Story Collider is back in DC for five true, personal stories exploring the phenomenon of positive feedback—from the runaway loops that leave us spiraling to the unconscious connections that take root in our minds.

Hosted by Shane M Hanlon & Maryam Zaringhalam at Penn Social DC.

Doors open at 6:30pm. Show starts at 7:00pm. Please note: seating is first come, first serve.

Stories By:

Andres Jimenez represents the Mason District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and serves as Chair of the Board's Legislative Committee. Elected in 2023, he made history as the first Latino to serve as Mason District Supervisor, bringing a collaborative and community-focused approach to local government. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Andres immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in West Virginia, experiences that shaped his commitment to public service and community engagement. With more than 20 years of experience in public service, environmental advocacy, and nonprofit leadership, Andres has dedicated his career to advancing policies that strengthen communities, protect natural resources, and expand opportunity for all residents. His professional background includes leadership roles with Green 2.0, Citizens' Climate Lobby, and the Ocean Conservancy, where he championed environmental stewardship, equity, and civic engagement. He lives in Mason District with his wife, Shanna, their two daughters, and their rescue dog, Maggie.

Reyhaneh (Rey) Maktoufi is an Iranian-American National Geographic Explorer, a published researcher, a science communicator, and trainer. She combines her academic background on trust-building, curiosity, and narrative persuasion with her creative skills and experiences to help organizations, scientists, and storytellers design effective (and entertaining) communication strategies, workshops, content, and evaluations.

Rajesh Mirchandani has been a storyteller all his life - by profession and passion. As a BBC global journalist, a nonprofit communications executive, and now as founder of Storyteller Consulting helping organizations and leaders find, shape and share stories that make human connections and drive impact. He fuels his work by performing on storytelling stages around the country; he’s a three-time Moth winner, runner-up at the 2025 National Storytelling Festival and host of the podcast Finding Our Flavor. Sometimes he sleeps.