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Experienced leadership at the cutting edge of creativity, culture and technology


Multidisciplinary and multidimensional maverick who makes magical high-profile events and experiences with empowered and inspired teams

Heather Gallagher is an expert in transformative events and the experience economy. She is fluent in art, culture, technology and humanity. A natural and experienced leader, she inspires and empowers teams and brings embodied wisdom, aesthetic and spatial intelligence, humanistic cultural values, and a special sparkle to everything she touches. Heather currently consults or advises on a variety of immersive entertainment and experiential projects.

Always positioned at the innovative edge of art and culture, Heather led technology and design for Burning Man for 17 years as a key member of cross-functional event operational leadership and year-round executive teams. At the heart of what became a global phenomenon, she gained an unparalleled understanding of how a city overflowing with art and spectacle can emerge from a blank dusty canvas, and alongside it deeply transformative experiences, civic engagement, and an inspired global community. She was an entrusted community leader, strategic visionary, cultural ambassador, public speaker and visual storyteller for the organization.

As humans begin to connect and play together in innovative 3D digital dimensions, Heather left Burning Man to pioneer another blank canvas. She produced and designed groundbreaking immersive and interactive augmented reality experiences for brands and consumer entertainment and the venues to showcase them, at least until the pandemic shut down all the fun.

Heather's most recent deep dive was 2+ years as part of the executive team at an innovative entertainment startup called TRANSFIX, which produced a monumental immersive art experience that opened in Las Vegas at Resorts World in April of 2023. Along with many other contributions, she helped develop the concept and recruit artists, raise funds, plan tour strategy, manage venue relations, and launch the experience onto the global stage. Sadly, after she left the project, it closed when early ticket sales could not sustain operations.

Heather is a Founding Circle Member of the World Experience Organization (WXO), a global institution dedicated to improving the quality of experiences, enhancing the opportunities for experience creators and promoting the Experience Economy.

These days Heather's superpowers are supercharged. Feel free to reach out as she is currently considering new consulting and advisory projects and full-time positions.

On Stage

Megan Miller
Burning Man Director of Communications

"Heather is an exceptional leader, storyteller, and public speaker who has given so much to the Burning Man community and beyond. She delighted audiences while representing our organization and culture on stages large and small across the U.S. and abroad."

“When it comes to creativity and technology, Heather definitely will not disappoint. She sets the stage on what the future will look like, and leaves the crowd wanting more. She is a true inspiration. Once you get to witness Heather on stage, you will understand why we bring her back!”

Tristan Every
ATECH Foundation Co-Founder & President

“Heather was inspiring, brilliant, and an authentic natural leader and role model for all of us. Our students thought she was SO cool, or dope as they say!”


Maya Bartolf
XR Marin Program Specialist
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San Francisco, California
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