Liana Sananda Gillooly is a lifetime activist for social justice, drug policy reform, ending war, and the environment. She is the Development Officer at Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).
MAPS is the largest non-profit investigating the therapeutic uses of psychedelics. Currently, we are in Phase III FDA trials utilizing MDMA Therapy to treat PTSD. Results have been so promising, it earned the designation of Breakthrough Therapy from the FDA.
In addition to her role at MAPS, Liana is engaged in transformational technology movement, with an interest in VR/AR therapy and emergent blockchain technologies. To highlight the connection between the psychedelic and cryptocurrency community, she instigated the formation of CryptoPsychedelic, an event series that kicked off last February in Tulum and gathers together these communities all over the globe.
Before joining MAPS, Liana worked as Outreach Manager for a prominent cannabis investment and market research firm, The Arcview Group, where she helped grow the accredited investor network, advocated for legalization, and supported the work of Marijuana Policy Project. She has worked in event, festival, and film production, as well as artist representation, art curation, and art creation. She owned a visionary art gallery in Venice Beach, California, called Sananda Gallery. She has produced fundraisers, parties, and art happenings for special events and festivals, including High Times Cannabis Cups, MAPS conferences, Envision Festival, Serenity Festival, and Fractal Planet at Burning Man. She has been a featured speaker at numerous events, lobbied Congress, lectured MBA students, and given a TedX talk. She is an experienced meditator and trained death midwife.