Meet the Builders

Lia Chan

Baton Rouge, LA

A LEGO professional builder from Baton Rouge, LA, Lia specializes in intricate NASA creations including the International Space Station, Artemis II shuttle (including an animated launch system), Snoopy in astronaut helmets, and other NASA-based builds.

Neil Bonness

Akron, OH

After retiring from music, Neil decided to start collecting Star Wars again and landed in the world of LEGO. After a bit of time, what started with collecting, turned into building some of the epic scenes from the movies and television series. During that time, many doors and new opportunities have opened, providing him the chance to share his beautiful art thru LEGO building, with a focus on the Star Wars genre. Neil also enjoys traveling to several LEGO tradeshows and expos meeting fellow builders who share his passion for creating and building. Neil plans to display several of his larger Star Wars creations at this year's Almost Heaven LEGO Bash, and looks forward to interacting with kids and adults with a similar passion.

Emanuel "Manny" Garcia

A contestant (with his father) on Season 1 of the popular TV show LEGO Masters, Manny brings competition-level building skills and a passion for the brick to Almost Heaven LEGO Bash.

Robert Ziccardi

Southern New Jersey

An award-winning LEGO designer from Southern New Jersey whose creations have been recognized at Bricks Cascade, Bricks by the Bay, BrickCON, and Philly Brick Fest. He is also a member of the LEGO Ideas 10K Club, earning that distinction with his Clue Board Game project, which reached 10,000 supporters on the LEGO Ideas platform. Rob is an active member of both GardenSLUG (Garden State LEGO Users Group) and TrickyLUG, where he enjoys collaborating with fellow builders and sharing his passion for creative LEGO design. When he's not building with bricks, Rob works as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and performs throughout the NJ/PA region as a freelance trumpet player.

Mark Lorah

Augusta, GA

From Augusta, GA, Mark Lorah is a retired engineer focusing on intricate LEGO builds, including the US Capital dome (back lit) flanked by two full size bald eagles, historical sailing ships, and so much more.

Krista Kay

Pittsburgh, PA

Krista Kay is a Pittsburgh-based custom LEGO artist, educator, and LEGO Masters Season 5 contestant. Deeply rooted in the local maker community, Krista leads engaging youth Brick Clubs, partners with Carnegie Mellon University on creative educational initiatives, and actively builds collaborative displays as a member of Steel City LUG. Her work bridges playful storytelling and hands-on STEM learning, creating welcoming spaces where builders of all ages can experiment, engineer, and bring their imaginations to life. Krista will be displaying some of her great LEGO builds, and providing her own puzzle games to challenge everyone. Just bring your imagination—she'll supply the bricks.