Liam McAtasney

Liam McAtasney was born in Ireland and is the business owner, Quizmaster, and the guy who refills the water cooler at Brainstormer's San Francisco H.Q.

He has been at the forefront of the pub trivia business since 1996, when most people in the U.S. did not even know what a Pub Quiz was. Prior to that he worked stints that included newspaper delivery round and removing scratches from those old 33 rpm vinyl records.

During university days in Belfast (just a few years ago!), Liam and his roommates would venture out to the pub on (usually) damp Monday evenings to give it their best at the Four in Hand, occasionally winning a prize and the bragging rights.

Liam is actively involved in the day-to-day business of Brainstormer, although he yearns for a sandy beach, blue seas and a cold drink in his hand (all at the same time!).

Get in touch with Liam to host a pub quiz or corporate trivia party with a difference. We are also keen to hear from would-be quiz hosts, located anywhere in the U.S., who are interested in partnering with us to expand Brainstormer's quiz service. Click here for contact details.

Brainstormer’s motto: ‘Educating America, one bar at a time!’

Mark Walshe

Rarely is there a night that Mark Walshe is not in a bar (pitching trivia questions).

Originally from Harlow, Essex, Mark lived in North East London in his early twenties. His interest in broadcasting originated in his rock and roll bands ‘Some Other Day’ and ‘The Tender Trap.’

He much prefers people mistaking him for Jimmy Page than Simon Cowell, which is the main reason that he hasn't had a haircut in some time!

Mark writes and performs his own songs, which he dearly hopes won’t remind you of Donovan!

Stop by and play Wednesdays at Danny Coyle’s (San Francisco - Lower Haight St.), and Thursdays at Elephant & Castle (San Francisco - Financial District).

Rick Tosh

Rick Tosh has always had a passion for music.

In the early 90s, Rick landed a job at WKSS-FM in Hartford for ‘Savage in the Morning.’ He has also worked as producer for the ‘Sebastian in the Morning’ on WCCC-FM in Hartford, as a Production Assistant on the ‘Chevy Chase Show,' and for movie Director Peter Bogdanovich on ‘This Thing Called Love.'

Rick lives and works in sunny Sausalito in the apparel industry. He owns a party DJ company, is a regular host on QVC & The Shopping Channel, does voice over, print and TV commercial work. Rick is also an ordained minister AND can DJ your wedding. Mention 'Brainstormer' for a special rate!

That’s his life in a nutshell, so far. More info. at ricktosh.com

Buy Rick a top shelf Anejo Tuesdays at Finnegan's (Novato), and Thursdays at Rogue Alehouse (San Francisco - North Beach).

Chris Turner

Born at an early age, Chris Turner knew his calling was to be something cool like an astronaut or a sports team mascot. After a series of setbacks on SATs, vision exams, and a questionable score on something called a ‘behavioral aptitude evaluation,’ Chris decided to enter the Pub Quiz arena.

In his life beyond the emcee microphone, Chris works in the television industry and hosted an outdoor adventure travel show before the network thought better of it and moved him to the side of the camera that *doesn't* have a lens. Chris currently produces internet television in San Francisco and lives in the beautiful foothills of Oakland.

You can observe Chris in his natural habitat (just don't tap on the glass!): Mondays at Henry's (Berkeley).

Emily Swift

Born on one of San Francisco’s seven hills and raised on another, Emily grew up playing trivia-minded games like BrainQuest and Balderdash. She graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where a bartender friend of hers first harassed her into moonlighting as a pub quiz host. Emily has since been fine tuning her hosting skills and almost never trips over cords or drools on herself anymore.

Working in marketing at a tech company in SoMa, Emily enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, reading whatever crazy news stories emerge from Florida, sitting on rooftops, and having long conversations with her dog, Nellie :)

Join Emily Tuesdays at SoMa StrEat Food Park (San Francisco - SOMA), and Wednesdays at Swank (San Francisco - Laurel Heights) for some funky pub quiz goodness!

Kimberly Krupski

With a childhood nickname of 'Guy Smiley,' we're not even sure why anyone bothered to give Kim a microphone in the first place. Much like this Sesame Street game-show host, she's energetic, excitable, and whispers so loud they can hear her in China.

Kim grew up an avid fan of Jeopardy!, and while she's not yet been invited to the show, she spends most weekend visits at her mother-in-law's kicking serious butt on the Wii version of this game, getting her practice in for 'some day.'

