Why Nerd Fest?
Nerd Fest is a celebration of the boundless world of curiosity. It’s where people come together to explore, create, and connect across an ever-expanding definition of "nerd"—from AI and the natural sciences to gaming, media, arts, and culture.
We are intentionally creating a diverse environment because we believe the most powerful innovation comes from uniting every passion, background, and perspective. Join us to celebrate your unique expertise and experience the collective force of an inclusive, boundary-pushing nerdom.
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🌟 Ignite Curiosity – Dive into STEM, gaming, and media through immersive, hands-on experiences.
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🧠 Unleash Creativity – From DIY builds to storycraft, our workshops and panels spark fresh ideas.
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🤝 Find Your People – Meet fellow enthusiasts, make connections, and share what you love.
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🌈 Come As You Are – Newbie or pro, everyone’s welcome. No judgment — just joy.
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🎉 Celebrate Nerd Culture – This isn’t just acceptance. It’s a full-on appreciation of what makes you unique.
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Find your Nerdom
Whether you code for fun, nerd out on building (and battling) robots, collect vintage vinyl, or just enjoy a good info dump, you’ll find your tribe at Nerd Fest.
Workshops
Learn from experts
Game Labs
Build, test and play
Info Dump Sessions
Listen to Supernerds get Supernerdy
Nerd-Centric Networking
Find your tribe
Nerd Stuff
Explore our exhibitor exhibition area
Hackathon
Build the future together
SuperNerds
Get ready to unlock new obsessions as our Supernerds share their passions and pull you into worlds you never knew existed.
It's going to get really nerdy, real quick.
Brendan Finch
CEO & Founder
Former teacher turned edtech founder. Created RocketLit to level the playing field in science literacy. Solving real classroom problems one student at a time.
Celia “DaPoet” Douglas
Writer, Artist & Educator
They’ve hosted over 150 open mics, led creative writing workshops across the U.S. and U.K., and explore themes of identity, expression, and mental health through poetry, spoken word, and film. Their debut book, With a Chance of Rainbows, brings readers into their world with vivid imagery.
Blake Baxter
Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Immersive Enterprise Laboratories (IEL)
Blake leads IEL in pushing the boundaries of storytelling with Unreal Engine, AI, and real-time workflows. Partnering with HP, AMD, and NVIDIA, IEL transforms animation into immersive, next-gen experiences. With 15+ years in strategy, venture capital, and emerging tech, Blake has scaled companies worldwide and continues to shape the future of creative innovation.
Pastiche Queen
Performance Artist, Playwright & Director
Pastiche Queen (they/them) is a non-binary latindigenous performance artist, playwright, and director based in Hollywood, CA. Their work uplifts marginalized voices through theater, spoken word, and slam poetry. Featured on AppleTV’s Dear: Viola Davis, Pastiche’s award-winning solo show Level One Gygax: The D&D Solo Show and multiple slam championships highlight their innovative storytelling and transformative performances.
Shakir Ramsey
Creative & Growth Strategist
Shakir Ramsey is a Los Angeles–based multi-hyphenate creative and strategist whose work bridges art, technology, and culture. Formerly leading digital growth at Google, adidas, and Lionsgate, he now explores how AI, music, and visual storytelling can inspire new ways of connecting while keeping the “human in the loop.”
Teresa K. Morrison
Adjunct Professor of Visual Arts, Photographer & Archivist
Earned MFA & specializes in film photography, darkroom printing, and alternative camera-less processes such as lumen, Phytogram, and Chemigram methods. Teresa is also an archivist of antique photographic papers, preserving materials from 1895 through the mid-20th century. Her work explores the interplay of time, patience, and material idiosyncrasies to create unique, expressive images.
Dr. Gigi Johnson
Futures designer, educator, and innovation strategist
Dr. Gigi Johnson designs futures programs that help creators and organizations navigate AI-driven change. Through Rethink Next, she builds experiences and labs that blend systems thinking, creative practice, and agentic AI. She ran the UCLA Center for Music Innovation and co-founded the global virtual conference series Amplify Music. Earlier, she produced media foresight programs while teaching MBAs and executives at UCLA Anderson, after financing media-sector M&A at Bank of America.
COMING SOON
MORE SUPERNERDS WILL BE ADDED SOON
Become a Collaborator
