Marian Goodell

Marian Goodell oversees the organization’s year-round staff of 80+ employees and its annual operating budget of approximately $40 million. In 1997, Marian co-founded the Burning Man organization. During her two decades of leadership, Marian has lead business operations, built the communications department, and overseen the Black Rock City Department of Public Works. Marian also steered the development of the Burning Man Global Network, which now spans six continents, with more than 250 representatives in 34 countries. Marian is also a founding board member of the Black Rock Arts Foundation and Black Rock Solar. Her current focus is leading the organization’s efforts to facilitate and extend the Burning Man ethos globally. Marian holds a BA in Creative Writing from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland and an MFA in photography from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She has worked in sales and public relations, and was a project manager for a software development firm when she first arrived as a participant at Burning Man in 1995.