In the meantime, Kim puts her enthusiasm for trivia to great use at San Pedro Square Market Bar (San Jose) on Mondays, and California Cafe (Palo Alto) on Wednesdays. It's more riveting than a Daily Double!

Dan Shapiro

Dan Shapiro is a performer originally from the Bay Area. He has been a trivia nerd all of his life, and has contemplated listing Wikipedia as a significant other on more than one tax form. Previously he has been a San Diego tour guide on the least environmentally safe double-decker bus in the world, as well as being the host of the Sea Lion show at a major marine amusement park that rhymes with PeaTwirled. Currently, he works at a summer camp teaching children to disrespect their elders.

Dan hosts corporate events in the Los Angeles and southern California area. We are working on adding pub quiz venues. Give us a call if you are interested in having Dan be your quiz host.

Dave

Dave, aka 'The Quizadier General,' has never met an obscure fact he didn't like.

After running College Bowl tournaments at his university and designing trivia nights for his alumni association, he moved to San Francisco and helped lead pub quiz teams to the league finals at two of Brainstormer's bars.

He now combines his three loves of trivia, beer, and the sound of his own voice by writing questions and hosting quizzes every Monday at Nickies Bar (San Francisco - Lower Haight), and Tuesdays at Martin Mack's (San Francisco - Upper Haight). Come hear the dulcet tones of the trivia host about whom one quiz regular recently said 'If I could hire him to read me stories at bedtime, I would!'

Kelly Beccaria

Kelly has always had a thing for random useless knowledge, so why not put it to good use? She is a Cal Poly, SLO alumni, where she hosted and competed in trivia at the local pubs. By day she works as a marketing coordinator at a business software company in the Bay Area.

Come and let Kelly quiz your brain Tuesdays at Sauced BBQ & Spirits (Livermore), and Thursdays at The Crown Pub (Danville).

Hana Afra

Hana grew up in Los Angeles but has called San Francisco home for the past six years. By day, Hana is a health educator at high schools in the Bay Area, and at night she’s either creeping on puppies out on the town or butchering '80s songs at karaoke.

Hana's always been obsessively competitive when it comes to trivia and now you can catch her as the bubbly quizmaster on Tuesday nights at Kennedy's Irish Pub (San Francisco - North Beach). Come by and play!

Marina Barcelona

Marina Barcelona (or “Profesora Barcelona” as her students call her) was born in Alaska but is originally from Grover Beach, CA. Having been raised by a mom who is “better and faster than Google,” Marina is super excited to be a quiz hostess for Brainstormer.

After 5 years, two majors, two minors, a teaching credential, a masters, and a partridge in a pear tree, Marina Barcelona finally left UC Davis to be a teacher in the Bay Area. Being a high school teacher has given Marina an extensive knowledge of Boy Bands, an overenthusiastic fondness for post-its, and a love/hate relationship with copy machines. Oh, and getting to travel to more than 20 countries during those summer breaks hasn’t been too shabby either!

When she’s not molding the minds of impressionable teenagers and obsessing over her cat, Kiwi, you can catch Marina quizzing it up Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Clubhouse Bistro at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (Foster City), and Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. at O'Neill's Irish Pub (San Mateo).

Miranda Babiak

Raised in the heart of steel and railroads, Miranda knows the value of beer and the simple company of friends.

A board game fanatic and game show contender, she found herself traveling the winding streets of San Francisco in search of a trivia quiz that could satiate her inquisitive desires. However, after surveying the competition in SF and finding her prospects of success to be mediocre, she thought, 'hmm perhaps those who don’t do…host.' [disclaimer: this only applies to Miranda and not the other smart and fabulous trivia hosts]

With a background as a speech-language pathologist, Miranda promises to deliver a well-articulated quiz with a few good vocal hygiene tips in between rounds. That doesn’t sound like a good time? Okay, skip the tips and see you Wednesdays at Neck of the Woods (San Francisco - Inner Richmond).

Kristian Wralstad

Kristian Wralstad, AKA The Quizshire Cat, is a life-long resident of the East Bay.

As his ever-loving knowledge of useless information grew after graduation and from his father, so did his chances to tell other folks, which undoubtedly led him to be the torch bearer and bastion of one of the Bay Area's longest running and highly attended pub quizzes; The Albatross Pub (Berkeley). You can find him there with his array of vintage shirts and hats on Sunday nights at 8:30 p.m.

