Marian Goodell

Marian Goodell is a pioneer in building participatory ecosystems and resilient global communities. As the CEO and a co-founder of Burning Man Project, she has steered the organization’s evolution from a singular desert event into a year-round nonprofit movement that champions collective imagination as a catalyst for social change.  

At the heart of Goodell’s work is the belief that culture is a living system. By scaling the Burning Man Global Network to over 100,000 annual participants across 34 countries, she has demonstrated how decentralized, creative communities can spark innovation in urban planning, sustainability, and civic engagement. With a background spanning software project management and international nonprofit leadership, Marian specializes in the "connective frameworks" that turn passive audiences into active contributors. Her leadership serves as a global case study for how high-engagement culture can build social resilience and drive meaningful impact far beyond the festival gates.