SEASON 2 FEATURED VOICES:
Polly Rodriguez, CEO and Founder of Unbound
As the CEO of Unbound, Polly Rodriguez has always been drawn to turning terrible experiences into great ones for customers. With a background in strategy consulting, she started her career at Deloitte specializing in customer experience.
She went on to scale the YCombinator startup Grouper which focused on the worst experience of all: dating in New York City (and subsequently globally). But there was always one shopping experience that she found to be the worst - buying your first vibrator as a woman.
Years later, she’s now the CEO of Unbound, a sexual wellbeing company that is making sex better for women everywhere by providing a sophisticated, reliable, and affordable shopping experience.
Ligia Andrade Zuniga, MA
Ligia Andrade Zuniga is a Director at Sexability and passionate Disability Advocate and Leader. She has been a change maker working in the area of sexuality and disability since 2009 advocating for the transformation of sexual freedom, reproductive rights and services for women of color and other marginalized underrepresented individuals in the area of sexuality and disability rights.
Caleb Luna, Ph.D. Student at UC Berkeley
Caleb Luna is a writer, activist, teacher, performer, fat babe and Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley, where their work broadly explores the intersections of fatness, desire, white supremacy and colonialism from a queer of color lens.
Their current project focuses on the mutually constitutive relationship between bodies and discourse. You can find more of their writing on Black Girl Dangerous, Everyday Feminism and The Body Is Not An Apology."
Nadya Okamoto, Founder/ED of PERIOD
Nadya Okamoto, who grew up in Portland, OR, is 20-years-old and a Harvard sophomore. She is the Founder and Executive Director of PERIOD (period.org), an organization she founded at the age of 16.
She is also the Co-founder and spokesperson of Next Fellows (nextfellows.org). PERIOD is now the largest youth-run NGO in women’s health, and one of the fastest growing ones here in the United States.
In 2017, Nadya ran for office in Cambridge, MA. While she did not win, her campaign team made historic waves in mobilizing young people on the ground and at polls. Nadya recently signed with publisher Simon and Schuster to write a book to mobilize the Menstrual Movement (coming Fall 2018).
Connie Sobczak, Co-Founder of The Body Positive
Connie is the author of Embody: Learning to Love Your Unique Body (and quiet that critical voice!), her book in which she skillfully and lovingly reconnects readers to their bodies, life force, and beauty.
Connie’s experience with an eating disorder in her teen years and the death of her sister Stephanie inspired her life’s work to create a world where all people are free to love their bodies.
In 1996, she and Elizabeth Scott co-founded The Body Positive, a nonprofit organization that teaches people to value their unique identities and become liberated from self-hatred so they can optimize their energy and intellect to make positive changes in their own lives, communities, and beyond.
She has been featured in numerous national media, including USA Today, Media Planet, Rebellious Magazine for Women, the Lady Brain Show, the Bay Area’s local Fox news, and more. In 2015, she and Elizabeth were chosen by La Repubblica, Italy’s leading newspaper, to be on their top 10 list of badass women for their role in founding The Body Positive movement.
Connie’s passion is watching the light that emerges when people recognize and embrace their magnificent, authentic selves.
Cindy Gallop, CEO/Founder of MakeLoveNotPorn
Cindy started up ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty New York in 1998 and in 2003 was named Advertising Woman of the Year. She is the founder of www.IfWeRanTheWorld.com, co-action software (and Harvard Business School case study) that enables brands and consumers to implement the business model of the future: Shared Values + Shared Action = Shared Profit (financial and social).
She also founded www.makelovenotporn.com, launched at TED 2009 – ‘Pro-sex. Pro-porn. Pro-knowing the difference’ - and in 2013 launched social sex video sharing platform https://www.makelovenotporn.tv/ The Social Sex Revolution (the revolutionary part isn’t the sex, but the social) for which she has just raised $2million to scale. As a global sextech pioneer and champion, she is also raising the world’s first and only sextech fund http://www.alltheskyholdings.com/ .
She speaks at conferences around the world and consults, describing her consultancy approach as ‘I like to blow shit up. I am the Michael Bay of business.’ Follow her on Twitter @cindygallop.
