The Business Anecdote Issue 3 | Cover Feature | Dominnique Karetsos

ISSUE #3 JUNE 2021

SPECIAL ISSUE

7 BUSINESS ANECDOTES INSIDE THIS ISSUE

DRIVING INNOVATION IN SEXUAL HEALTH AND TECH

CONTENTS 03 04 16 26

Editor's Note

Cover Interview with Dominnique Karetsos CEO and Co-Founder of Healthy Pleasure Group

Article: Invest in your future Wellness

Article: Why join the Sexual Health & Technology industry? - contributed by Healthy Pleasure Group

22 31

Short Article: The Golden Rules of Sex, Tax & Money

Featured interviews with Business Leaders: Glenise Kinard-Moore - P31 Patricia López Trabajo - P39 Heather Morrison - P49 Jeff Bennett - P59 Rachel Braun Scherl - P67 Ola MiedzynskaPatricia - P73

JUNE 2021 SPECIAL EDITION ISSUE #03

BE BRAVE STAND TALL Editor's Note

June has been a great month for the Business Anecdote Magazine. We started the month by publishing our second Issue featuring Shay Rowbottom and today we are publishing our first special edition focussed on the Sexual Health and Tech (SH&T)sector.

Without giving much away we have a great line up of business leaders in the SH&T sector. They talk about their entrepreneurial journey and the value proposition of their products and services.

Prior to publishing this Issue, I had been told by a number of people not to. Their reasons were all the same, they felt business and SH&T don't go together. They said a lot of things I probably can't write here but it was clearly a subject area they felt uncomfortable associated themselves with.

I guess that's the benefit of owning the business publication, because you get to do whatever you want. I see the value in the SH&T sector, and I am not referring to the fact that it is a multibillion dollar sector, I am talking about the positive impact SH&T has made on the mental health, sexual health and the wellbeing of people who need the products and services generated by this industry.

I hope readers will see not just the economic value of this sector but the social impact it is making on millions of lives globally.

Hubert Nomamiukor EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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EXCLUSIVE Q&A

INTERVIEW WITH DOMINNIQUE KARETSOS

CEO OF HEALTHY PLEASURE GROUP Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photo by Dominnique Karetsos

Dominnique Karetsos is the CEO and cofounder of The Healthy Pleasure Group (HPG), a global outfit dedicated to the future of Sexual Health and Technology (SH&T). HPG seeks to define, reshape and revolutionise the sexual empowerment of all generations and pave the way for healthy sexuality and healthy pleasure for everyone.

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Dominnique is a seasoned brand and business architect who has represented companies across the beauty, retail and health sector, for longer than she cares to remember. Beginning her entrepreneurial journey at 13 years old.

She went on to graduate with degrees in International Marketing Management, Logistics Management from the University of Johannesburg . and a masters in Maritime and International Trade from Sweden International Business School, JIBS.

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Hello Dominnique, and thank you for participating in this Q&A session. You’ve had a diverse and multifaceted career, working as Brand manager, Head of marketing, Investor, Broadcaster, CMO and eventually CEO of two different companies. At what point were you introduced into entrepreneurship?

Dominnique Karetsos: As early as I can remember, my Greek family roots have been in politics, commerce and entrepreneurship. Business was always discussed at the dinner table with my parents, both successful entrepreneurs in their respective fields. My first entrepreneurial success was importing alcohol-free, beeswax balm perfumes and oils from Greece to South Africa and selling them at multiple craft markets and hotels. I was 13. I then went onto study and work in Maritime, shipping and international trade, at UJ Johannesburg and in Sweden.

How much of your upbringing, background and environment has influenced your entrepreneurial journey?

Dominnique Karetsos: All of it. My Greek father was raised in Egypt, while my mother comes from Vryheid where my grandfather was a criminal attorney representing and fighting for justice for the African communities. Across both sides of my family, everyone was an entrepreneur, failed and successful. I myself was raised between Greece and mainly in Kwazulu Natal. From living in a country like South Africa that heaved with inspiration and encouraged disruptive entrepreneurship in times of political change, to my scholarship abroad in Scandinavia. There was no escaping the exposure and learnings. All of this has enriched my upbringing with powerful historical and spiritual storytelling.

The stories you hear, experience and make, all become the fabric that makes entrepreneurship so enticing and exciting. They become your social motor for celebration and change, as you continue building, with passion and driven by curiosity. This is how upbringing can impact us. After my first attempt at university ended after a year when I quit to travel the world, my father refused to pay for any further education. So, in order to pay my tuition fees I waitressed during my first two years while living on my own and in my third year created a corporate gifting company for mobile companies like Nashua Mobile in South Africa. It felt really good to pay for my final year of university fees and get through four years of studying without having to take a loan out.