When Kristian isn’t hosing quizzes at the Albatross, he is writing and directing another short film after his tiki inspired Forbidden Island, perfecting his latte art as a super Barista at his cafe, attempting to learn and play bass, and taking care of his animals; 2 cats, a dog and 2 chickens. Fortunately for him, he has a loving wife and newborn son to keep him sane and grounded.

Rebekah

Rebekah is a California native and has been playing pub trivia since it was legal for her to go to drinking establishments. When not working with Brainstormer, Rebekah enjoys petting other peoples' dogs, reading grammar books, and hitting up the mobile food trucks of the Bay Area. Her greatest triumph was convincing a collegue from her day job to attend a company picnic after twenty-eight years of him refusing.

Rebekah hosts the Wednesday night Pub Quiz at Eastside West (San Francisco - Cow Hollow/Marina District).

Kelly Girskis

Biding time until she can make her escape to join the circus, Kelly made the trek from the glitz of South Central Los Angeles to San Francisco. She grew up training as a professional ballet dancer at conservatories across the United States and recently resigned from her coveted position as lead tambourine in a Carole King tribute band. When dreams of going on the road with a gypsy band fell through, she settled into the normal nine to five of saving lives at UCSF.

Kelly's addition to the Brainstormer family has her hosting Tuesdays at Monaghan's (San Francisco - Marina), and Wednesdays at Bus Stop (San Francisco - Cow Hollow/Union St.).

Jason Corning

After relocating from Wisconsin to San Francisco a few years ago, Jason has enjoyed exploring all that the Bay Area has to offer, especially Pt. Reyes and Big Basin State Park. He works at an elementary school during the day, which is surprisingly similiar to hosting pub quizzes, except there's booze! Join Jason Mondays at Asiento (San Francisco - Mission District), Tuesdays at Valley Tavern (San Francisco - Noe Valley), and Thursdays at The Dubliner (San Francisco - Noe Valley).

Paula Richer

Music, comedy, and all-around goofiness are the hallmarks of Paula’s career. From convincing her cousins in her home town in Rhode Island to put on a variety show every summer for the grown ups, to surprising unsuspecting victims with singing telegrams in San Francisco, to playing keyboards for a BAM Battle of the Bands-winning rock band in the 80s (in head-to-toe Spandex, no less), Paula has graced (or wormed) her way into the hearts and migraines of audiences from coast to coast.

Her most recent job was for a large east coast entertainment company working as a DJ, Karaoke host, and Trivia host for nightclubs, corporate events, and weddings. When she’s not hosting quizzes, doing public speaking engagements or writing her book, Paula can be found meditating, hiking, doing yoga, and trying very, very hard to stay vegan in a meat-eatin’ world.

Join Paula Wednesdays at Flatiron (San Rafael), and Thursdays at Pizza Inferno (San Francisco - Fillmore St. & Sutter St.).

Alan Lamon

Alan is from the Sacramento Valley in California, and spent time in Berkeley and San Francisco before slowly working his way northward; First to Portland, before settling in Seattle.

After a friend invited him to a local watering hole for pub trivia, he was convinced he'd found the promised land; a place where beer drinking and knowledge were accepted, nay revered.

You can find Alan Wednesdays at Pyramid Alehouse.

Alex Hall

Alex is a rabid baseball fan (seriously, don't let him bite you), and writes semi-professionally about his favorite team, the Oakland A's, on the website Athletics Nation. He also serves as the Scoutmaster for the Boy Scout troop in which he earned his Eagle rank as a youth. There is a 97% chance that he is taller than you are, and a 100% chance that he already knows this without you pointing it out to him.

After spending most of his childhood reading World Book Encyclopedias and watching reruns of old sitcoms, Alex realized that his wealth of useless knowledge made him an ideal candidate to host pub quizzes.

He hosts weekly quizzes on Tuesdays at McGah's Pub & Pianos (Danville), and Wednesdays at Redcoats (Pleasanton).

Brian Fitzgerald

Brian started hosting for Brainstormer upon moving to New York City from Arlington, VA, where he was a long-time quizzer at Ireland's Four Courts.

He now combines his two passions of real estate and trivia by hosting corporate events for Brainstormer in The Big Apple, and running the weekly pub quiz at Fred's in Manhattan.

Andrew Dziuk

Andrew was born, raised, and still lives in the beautiful, bustling Ukrainian Village of the Windy City. He writes and speaks Ukrainian fluently.

