As the program coordinator for Burners Without Borders, Shawn helps facilitate socially innovative projects through BWB’s initiatives, grants and chapter network. Before joining the Burning Man staff, Shawn lived around the world for a number of years working and volunteering for community development nonprofits including building his own school for youth who live in the train stations of Calcutta, India. Burning since 2011, he’s helped bring art to the playa every year and was on the first Ma’Patz (DPW) crew for Midburn. From the SF Bay with a BA in cultural anthropology, he’s excited to help facilitate and extend Burning Man culture globally.
Shimmer (aka Jerril Nilson) finally found herself on playa in 2011 after years of voyeuristically enjoying the view of Black Rock City through the images taken by professional photographers she knew. As the playa would have it, her first volunteer role with Gate, Perimeter & Exodus was Pulsing, in its debut at Exodus. From that time on, she’s come back to the gravel road next to the pavement where Gate Road ends, as a Nevada-certified Flagger, Flagger Shift Supervisor, and as Exodus Operations Assistant Manager for the last three events. She’s a graphic designer and marketing consultant in real life, with side gigs as a Very Old SLUG Queen and a parade creator in Eugene, Oregon.
Shirley Strong is a social justice educator committed to greater equity and inclusion in higher education. She has been to Black Rock City in 2013 and has been part of the R.I.D.E. Advisory Group since 2019. Most recently, Shirley was the Chief Diversity Officer at Samuel Merritt University (SMU). Currently, she is the Diversity Director for the Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research, a program of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) that trains health professionals on the use of psychedelics. Shirley also serves as an advisor and trainer for the Structural Competency Working Group (SCWG), which conducts training on structural racism in healthcare in order to reduce health disparities leading to improved health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
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Simone Torrey began her Burning Man journey in 2016 when she was invited to join BeeCharge camp in July, and subsequently sparkleponied her way through her first burn. During that same year, she met someone during a dust storm; he’s now her husband and father of their child. The next year Simone was part of the mutant vehicle crew that brought the Red Hot Beverly to life. And a year later she joined the organizing team of BeeCharge, leading an effort to create independent but interconnected pods within the camp. Simone has been working with Burning Man Project on several community engagement initiatives since 2018. Through her evolution as a professional facilitator for transformative change and community engagement processes, she has lived, studied and worked in 15 countries over the past 23 years.
Simeone Scaramozzino started traveling across different realms of consciousness and wisdom at a very early age. Since then, his journey of exploration has been about opening inter-dimensional portals through immersive art by interweaving ancient and modern tech for human transformation and expansion. Our community’s values and orientation to co-creation have been quintessential in this path of expression and transcendence. Maven went solo to her first Burn, found a camp where she served coffee and beignets, held the space as a Temple Guardian, and danced from dusk ‘til dawn on the top of the Mayan Warrior. Now she wears a VR headset or is glued to her multiple screens as she lends some help to the Virtual Burn communications team.
Sophia Swire is an award-winning social entrepreneur and gender-lens investor. A creative innovator with a track record as a thought leader and change-maker, she makes films in her spare time. She is the producer of Burning Man: Art on Fire, a 90-minute documentary film on the struggles and triumphs of the artists and makers behind the annual event. She is in stealth mode with a major new investment platform which will back 'jedi women' changing the world.
spec is an Art Management Specialist with Burning Man Project's Art team. In this role, she administers the Honoraria and Temple grant programs, acts as a liaison for selected art projects, manages the ARTerians, and does placement for all art projects. Her superpower is the ability to work through the inherent conflict between the creative process, while executing the organization and strategy required to complete a project.
Stephanie Kohler is a writer, musician, and teacher based out of Atlanta, GA. She believes that playa magic is everywhere. More info on her website.
Steve Landis is a six-time Burner who has been bringing small art to the playa since 2016. He previously wrote "The Joy of Small Art" for the Burning Man Journal.
Steve Petroski lives in La Jolla, California. A former Navy fighter and airline pilot, he first went to Burning Man at the invitation of some friends who helped prepare the runway and operate the airport. He has also attended four AfrikaBurns, located north of Capetown, South Africa.
$teven Ra$pa is Associate Director of Community Events for Burning Man and a founding member of the Regional Network Committee and Regional Events Committee. He is an artist, passionate arts advocate, community organizer and lover of cities.