About us

It’s all about people

And we’re surrounded by the best.

Management

Principal Designer, Director & Secretary

Garett Dworman, PhD

About Garett

Garett’s career has taken him from cognitive science and AI programming, through decision theory and information technology, to user experience research and design, and now to community crisis. He is driven by a love of finding solutions to problems that people face in their lives.

Board Chair & President

Lindsay Yarbrough Burr

About Lindsay

Lindsay is the CEO of Yarbrough Group. She holds a Masters degree in conflict analysis and resolution, and has extensive experience working in multiple sectors globally. We are excited to benefit from her no-nonsense discipline, unrelenting pursuit of clarity, and joyous sense of fun.

Founder, Executive Director & Treasurer

Susanne Jul, PhD

About Susanne

Susanne‘s expertise spans research and practice ranging from disaster management to software engineering to theatre to user experience design. She is driven by twin loves of drawing clarity from confusion, and empowering people to help themselves.

Advisors

Experience Design

Aaron Vanek

About Aaron

Aaron is a co-founder of Spectacular Disaster Factory, an award-winning immersive and interactive event design company. He has taught analog game design for over seven years to middle school students at private, charter and homeschool communities and created educational live action role playing events for clients across the country. We are inspired by his passion for the learning power of games.

Transcending Ordinary

Claus Raasted

About Claus

Claus is Director of the College of Extraordinary Experiences, an inspirational speaker, master of the impossible and LARPing pioneer. We are awed to benefit from his keen ability to reveal the fantastic in the mundane, his understanding of what excites people, and his fervent generosity.

Behavioral Economics & Games

Gary Milante, PhD

About Gary

Gary is a peace researcher who works with multilateral instiutions and international non-governmental organizations to promote peacebuilding in developing countries. His expertise spreads across economics, peace research, adaptive leadership and game design. We are delighted to benefit from his playfulness and ability to translate complex social economics into fun.

Business & Organizational Development

Leland Franklin

About Leland

Leland is the founder and principal of the executive coaching and leadership development firm, Kenshō Leadership, and is pursuing an MBA at UC Berkeley. We are grateful to benefit from his business experience, leadership acumen, keen insightfulness, deep empathy, and warm sense of humor.​

Disaster Management

Luke Beckman

About Luke

Luke is Division Disaster State Relations Director for the Pacific Division of the American Red Cross. He has experience from numerous disasters, and in all phases of disaster management. We are thankful to benefit from his practical forward thinking, skills in bringing people together, and radiant friendliness.

Social & Behavioral Research

Zeno Franco, PhD

About Zeno

Zeno is a professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, with expertise in research related to clinical psychology, community engagement, crisis response, and heroic action. We are elated to benefit from his clear thinking, dedication to reliable research, compassion, and humble wit.​

Get involved

Volunteer

Grant Writer

Help us to find and apply for grants, so we can turn a generous world into a resilient one.

Details
START

As soon as possible

DURATION

Occasional or ongoing

DESCRIPTION

We need to secure funding for the development and testing of our new wildfire training experience. We are aiming for grants in the $5K-$100K range, focusing on corporate and community-based funders with interests in community resilience and/or wildfire preparedness.

Volunteer

Fundraising Strategist

Help us develop and implement our first strategic fundraising plan so we can grow and create a resilient world.

Details
START

As soon as possible

DURATION

3-6 months

DESCRIPTION

We need someone with fundraising and strategic planning experience to get us started and put us on a solid footing. For our Wildfire Project and other efforts we are looking for funding from a wide variety of sources, including foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations.

Organization

We are a California nonprofit corporation, qualified as exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”), classified as a public charity under IRC Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi).

EIN: 99-1158114

Newsletters

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From our blog

Aaron Vanek

Aaron Vanek

Aaron Vanek has nearly 30 years experience playing and creating games, primarily liveaction and table-top…

read more
Susanne Jul, PhD

Susanne Jul, PhD

Susanne Jul has an long history of designing, managing and delivering projects of such diverse types as…

read more

From our blog

Aaron Vanek

Aaron Vanek

Aaron Vanek has nearly 30 years experience playing and creating games, primarily liveaction and table-top…

read more
Susanne Jul, PhD

Susanne Jul, PhD

Susanne Jul has an long history of designing, managing and delivering projects of such diverse types as…

read more

Our mission

We use the transformative power of play to
inspire, educate, and empower
individuals and communities to be resilient and ready to
act, improvise, and overcome together
in the face of crisis.

Because disasters happen. Suddenly. Anywhere.
And fun is more motivating than fear.