After being shunned from Quiz Nights around Chicagoland for winning too much, Andrew joined the ranks of the Brainstormer hosts. As an avid Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, Bears, & Fighting Illini fan, you can expect not only top-notch quiz hosting, but also side commentary concerning whichever game is on the T.V. at the time.

When he's not hosting Pub Quiz, Andrew enjoys skiing, beach volleyball, mountain biking, jogging, watching a variety of fine television and film. On some days, you can find him doing filler work in the courtroom as an attorney.

Andrew is the host Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Elephant & Castle, N. Wabash Ave. Chicago, and Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Elephant & Castle, East Huron St. Chicago. (Right off the Magnificent Mile on St. Clair & Huron, 1 block east of Michigan Ave.)

Hailley Field

An east coast girl who has traveled the world, Hailley is an entertainer to her core.

After wandering the globe for years picking up all kinds of obscure knowledge and skills, Hailley landed in Oakland and is making the most of the Bay! Whether she is onstage singing, or in the corner of your favorite bar with a mic in her hand, there's no doubt you will be captivated by her lively, quirky and totally unique persona.

You can often find her sporting one of her many beautiful tiaras while she is reigning as your favorite Quiz Princess on Wednesdays at Tiburon Tavern (Tiburon), and Thursdays at Polo Grounds (San Francisco- SOMA, by AT&T Park).

Casey Selden

Casey Selden is a bit of a dabbler: in the past, she's worked as a tour guide to the stars, redwood expert, puppeteer, spelunking guide, map-maker, chauffeur, toddler tamer, dinosaur educator, and back-country chef. This variety of experience makes her a force to be reckoned with on the trivia boards. Plus, she wears glasses, and that automatically makes someone smart, right? When not at work, she likes to cook, brew beer, listen to music, and find fun, quirky things around the city to do.

Check out Casey's Monday night pub quiz at Soluna Cafe and Lounge (San Francisco - Civic Center.)

Brianna Sheehy

Brianna's been so saturated with strawberries, it's coming out of her hair color. She's an exploratory type with a passion for food, drink, opera and international affairs, ... er politics.

She may have lived in California for most of her life, but as Gertrude Stein once said, America is her country, and Paris is her hometown. For the time being, San Francisco makes for easy accommodation between the two (Bri said that, not Gerty).

Brianna hosts Tuesdays at The Dubliner (San Francisco - Noe Valley) and Wednesdays at Neck of The Woods (San Francisco - Inner Richmond.)

Blair Bazdarich

Blair, a born-and-raised San Franciscan, has always been proud to call herself a science nerd. Trivia was an early passion for her, doling out animal factoids at the San Francisco Zoo since the age of 13, and leading her high school team through the finals in the Otter Bowl. She currently combines her thirst for knowledge with her love of everything zoological to co-host a weekly podcast, ‘This Week in Science,’ but only when she's not Zookeeping, caring for bears, monkeys, sea lions, and rhinos, to name a few!

ZooKeeper Blair wanted to bring her passion for science and education to her love of performance and... voila! The perfect Pub Quiz host! (that is, as long as she doesn't smell like the animals...)

Come ask her awkward animal questions at Pissed Off Pete's (San Francisco - Outer Mission/Excelsior) every Tuesday - she just might answer them!

Krystal Jackson

Originally from Southern California, Krystal was an avid tennis player throughout high school. After graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia, she returned to the sun of Pasadena and then San Jose for a job in marketing for a national company. Her work team used to get together every Tuesday to do trivia, which was her first introduction to the game, and she loved it!

One perk she loves about the Bay Area are the great local wine tastings on offer, as well as the night club scene. She hopes one day to open up a concierge service marketed to executives, professional athletes and celebrities.

Krystal co-hosts Brainstormer's pub and corporate events, and the Tuesday night pub quiz at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (Foster City).

Lucy Potter

Once upon a mid-May morning in the mythical land of Berkeley, Lucy was born.

After graduating from UC Davis with the indecisive double majors of Classical Languages and Biological Sciences, our heroine found herself in teaching roles of varying conventionality. Deciding that chalkboards weren’t really her thing anyway, this intrepid educator has turned to the microphone and trivia nights to get her fix for sharing knowledge.

Armed with a love of languages, a soft spot for sciences, a devotion to Disney lyrics and a plague of puns, she is prepared to rock your Thursday nights score cards while co-hosting at Elephant & Castle (San Francisco - Financial District).