Top Reaching Higher Episodes

What Burning Man Teaches About Human Connection: A Conversation with CEO Marian Goodell

Season 3 of the Reaching Higher Podcast kicks off with Marian Goodell, CEO and Founding Board Member of Burning Man Project. Marian’s own journey began in 1995 as a first-time participant drawn in by the desert’s radical creativity, and it eventually led her to help formalize the organization alongside co-founder Larry Harvey, guiding its growth into a global movement now spanning 34 countries.

Aaron and Marian trace the origin story of the Ten Principles, unpack Decommodification as a “permission engine,” and dig into why Radical Self-expression and Leave-No-Trace remain so central to the culture. Marian also shares candid reflections from the new HBO docuseries The Man Will Burn, including leading through the historic 2023 flood, and looks ahead to philanthropy’s role in the organization’s next decade.

They close things out with lighter rounds on books, the most impressive people Marian’s met, and the artists she wishes she could’ve seen live.

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