Team

Behind every good tower is a team of other, slightly-more-human-shaped towers.

Franzi Ponzi (he/him) is our Lead Artist, head foreman, and the creative force behind Lookout!

With nearly 25 Burning Man and regional burn attendances under his belt, he brings experience from some of the most ambitious builds on the playa, including multiple Temple and Folly Crew builds as well as 2025’s Sphinx Gate. He knows what it takes to turn a wild idea into an unforgettable build.

Oni (he/him) is our Co-Lead, team wrangler, and all-around coordinator extraordinaire. As a ‘big picture’ kind of person, he keeps us on track.

“I study Chinese and holistic medicine, so I’m practiced in taking in the entirety of a whole and treating systems, rather than symptoms. As co-lead, I am in a position to watch and track the entirety of our project to make sure the whole is taken care of.”

Smash (she/her) is our Volunteer Lead and behind-the-scenes team organizer. She tracks activities, manages our systems, and connects leads with new volunteers. If you’ve filled out the volunteer interest form, you’ve probably already heard from her!

Smash has been going to Burning Man and volunteering with Gate and large theme camps since 2013. We can’t think of a better person to keep our volunteer crew running smoothly.

ELL (she/her) is our Comms Lead, bringing 15 years of web design and communications experience to the team. Lookout! will be her first large-scale Burning Man art build.

“I love the huge art pieces out on playa and exploring all the different structures. I’m excited to be part of a build that invites people to engage — to touch, explore, listen, and interact with the space.”

Ryan (he/him) is our talented Audio Designer. A lifelong musician, he brings a wealth of audio experience and knowledge to the build.

Ryan is crafting a sonic world within Lookout!, drawing on his 20 years of experience as a professional Post Production Audio Engineer. 2026 will be his first year at Burning Man. We’re thrilled to have him on the team!

Teddy (he/him) is part of the Lookout! team in more ways than one. Besides hosting the build on his studio, he’s also brought his background in fantasy filmmaking to the build’s creative direction and visual storytelling.

Teddy has spent many years building big dumb art pieces for SOAK, but this is his first time bringing an art build to BRC.

Spacelotus (he/him) is our Interactive Art Lead. He’s attended twelve burns over the past two decades, with experience ranging from solo camping to the International Burner Hostel. He’s helped coordinate and manage sound for Bop Camp, Camposanto, and his own Indigo sound installation out of Chicago. His last burn was 2023, the infamous Mud Man year.

“I was unable to stay to see the Man burn due to the rain, which helps make this year even more meaningful and special. I’m so proud to be back this year with the Lookout team and as a new member of the Portland burner community. Here’s to unfinished business and returning home.”

Starberry (she/her) is our Social Media Team Lead. She’s the human behind our social media posts, spreading the word of Lookout! far and wide. Starberry loves being part of communities where everyone is welcome, creativity is celebrated, and people come together while caring for the environment.

This will be Starberry’s first time at Burning Man, and she’s especially drawn to the principles of Radical Inclusion, Radical Self-expression, Communal Effort, and Leaving No Trace. She’s looking forward to meeting new people, contributing wherever she can, and seeing where this experience takes her.

Jason Chase is an artist, musician, architect, and Designer based in San Diego, California, where he runs his studio, Designer of Awesome. He brings his artistic vision to life through custom interiors, handcrafted furniture, and large-scale art installations for events like Burning Man.

In 2025, Jason was the architect, designer, and fabricator of the Sphinx Gate at Burning Man. He is currently serving as the architect for Lookout!

Spike (he/him) is our Lighting Lieutenant and the person responsible for illumenating Lookout! He has a passion for lighting animations, sculpture illumination, and sound-reactive displays, and a decade of experience working on projects at Burning Man and regional burns such as SOAK.

Spike’s past projects on playa have included the Black Rock Lighthouse Service, The Folly, Paradisium, Chapel of Babel, and Naga & the Captainess.

As our Art Camp Lead, Captain Ano (they/them) is an expert in creating community spaces. They’ve been organizing and hosting group gatherings of all sorts since 1999, when they set up the convergence space for the well-known Seattle WTO protests. They’re organizing the Lookout! camp infrastructure to make sure things run smoothly for our campers during the build.

Captain Ano has been going to off-grid camping events like Barter Faire since they were a kid, and they’re excited to bring their lifetime of community-building experience to Burning Man.

Matthew (he/him) is our Kitchen Lead and the person keeping us fed on playa. For the past seven years, he’s been putting on farm-to-table dinners and catering large events throughout Southern Oregon.

This year will be Matthew’s first time at Burning Man, and he’s been hard at work prepping menus and meals for the Lookout! team. We’re delighted to have him leading the kitchen and making sure everybody will be nourished in the desert.