Greg Niemeyer is a data artist and Professor of Media Innovation in the Department of Art Practice at UC Berkeley. He's the former director and co-founder of the Berkeley Center for New Media. He started out with studies in Classics and Photography in Switzerland and switched to new media when he moved to the Bay Area in 1992.

Niemeyer's work is data-driven: Large datasets and data streams are raw materials for visual and sonic experiences. They act as mirrors, reflecting to us what we don't see about our essential resources (air, water, care) from novel points of view. These patterns hold the hope that we can learn something new about what is to come and that we can evolve from the impossible present to more possible futures.

Mark co-founded Blue Lobsters Creative, two technology companies, and serves as a faith leader in Marin County, California, alongside his wife, Lynn. He is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and the author of the recently published Life Equations: Formulas for a Life That Adds Up.

Mark has always been drawn to ideas that bring people together through creativity, curiosity, and wonder. Bells do something extraordinary: a simple sound can invite us to pause, remember, grieve, heal, celebrate, and recognize what connects us.

And in the spirit of Solstice Bells, he is currently learning to make a bell by hand in a workshop in Oakland, California.

Darren Zhu is a synthetic biologist, Carillonist and creative technologist in San Francisco with a B.A. in Biology from Yale University. He is a Thiel Fellow who has worked on several synthetic biology startups, including Hexagon Bio, Enevolv, and Synbiosys. Darren has directed research and creative projects supported by the Gates Foundation, Ethereum Foundation, Protocol Labs, Berggruen Institute, UnionDocs Center for Documentary Art, NEW INC at the New Museum, and the Digital Architectures Lab in Tokyo.

Ronald Rael is a designer, activist, trained architect, author, and Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California Berkeley. He served as the Chair of the Department of Art Practice, where he holds a joint appointment and previously served as Chair of the Department of Architecture, Director of the Masters of Architecture program, and the Director of the Masters of Advanced Architectural Design program in the College of Environmental Design.

The London Design Museum awarded his creative practice, Rael San Fratello, (with architect Virginia San Fratello), the Beazley Award in 2021 for the design of the year, one of the most prestigious awards in design internationally. In 2014 his practice was named an Emerging Voice by The Architectural League of New York—one of the most coveted awards in North American architecture. In 2016 Rael San Fratello was also awarded the Digital Practice Award of Excellence by The Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA).

Sudhu Tewari is an electro-acoustic composer, improvisor, and bricoleur in sound, kinetic, and interactive art. He holds a B.A. in Music from Sonoma State University, an M.F.A. in Electronic Music and Recording Technology from Mills College, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Musicology from UC Santa Cruz.

His passion for design, re-design, and recuperation has led to the creation of experimental musical instruments, kinetic sculptures, interactive installations, audio electronics, and wearable sound art. Sudhu can be heard playing improvised music with Fred Frith as Normal, and with Jordan Glenn and Matt Robidoux as flatways.

Dr. Tewari is Workshop Technician in the instrument building program at Mills College, and teaches art and design at California College of the Arts and UC Berkeley, and bell casting at the Crucible.

Toni Blackman is an artist, creative strategist, and social entrepreneur who turns bold ideas into work that moves people and moves the needle. She brings an artist’s eye, a strategist’s discipline, and an entrepreneur’s drive to every project.

Her work has spanned 51 countries, generated more than 400 facilitated Cypher experiences, and supported the creative and professional development of more than 500 artists and practitioners. As the first official U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador, she has built bridges across cultures through artistic exchange, education, and cultural diplomacy. An Echoing Green fellow alum, she partners and has collaborated with NYU, the U.S. Department of State, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Harvard University, MIT, Disney+, the United Nations, and the Smithsonian Institution.

When organizations want a strategy that lands and a story people remember, they partner with Toni Blackman. As Global Ambassador, Toni is excited to carry the Solstice Bells vision across borders and audiences, building the relationships and visibility that help the mission grow.

Nate Strasser’s musical journey has taken him to prestigious stages around the globe, including in Scotland, Austria, China, and the United Kingdom. His work in television is featured in popular shows such as Netflix’s Franklin and Emily in Paris, as well as NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics. He also composed additional music for the Netflix series Captain Fall.

Nate has been a key figure in supporting renowned artists such as Dave Matthews and serving as an orchestrator for Oscar-nominated composer Carter Burwell. His contributions to the film industry include playing piano for acclaimed films like the Oscar-nominated Harriet and the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Nate also serves as a music director and staff accompanist for the musical theater department at Belmont University.

Akili Wu is a digital artist and game designer studying Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley. Fascinated by the intersection of human psychology and interactive media, she explores how games can serve as a channel for storytelling, understanding the mind, and cultivating inner peace.

She was drawn to Solstice Bells because of its focus on global unity — a shared planetary moment that resonates deeply with her own heritage of the traditional Winter Solstice, 冬至 (Dongzhi).

Drawing on her experience as a Game Design Intern at MiHoYo, Akili focuses on bridging artistic world-building with engaging player psychology. She is currently exploring how to translate subtle environmental shifts, such as the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar, into game mechanics and visual art.