Entrepreneurship is sometimes borne out of pure necessity when we want something bad enough.

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The stories you hear, experience and make, all become the fabric that makes entrepreneurship so enticing and exciting. They become your social motor for celebration and change, as you continue building, with passion and driven by curiosity. This is how upbringing can impact us.

Dominnique Karetsos CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group You started working in the sexual health technology sector late in your career, and your first stint was with Intimina in 2016 as the Head of Intimate Health. As an entrepreneur, what attracted you to the Sexual Health Tech sector?

Dominnique Karetsos: I was drawn to the Sexual Health & Technology sector through my love of people: how we move through the world, how we behave and engage with sexualities. Our sexual identities are our most impactful social and economic life motors. I went from commercial zoning of the oceans, to being a business & brand architect, entrepreneur and investor for over 15 years. Then eight years ago, while a cohost on BBC Radio London, I experienced both the birth of my daughter and a financially crippling divorce.

This led me on a personal journey that haloed the intrinsic value that pleasure and healthy sexuality contributed to leading a fulfilling life. I left my successful career and joined a leading adult brand as head of EMEA and quickly learnt the lay of the recently coined ‘SexTech’ land. The space was grossly, but not surprisingly, polarised: it was either family planning or porn. As far as women’s sexual health goes we had been historically ignored and underserved. I realised then we had a lot of work to do to democratise sexual health for women, dismantle the entrenched social constructs we abide by as women, reposition sex as something to be explored, empowered and healthy and build the foundations for the internet of smart sexual wellness, health and technology.

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What key challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur and business leader? Additionally, how have you navigated this and how much support have you received?

Dominnique Karetsos: From day one, being one of the few women in the world of maritime, it was (and maybe still is) a man’s world. I encountered sexual harassment, discrimination and minimising of my thoughts and ideas. Sometimes it was because of age or my gender, sometimes merely because my voice, choice and opinions existed.

I worked in Fortune500 global companies and even there, I was instructed to stay in

I worked in Fortune500 global

my lane, don’t colour outside of the lines. I

companies and even there, I

can communicate this now because I have

was instructed to stay in my

the language to name it. At 24, I just knew it felt wrong. But I couldn’t name the problem,

lane, don’t colour outside of

I had no one to tell it to and no social media

the lines.

existed for me to call it out publicly.

Dominnique Karetsos CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group

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Dominnique Karetsos: When I got brave enough, I dealt with each challenge differently, but a running

I have learned the art of boundaries,

theme for me has been something my

both in business and in my personal life.

father taught me. He used to say that what other people thought of me was none of my business. The only control we have is to listen. How we then react is ruled by the attitude with which we listen with.

Boundaries are vital to success, they are the kindest armour I can wear and they empower me to live believing that "No" is a full sentence and "Yes" is an authentic gift of gratitude.

Dominnique Karetsos

I apply this to any challenge that I face;

CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group

from sexual harassment to conscious uncoupling through a crippling divorce.

Through business failings and some beautiful successes, I have learned the art of boundaries, both in business and in my personal life. Boundaries are vital to success, they are the kindest armour I can wear and they empower me to live believing that "No" is a full sentence and "Yes" is an authentic gift of gratitude.

When it comes to navigation day-today, I surround myself with people who have a great sense of humour so we can enjoy laughing at ourselves and the royal mess ups we are bound to make.

The same goes for people who are brave enough to fight the systemic taboos we encounter each day in our space, and who can celebrate the smallest of victories too. Loving what we do means it no longer is work (a cliché I know). And finally, great coffee. Life is too short to live without great coffee.

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Still on key challenges. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the Sex Tech industry, especially within the African community. As someone who grew up and

We have to remember that

schooled in Africa, what is your advice for the African

inadequate, or even non-

community?

existent, sex educations is a

Dominnique Karetsos: We have to remember that inadequate, or even non-existent, sex educations is a worldwide, systemic issue. The absence of sex education

worldwide, systemic issue.

The absence of sex education combined with

combined with the cultural, religious and socioeconomic fibres that make up a society, especially in Africa, means that any instruction is created via a fragmented belief system, one that is thread through an exclusively patriarchal lens.

So, be it a multi-tribal community or the rainbow nation, education is the key starting point for Africa, as it is for the rest of the world. Democratising and normalising

the cultural, religious and socioeconomic fibres that make up a society, especially in Africa, means that any instruction is created via a fragmented

conversations around sexual health and consensual pleasure, while reshaping the narratives and language on topics like menstrual care and the many different sexualities must be inclusive. It must echo sexual empathy and tolerance for all

belief system, one that is thread through an exclusively patriarchal lens.

genders and all sexualities. When we live in a society that prioritises education like this, we can close the gaps on

Dominnique Karetsos

pleasure, on pay and, mostly positively, impact people to live

CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group

with self-efficacy and autonomy.

