Professor, Sexologist TV + Podcast Host
Seasoned Entrepreneur, E-commerce Authority, and AI Expert
John Lawson is a seasoned entrepreneur, e-commerce authority, and AI expert with over two decades of digital expertise. From high school dropout to industry leader, he's generated 8-figure sales in e-commerce and digital products. A captivating speaker who's presented in 13 countries on stages from South by Southwest to the White House, John has helped hundreds of thousands of business owners. John is Verizon's Digital Ready AI instructor, a 2-time bestselling author, and business consultant, he makes complex concepts simple and actionable.
Dr. Alexandra Agar, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Sex Therapist
Speaker, author, and consultant, and principal of her company, Kizer and Bender Speaking
Georganne Bender is a speaker, author, and consultant, and principal of her company, KIZER & BENDER Speaking. She has helped thousands of businesses across diverse sales and service industries achieve success since 1990.
Renowned for her expertise as a store makeover specialist, Georganne has a proven track record of driving double-digit sales growth. Her insights have earned her recognition as one of the Top 40 Omnichannel Retail Influencers, RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Experts four years running, and the Top Retail Industry Experts to Follow on Social Media. She is the principal writer and publisher of KIZER & BENDER’s Retail Adventures, a blog she founded in 2005 that is consistently ranked among the most influential retail and small business blogs. As a respected global thought leader, Georganne serves as a BrainTrust panelist for RetailWire, retailing’s premier daily online discussion forum.
Dee Bertino, Attorney + Co-Owner of Fantasy Gifts NJ + CoFounder of SheEO Marketing
Michelle Melville Kashon, Community and Content Director at Sexual Health Alliance
Silvina Modolo, Cruise Sales Manager, Desire and Temptation Resorts & Cruises
Susana De La Pena, Boutique + Jewelry Manager, Desire Temptation Resorts & Cruises
Alex Decker, General Manager of Fantasy Gifts in New Jersey
Certified Sexologist, Sex and Intimacy Coach, and Consultant specializing in sexual health, wellness, and the adult industries
Coral is a Certified Sexologist, Sex and Intimacy Coach, and Consultant specializing in sexual health, wellness, and the adult industries. She has trained with the Sexual Health Alliance, the Somatica Institute, and Dr. Saida Desilets’ Embodied Psychosexual Method (EPSM) program, in addition to completing specialized trainings in tantra, psychosexual analysis, and men's work. As a former sex worker, Coral brings a unique consumer insight and a strong foundation in ethical practices within the novelty space. Beyond her work in sexual health, Coral has a robust background in recruitment, having owned and operated a successful recruiting firm in the entertainment and media industries for several years. She also brings extensive experience in strategic partnerships, event production, program development, and marketing strategy.
Intimacy Coordinator, Pleasure Educator + Activist
Laura Desiree is a trailblazing figure in the realms of sex education, intimacy coordination, and erotic performance. With over a decade of experience, she has redefined the landscape of adult content and advocacy. As a certified intimacy coordinator, she has worked on productions like SNCTM, ensuring that performers navigate intimate scenes with safety and authenticity.
Laura’s seven-year tenure as producer and lead anchor for Naked News showcased her ability to blend journalism with sensuality, bringing a unique perspective to adult broadcasting. She further amplified sex-positive narratives through projects like Red Umbrella Talk, a podcast series that delves into the realities of sex work, aiming to destigmatize and humanize the profession.
Beyond the screen, Laura has graced stages worldwide as a burlesque and cabaret performer, infusing her acts with themes of empowerment and liberation. Her commitment to enhancing the adult industry has been evident in her previous role as Lead Brand Strategist for PS: Group and Director of Creator Communications and her current Director of Creator Communications title with Skinfluential Media, where she advocates for improved working conditions and earning opportunities for content creators.
Through her multifaceted career, Laura Desiree continues to champion a more inclusive and informed conversation around sexuality, blending artistry with activism to inspire and educate audiences globally.
Founder and clinical director of The Gaia Center for Embodied Healing
Urologist + Co-Founder, Popstar Labs
Dr. Brian Steixner is a board-certified urologist and an expert in male sexual medicine. He is the co-founder of Popstar Labs, a sexual wellness brand focused on bringing clinical solutions to the consumer in a sexually positive way.
He completed his General Surgery and Urology training at The University of Pennsylvania, one of the busiest and most comprehensive training programs in the nation. During his surgical training, he received the Clinical Excellence Award in Urology from the University of Pennsylvania and the Resident Achievement Award from the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. His current practice focuses on male sexual medicine and wellness.
Dr. Brian Steixner has been a medical contributor for Men’s Health Magazine, Details Magazine, and NBC. He has been featured on FOX News, Sirius Doctor Radio, Livestrong, and The New York Post.
Casey Murphy, Leader in sexual wellness digital marketing, certified sex educator, digital content specialist
Marketing + Product Development, Wicked Sensual Care
Named 2017’s Sexpert of the Year by XBIZ, trained by San Francisco Sex Information (SFSI), and a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), Certified Sex Educator, Jessica Drake brings a wealth of expertise to her speaking engagements. Whether she’s speaking in front of an auditorium full of university students or in an intimate setting helping people talk about intimacy, she shares her unique vision of sex education that is pleasure-based, consent-aware, and shame-free.
