiences for global brands — then after her first Burn in 2018 got inspired to dedicate time to sustainable art, sculpture and finally attend art academy. When she's not on playa, in the workshop, or at uni she’s probably on a surfboard or lost at sea.
The Black Rock Atlas Team (BRAT) is a group of artists, designers and researchers based out of the MIT Media Lab. We are fascinated with questions about how groups of people come together to solve large-scale, difficult problems — and in particular how people can use technology and design to aid in their problem solving. The team comprises Ziv Epstein, Micah Epstein, Eyal Perry, Max Lagenkamp, Irmandy Wicaksono and Christian Almenar.
Phase 2 of the project involves over 70 individuals across 10 groups that are working to implement the cultural vision across many areas. You can see all of their names and affiliations within the Burning Man community in this blog post.
Phase 1 Visioning Group: Bravo (Placement Team), Jennifer Warburg (Boom Boom Womb Camp), Jess Hobbs (Flux Foundation, Maker Faire and Flaming Lotus Girls), Kari Gregg (Philanthropic Engagement for Burning Man Project), Kimba Standridge (Facilitator and Man Pavilion Project Manager), Lauren Brand (Varsity Camp and Cirque Gitane), Level (Placement Team), Marisa Lenhardt (Death Guild Thunderdome), Mercedes Martinez (Burning Man Project Board Member and Ashram Galactica), Danger Ranger (Burning Man Cultural Co-Founder and Burning Man Project Board Member), Ray Russ (Community Member), Scotto (Meta-Regional and PolyParadise Village), Shadow (Placement Team), Simone Torrey (Lead Facilitator, bEEcHARGE! Camp, Red Hot Beverly Crew), Skywalker (Root Society Camp), Terry Schoop (Community Services Manager), Trippi Longstocking / Victoria Mitchell (Associate Director and BRC Cultural Direction Setting Project Creator), Wally Bomgaars (Burning Man Staff and Community Member), and Zang (Suspended Animation Camp)
Profile image by Isabelle Horl.
Brian rolled through the dusty gates of Black Rock City for the first time in 2011, which was his first year as a volunteer in Media Mecca, as well. A few years later, Munney yelled across Media Mecca that Brian’s playa name was now The Hustler. When Brian gets breakfast burritos in the Portland Farmers Market, he uses the name Cornelius. On and off playa, you can find Brian riding a bike with one gear and carrying around a film camera.
Kristy Neufeld, aka Brinkley, is the Managing Editor for Burning Man Project. She oversees the Communications team’s various public-facing channels, and can be found at Media Mecca on playa. With degrees in German, Editing & Publishing, and experience as a chalkboard artist, Brinkley is a self-proclaimed word nerd with a creative soul. Her first year experiencing the joy of 'dust in all the wrong places' was 2019. Brinkley currently spends her free-time on the road between California and Colorado, CrossFitting or adventuring in the great outdoors with her dogs—Winnie & Joon—while living in a van called 'Ronda.'
Brody Scotland is a native Californian and recovering shy person who enjoys hugs and snacks. Brody first attended Burning Man in 2004, found out that she doesn't actually know how to “go to Burning Man,” and started volunteering in 2005. Her mission in life is to increase the amount of happiness in the world, and she would like someone to teach her how to carve a wooden bear with a chainsaw. These two things are not necessarily related.