Guests of Honor
Our Guests of Honor have been chosen for their exceptional contributions to the furry fandom, the diverse and entertaining social landscape that we all enjoy. Join us in showing them the respect they're due at Furry Fiesta!
Chise
Chise is a Senior Scientist in Vaccine Research and Development.
Her research focuses on uncovering mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and host immunity then applying that knowledge toward development of safer and more effective vaccines.
Currently, her research efforts have been dedicated to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as she helped develop and provide research for Moderna’s vaccine that was co-developed with NIAID.
Outside of the pandemic, her research efforts have been dedicated to studying MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, Zika, Ebola, DENV, HIV, RSV, Influenza, and other emerging pathogens.
When she is not at work or conducting research, she utilizes her fursonas and social media platforms to provide science communication on Twitter to help aid people’s understanding of COVID-19 and the COVID vaccines. She also is a strong activist and member of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ community. You can find her on her Twitter here!
Lady Rain
Lady Rain is a Texas native and currently resides in Virginia with her husband Leo and her 3 wonderful pups: Kobane, Nori & Maki. She loves the outdoors, especially the water. She got her start in art back in 2009, and to this day still loves creating things; from small commissions, to highly detailed, large, personal pieces. Each commission is always done with the client or event in mind. Beyond art, she is an advanced EMT and is currently obtaining a Paramedic degree! You can view more of her art at her Telegram channel.
Failyn / BlackCheetah
Fursuit Maker, Youtuber, and Artist Failyn started her company BlackCheetah Studios in 2019. When she’s not working on commissions she’s making silly videos, attending cons to make vlogs, and trying her best to put a smile on someone’s face while suiting around!
She found the furry fandom in 2018 and immediately began construction on her own suit. Attending TFF 2019 just in time to take part in furry antics and fall in love with both the fandom and its creativity.
The photo above was taken by Pip the Sergal. You can also find more of Failyn’s work at her website!