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Moving on to your company, Healthy Pleasure Group (HPG). What is the origin story behind HPG? Dominnique Karetsos: As someone who identifies as a woman, mother, Investor, advisor to many Sex tech start ups, and a co-creator of sexual innovation with Dr Mafe Peraza Godoy, I understood and related to the recent spark in social reform. Billions of people around the world, namely women and marginalised communities, were rightfully demanding credible education and human-centric technology to solve their sexual health problems and desires.

It was clear that the only way we were going to fast track this $billion industry, and make a positive behavioural impact in Sexual Health & Technology, was through innovation, investment and education. So we created the Healthy Pleasure Group (HPG) to be the leading catalyst for impactful positive behavioural change and established our own estate within the $4.5 billion global wellness industry of Sexual Health & Technology.

What is the target market and value proposition of HPG? Dominnique Karetsos: As the first global outfit dedicated to Sexual Health & Technology, HPG’s ecosystem is powered by four value-driven divisions: The Agency, The Lab, The Demand and The Fund.

Brands looking for a new product development partner to create the next generation of Sexual Health & Technology products, can turn to HP Lab, the only global commercial innovation Lab dedicated to Sexual Health & Technology. Headed up by world-leading Urologist Dr Maria Peraza Godoy and with input from our global ecosystem, HP Lab knows what consumers want and has the capability to build game-changing products, white-label or licence our existing portfolio of innovative solutions and products, all with the aim of solving millions of heartbeats’ sexual health problems.

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Dominnique Karetsos: Founders and CEOs looking for support in their marketing efforts can rely on HP Agency, the first full service agency committed to the growth of Sexual Health & Technology brands.

Working with more than 60 brands worldwide means we drive clients in their category to create, build and thrive through authentic marketing and communications. Answering business problems with proven commercial marketing solutions, our roster of Impact Marketing Services generate growth in an exclusively censored digital landscape. Using our fail-safe Approach, HP Agency can help any brand in this space no matter where they are in their brand lifecycle.

Businesses that want to explore their customer touchpoints can turn to HP Demand, the global commercial business dedicated to the future of sales in Sexual Health & Technology. Building and placing brands and categories in over 35 markets around the world, we work with global distribution, emerging marketplaces and retail partners using our commercial growth team to position brands across multiple territories, channels and consumer categories where they belong. Aiming to create meaningful touchpoints to connect products and services into the hands of millions of customers at the right point of their dynamic sexual wellness journey.

Finally, businesses seeking investment can turn to The Fund, Amboy Street Ventures (ASV). ASV is the world’s first venture capital fund dedicated to the future growth of, and investment in, Sexual Health (for all genders) & Women’s Health Technology startups. We seek to make investments covering all areas in this industry across Medtech, Femtech, Sextech, Healthtech, telehealth and wellness. ASV invests in startups that are creating the vital technology that meets the needs of our progressive society.

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As an organisation what key challenges has HPG faced, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic, and how have they navigated these?

Dominnique Karetsos: This global threat to humanity blew up the Sexual Health & Technology industry, busting ancient taboos and exposing the positive impact it has on our social and economic systems. Living through COVID has immersed us in digital bubbles. One for work, one for social connections, one for fitness, one for pleasure and so on. It has meant embracing a two-dimensional connectivity with the complete absence of non-verbal communication, diminishing some of our most innate, human behaviours.

For those fortunate enough, COVID has granted us the permission to consider and explore our sexual health and pleasure as a priority. As a result this has meant a surge in exposure and growth for the brands we work with across the globe, and in turn rapid growth for HPG to support those brands targeting and innovating to ensure sustainability and scalability in these digital life-chambers.

COVID has spotlighted that consumers have evolved their thinking from consumers as users to customers as people. Nothing fuels the desire to feel human again like a global, life-threatening pandemic. Internally, HPG has thrived and tripled our teams and while our growth is predominantly in the USA and Europe we continue to successfully deliver remotely. We are believers in performance over presenteeism, team over talent and in challenging times for our mental health, there is no place for toxicity. Preventable healthcare is sexy healthcare.

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What initiatives does HPG currently have to support women empowerment, equality, diversity and Inclusivity?

Dominnique Karetsos: We pride ourselves in ensuring gender equality at HPG. We are co-founded and run by three women and the majority of our teams identify as women. We are from all walks of life across different socio-economic, racial and religious backgrounds. What connects us all is our commonly held values of sex positivity and the belief that healthy pleasure should not discriminate.