Luna Matatas, O.School Pleasure Professional
Luna Matatas is a sex and pleasure educator based in Toronto Canada. She's been teaching and facilitating safe and inclusive spaces to have sexuality conversations for the past 10 years.
She loves navigating what's normal and what's not, championing shamefree pleasure and leading body acceptance conversations. She teaches individuals and groups in person in Canada and the US and online at www.o.school.
Haylin Belay, Witch and Sex Educator
Haylin Belay is a sex educator, holistic health professional, and witch living and working in New York City.
With nearly a decade of experience in the field of health promotion and sex positivity, her expertise lies at the intersection of health, identity, and pleasure for people of different ages, sexual orientations, genders, racial and ethnic backgrounds, relationship styles, and more.
Rafe Eric Biggs, PhD CMSC
Rafe Biggs is the founder of Sexability, an organization committed to transforming sexuality and disability. He is a sexual health educator working with people with disabilities and healthcare professionals who support them.
He earned his Masters and Doctorate in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University and is a member of American Society of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (ASSECT). He is also a certified Master Somatic Coach (CMSC) from the Strozzi Institute.
Rafe is a quadriplegic paralyzed from the chest down from a traumatic spinal cord injury. He has spent last decade helping to make sex accessible for people with disabilities and organizations who serve them.
Toni Guy, Former VP of Education at Planned Parenthood, San Mateo
Toni Guy has spoken on issues of sexuality and reproductive health for over 30 years. During her years with Planned Parenthood she rose from Community Educator to Vice President of Education.
She speaks on a variety of topics including: puberty, sexuality education, reproductive health including birth control methods and sexually transmitted infections, abortion and the politics of reproduction.
In 1992 she was recognized as a “Champion for Choice” by NARAL and was chosen to receive the Seventh Annual Next Generation Award by the YWCA of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo in recognition of her work with young women.
She continues to advocate for choice and to speak out about the importance of access to contraception and abortion services in the lives of women.
Dr. Rebecca Levy, OBGYN
DB’s amazing mom, Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt, has been a practicing Obstetrician and Gynecologist for 20 years, now pretty much specializing in the 40+ crowd which includes PMS, perimenopause, hormones, sexuality later in life and menopausal issues.
She still delivers a baby here and there, and does a LOT of writing, lecturing and traveling. Check her out on Medium and other publications!
Kristen Mancinelli, MS, RD
Kristen Mancinelli is director of education and partnerships at Extend Fertility. She educates women about fertility and egg freezing, partners with organizations supporting women’s reproductive health, and advocates for putting an end to the taboo surrounding the subject of female fertility.
Kristen holds a master of science in public health and nutrition from Columbia University and a bachelors in chemistry from NYU.
Andy Duran, Educational Outreach Manager at Good Vibrations
Andy Duran is a Bay Area native sexual health educator and the Education Director for Good Vibrations. As a trainer for over 15 years, this California bear cub and proud blue collar dandy loves providing accurate and accessible sex information with hopes to arouse curiosity and spread truth.
When not philosophizing about all things sexual, Educator Andy can be found singing George Michael, blushing, and keeping up his teddy bear figure.
Rachel Gelman, DPT, Pelvic Floor Specialist
Dr. Rachel Gelman is a pelvic floor physical therapist who has received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Washington in Seattle and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt University.
Rachel practices as a clinical specialist at the Pelvic Wellness & Physical Therapy clinic in San Francisco. She specializes in the physical therapy management of numerous pelvic pain disorders, including sexual dysfunction.
Rachel is passionate about women's and men's health and strives to promote quality education regarding sexual health both in the clinic and in the community.
Mia Little, Adult Performer and Educator
Mia Little is an adult film performer and sex worker leading sex education workshops at universities and online. She is sex worker rights activist and current president of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee.
Her YouTube channel focuses on destigmatizing sex, sex work, and self exploration. Mia is also a pleasure professional for O.School, a shame free sex and pleasure education platform that aims to provide inclusive, trauma informed, and easy access courses online.
Her workshops range from consent with medical professionals, ethical sluthood, sexual health management, and more.