As the Resident Sex Educator and Head of Marketing and Product Development for Wicked Sensual Care, Jessica’s acclaimed career in the adult industry led her to create the multi-award-winning instructional series “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex” where she rewrote the narrative of exploring erotic topics through elegantly produced, intimate demonstrations. Each volume addresses a different aspect of human sexuality, which is explored with a distinct blend of knowledge, experience, and good humor – a refreshing alternative for the sexual self-help genre.
With her keen insight and zeal, Jessica has been featured in a variety of media outlets such as CNN, BuzzFeed, CNBC, Playboy, Forbes, the Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, New York Daily News, Shape Magazine, Crave Online, Daily Mail, Maxim, and Refinery29 along with scores of others who have shared drake’s message of sexual health and her candid view of the adult industry. She has spoken at Universities and conferences worldwide on Human Sexuality, Consent, Boundaries, Porn Literacy, and Sex Worker Rights.
She is an advocate for Survivors of Sexual Assault and Trauma and is a board member of Tending The Garden, a nonprofit that supports marginalized survivors. She also lobbies for the rights and destigmatization of the rapidly growing unhoused population and has been a board member outreach leader, and boots on the ground volunteer for Feed The Streets since 2020.
If you are still reading this, Jessica would also like you to know that she is a pansexual polyamorist who loves to rescue senior chihuahuas, has climbed Kilimanjaro, loves goats, and cannot resist a fine cheese plate.
Matty Hennessey, Founder + product designer at Eversense Toys
Ashlin Hadden, Founder + CEO, Ashlin Hadden Insurance Agency
Ashlin Hadden is not your typical insurance agent and thank goodness for that. With over 15 years in the insurance industry and a specialty in high-risk categories, Ashlin has built a powerhouse agency insuring the bold, the innovative, and the not-so-vanilla. From CBD and Kratom to kink, lubes, and luxury vibrators, her team has been protecting pleasure-centric and alternative wellness brands long before it was trending on TikTok. As the founder of Essence by Ashlin Hadden Insurance, she unapologetically serves the sexual wellness space with custom liability coverage that actually understands the products and the people behind them. She's a straight shooter, a fierce advocate for brand owners, and the one who makes sure that when things get messy, your coverage doesn’t.
Jenna Perkins, WH NP-BC - Board certified Women's Health + Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner
STIMULATE Founder, Professor + Author
Nicole Leinbach Hoffman is the Founder of STIMULATE, North America’s only sexual wellness trade show and conference, as well as Retail Minded, a well-respected industry resource for merchants and vendors founded in 2007.
With a passion for both retail and sexual well-being, Hoffman has made bold strides in supporting the growth of sexual wellness products in retail ranging – as Hoffman describes it – from “head to toe, young to mature, purpose to pleasure”. Hoffman is a frequent guest and contributor to various media outlets that have included The Today Show, Forbes, Fox News, Entreprenuer.com and countless B2B publications, as well has supported American Express’s Small Business Saturday as a Spokesperson in America and is the Author of the book “Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and Marketing Your Retail Business” from McGraw-Hill.
In 2022, Hoffman was recognized as one of Women Wear Daily’s “25 Most Inspiring Women in Retail” and has been on the list of the world’s most influential retail leaders from Rethink Retail since 2015. In 2023, Hoffman was recognized by American Eagle on a billboard in Times Square in NYC for being a Global Change Maker for her work in sexual wellness and retail collectively, and in 2023, Hoffman’s trade show and conference, STIMULATE, was recognized as one of best community focused trade shows by Trade Show Network News. In February 2025, Hoffman also received an award from China’s SHE Conference for her work in helping to grow the sexual wellness category in retail.
Hoffman is happily married and resides in Denver, Colorado, where she is also a mom of 4, 3 dogs and a Professor at Columbia College where she teaches Retail Marketing. Hoffman proudly describes herself as a “retail geek”.
Tantra Educator, Hypnotherapist, & Relationship/Life Coach, Healing The Love
Proctologist, Founder of Future Method + Bespoke Surgical
Dr. Evan Goldstein is the leading anal health expert in the United States, founder of Future Method, and one of the few surgeons in the world whose practice, Bespoke Surgical, is dedicated to treating and restoring the human butt. He holds a perennial spot on the list of top doctors for the New York metro area and Crain’s New York Business listed him as one of their notable LGBTQ+ leaders and executives of 2020. He has been featured in national publications including GQ, Well+Good, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, Forbes, Fast Company, Out, and Shape; is a popular podcast guest; and in demand as a speaker for both medical and sex-positive industries. This year, he will be publishing his first book: Butt Seriously: The Definitive Guide to Anal Health, Pleasure, and Everything In-Between.
Expansive sex & relationship education Sex-positive PR & Marketing
Licensed Psychologist & Certified Sex Therapist Specializing in Sexual Wellness
Sex Educator, Entrepreneur, Political Activist, and Co-Owner of Disobedience
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist & Award Nominated Sexologist
Specializing in Sex Therapy as a well as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)
From head to toe, young to mature, purpose to pleasure, STIMULATE connects retailers, spas, medical offices and more with vendors that support sexual wellness across categories that include men’s health, feminine care, pleasure products, novelty items and other inventory to support sexual well being.
©STIMULATE Sexual Wellness
Stay informed with industry insight, professional networking opportunities, brand, retail + medtail connectivity experiences + more!
