Maki Roll

Maki 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 burlesque 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, which will take place at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on September 12-13.