Maki Roll
Owner & CEOMaki Roll (She/her), is an award-winning, internationally known performance artist, event coordinator, and pop culture entrepreneur. The Washington DC native started her creative journey in 2010 as a cosplayer and cabaret performer. She soon branched out to guesting, hosting, and curating programming for pop culture conventions, as well as producing nightlife events. Maki combines her geekiness and self-taught artistic skill to build innovative performance and visual art experiences across mediums. She is an icon of the Nerdlesque movement and is the winner of the 2025 Silver Tusk Awards Cosplay Club President. She has been featured by NPR, MTV, ESPN’s The Undefeated, Crunchyroll, and The Mary Sue.
She is the current owner and producer of the historic International Nerdlesque Festival, taking place every September in the DC-Metro area.
Hauntessa
Graphics/Marketing ManagerHauntessa (she/her) is a hyper-femme horror enthusiast, nerdlesque artist, and emcee who was summoned from the same woods as her hometown hero, the Blair Witch. Her exclusively geeky performances have flown across the country entertaining audiences with flirty, faewild energy and never-ending, raffle-winning legs. Hauntessa serves as graphics guru and co-hostess for the International Nerdlesque Festival production team.
Jove Galore
Social Media ManagerJove Galore (they/she) is a living multiverse of talents. From published artist to cheeky stage sprite, their influence spans across industries. Originally from Space City, Jove crash landed on the East Coast and began their takeover, collaborating with The International Nerdlesque Festival, Storm Psycho 7 Productions, Metro Cabaret Club, Scholastic, Hot Topic, Oni Press, and many more. Jove Galore’s salacious antics and comical radiance will put a grin your face, tips on the floor, and leave you wanting more. They are TINF’s in house artist, merchandise designer, and social media gremlin.
Khaimera
Personnel/Volunteer ManagerKhaimera (He/They), is a makeup artist, model, and stage kitten that is new to the burlesque scene. Hailing from Maryland, Khaimera started his creative works in 2019 when he began carving his own path in makeup and cosplay. From creating colorful and inspired makeup looks, Khaimera began to step into making their own horror based brand, Khaimera World, that specializes in SFX makeup, horror based photoshoots, and cosplay. The International Nerdlesque Festival is where Khaimera calls home, as this is where he got his start-volunteering at one of the shows in 2024! With his love and dedication to the craft of nerdlesque and the support of the community, Khaimera was able to make their debut as a stage kitten that next year. He hopes to make his stage debut soon, but until then, he focuses on honing in and improving his art in makeup and crafting a space where other creatives feel safe and supported.