Rachel Weidinger, MFA is an artist, researcher, and community organizer, who makes to illustrate what is possible. Their current work is in building collaboration and alignment practices tools for metanarratives that advance equity and social justice. They currently serve as Program Director - Network at Narrative Initiative.
Significant past works include anti-gentrification interventions in the urban fabric with Berkeley-based collective IF/THEN, Missing infrastructures/ digital security (2017), Upwell (2011-2015),We Are Very Hungry (2010-2012), Scrap Eden (2006-2008) and Scrap House (2005).
In 2011, Rachel founded Upwell.The ocean was our first client. Rachel led the development and evolution of Upwell's innovative big listening practices, coupling this big data approach with working across a distributed network. The project worked on a daily basis to both massively aggregate power for movements, and immediately redistribute that power through networks. Upwell's work was grounded in both offline community organizing and online community management. Upwell concluded operations in March 2015.
Rachel holds an MFA-Social Practice at the California College of the Arts, where Ted Purves was her advisor. She also has a B. Phil in Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University's Western College Program, and completed the coursework for a masters in Arts Policy and Administration at Ohio State University.