Ivy Chen, Sexuality Professor at San Francisco State University
Ivy is back for another season! Ivy Chen, MPH is a sexuality health educator, and has been working with Bay Area communities for 21 years.
She teaches students ranging from the 4th grade through college age, as well as parent groups, community based organizations, teachers, and other health professionals. Topics covered in her workshops include puberty, healthy relationships, body image, consent, sexual decision making, sexually transmitted infections, birth control, and increasing communication about sexuality within families.
She is also a lecturer for the health education, sexuality studies and psychology departments at San Francisco State University and has taught two large human sexuality courses for the last 15 years.
Overall, she strives to make learning important information about sensitive topics as accessible, comfortable and fun as possible.
Menashe Bezalel, Owner of PlanetScape
DB’s incredible dad, Menny (Menashe) Bezalel founded Planetscape Inc. in 1997. Planetscape is an E-Commerce company that provides various database and E-Commerce/Internet applications for Business to Business.
Menny was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in the late 1950’s and is one of eight siblings. At age 12 Menny and his family immigrated to Israel to escape religious persecution -- he and his family were Jewish in a predominantly Muslim country.
After graduating from high school, he went to the Israeli army for 3 years. After his services in the army, he went to Tel Aviv University to study Electrical Engineering.
In 1982 he moved to New York and continued his higher education at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, NY; he has a Masters in Electrical Engineering.
Andre Shakti, Founder of IAmPoly.net
Andre Shakti is a journalist, educator, performer, activist, and professional slut living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is devoted to normalizing alternative desires, de-stigmatizing sex workers and their clients, and not taking herself too seriously.
Andre is the reigning "polyamory pundit" at her non-monogamy advice column, "I Am Poly(amorous) & So Can You!", which you can visit - and submit questions to! - via IAmPoly.net.
You can also find her as a pleasure professional on the exceptional #SexyEd platform O.School.
Q Wilson, O.School Pleasure Professional
Q is a self-identified queer, gender independent, polyamorous leather boi. It’s well known that flirting is Q’s default mode of communication. He can often be found with a charming smile on his face or looking mischievous with the other bois. On rare occasions this boi might even be found dancing on a table, for the right amount of money…for charity of course!
A social justice activist for more than 20 years, Q consistently strives to bring together the various communities to which he belongs. He continues to seek avenues to actively serve as a bridge for the leather community’s kinky newcomers and it’s more established members, as well as those outside of the community, whenever possible.
Dr. Karen A. Scott, MD, MPH, (c), FACOG
Dr. Karen Scott is currently a Professional Fellow and Visiting Instructor in Women’s and Gender Studies at Kenyon College while she completes her thesis as a MPH graduate student in applied epidemiology at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.
She is a clinician scientist and feminist intersectional scholar and activist with board certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She centers intersectionality and reproductive justice in the design and delivery of sexual and reproductive healthcare, education and training.
She is particularly interested in the ways that historical, institutional, and structural factors mediate the relationship between provider bias and sexual and reproductive health care access, acceptability, availability and utilization.
Sarah D'Andrea, M.Ed., Sex Educator
When Sarah was 5 years old she believed that she invented masturbation. Today Sarah holds her M.Ed. in Human Sexuality from Widener University. She has taught courses and lead workshops with the American Medical Student Association, the College of Nursing at Sacred Heart University, and to middle and high school students and their parents.
Sarah has spoken at multiple events including SexX Philadelphia and Cycles + Sex Los Angeles . While her background landed her a job talking about periods and leading events at The Flex Company, she also enjoys using her degree in human sexuality to start deep conversations at dinner parties and in line for the bathroom.
Era Steinfeld, RAPP Facilitator
Era Steinfeld is a queer and trans facilitator and student, passionately studying and practicing ways of talking to young people about healthy sexuality.
At work, she manages and lead discussions about dating violence prevention for a group of energetic high school peer educators.
At SF State, Era fuses her interests in gender and sexuality with studying education in the context of equity and social justice.
When not working or studying, Era can be found listening to music, playing with their cats, collaging, performing in drag (recent addition), and spending time with family and friends.