Dr. Shireen Rahimi is an Iranian-American filmmaker, marine anthropologist, underwater photographer, and National Geographic Explorer. With her work at Lightpalace Productions, based in Miami, Rahimi travels the world to tell stories of the unsung heroes and marginalized voices of human nature—stories that are informed by science, infused with emotion, and driven by relatable characters.

After finishing her PhD in marine anthropology at the University of Miami in 2020, Rahimi founded Lightpalace, a Miami-based production company specializing in environmental visual storytelling. She has been featured as a contributor on National Geographic Sharkfest and was named Nautica’s newest ocean conservation Wavemaker. Her work has been featured in The Miami Herald, National Geographic, Sierra Magazine, The New Tropic, PBS, and film festivals around the world. Through every aspect of her practice, Shireen is dedicated to telling stories that encourage activism and healing for the benefit of all beings everywhere.

During her RA+DI Residency, Shireen is experimenting with new storytelling modalities and mentoring RA+DI fellows.