What are HPG’s expansion plans and will it be targeting under utilised markets such as Africa ?

Dominnique Karetsos: Our offices are currently based in London, Barcelona and LA and we deliver value in Northern America, LATAM, UK & Europe and look forward to expanding more in EMEA

What would you say are the key traits of an effective entrepreneur and business leader, especially in the Sexual Health and Technology sector?

Dominnique Karetsos: The key traits of any effective business leader are: 1. Listen, learn and lead with transparency & accountability, but also vulnerability. We are people after all and I challenge the idea that vulnerability and kindness is weakness; 2. Make a decision and lead with authentic conviction; 3. Learn always, there are no limits to learning; 4. Choose team over talent. In our space skills can be taught but the willingness to lean into what is a disruptive and challenging market is harder to find ; 5. Be fair but firm; 6. Have zero tolerance for misogyny and bullying

Any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders?

Dominnique Karetsos: Learn the value of "No". Understanding that saying no means you understand your value. That by saying no to something, you are saying yes to the better opportunity which is true to your calling. The majority of businesses are still dominated by men and as women we are often raised to believe that saying no is rude or that we are not being a team player. No means only one thing. "No", nothing more, nothing less.

Don’t be afraid to ask for an expert opinion or support from other women. I have learnt that people really do want to help. I challenge the idea that women are each other’s worst enemy. Ego is the enemy. There were many who lifted me up and took me with them. But I only started to see my career move in the right direction when I knew exactly what I wanted help with and asked for it. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. I always encourage women to follow their curiosity and be fuelled by their passion. As Peter Thiel explains “There is no reason why technology should be limited to computers. Properly understood, any new and better way of doing things is technology.” As women our instincts are our influence, follow them. The business leaders I learn from decide where they want to innovate for change and then go for it.

Take the chance. Believe in yourself.

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We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session. We wish you and HPG the best.

Dominnique Karetsos: Thank you, we appreciate how thorough your research must have been to ask these questions

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FEATURED ARTICLE

INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE WELLNESS

By Dominnique Karetsos CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group

Global Wellness is worth $4.5 trillion and is growing twice as fast as global economic growth. Within that, one industry which has historically been fragmented and is now being consolidated at pace, is the Sexual Health & Technology industry The Business Anecdote was given the inside track from Dominnique Karetsos, CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group, the only global outfit dedicated to Sexual Health & Technology (SH&T) to discuss the future of this rising industry…

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Above all, COVID-19 has taught us that preventable healthcare is sexy healthcare!

Dominnique Karetsos CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group

COVID - living has meant that all of us have been totally immersed in what I call our digital life-chamber bubbles. One for work, one for social connections, one for fitness, one for pleasure and so on. It has meant embracing a two-dimensional connectivity with the complete absence of non-verbal communication, relinquishing our most innate, human behaviours. While shaking us to our core, it also reshuffled our priorities, causing tectonic shifts in our behaviour and attitude to the status of our health. How we protect it, track it, verify it and poignantly - share it.

Above all, COVID-19 has taught us that preventable healthcare is sexy healthcare!

The pandemic blew up the SH&T industry, along with its iron-clad ancient taboos, exposing its so-called vice for the positive impact it has on our social and economic systems. Human curiosity is the driving force behind the future of innovation in SH&T. Historically, sexual health has been excluded from our list of health and wellness priorities.

For the first time, we are proactively seeking preventable healthcare instead of reactive solutions. Nearly 8 billion heartbeats worldwide are suffering and seeking to read, watch, learn and heal their sexual health issues, and interests on a daily basis, so we are demanding change.

Sex therapist and author, Emily Nargoski, says it beautifully, “there are as many sexualities as there are people,” and everyone deserves a voice and a choice to be seen and heard.

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This social reform has been met by a wave of new developments and innovations in all areas of our sexual health and wellbeing. Throughout our global network, we see innovation and technological advances in everything from family planning to porn. In the last two years, human curiosity has forced the market to proliferate and spotlight sexual health and wellness. Cue the huge category boom that we see on shelves and online in this $4.5 trillion global wellness landscape, which is growing twice as fast as global economic growth.

However, this isn’t an industry that is without its challenges. Much of the innovation in SH&T is driven by women: alternative solutions to contraception, fertility tracking, menopause, education and how we talk to our children about sexual health. In order to get to market, you need investment. And who are the investors? Men! We know that 12% of VC funding goes to startups with co-ed founders, which drops to less than 2% for all-female founder teams. There is a real need for a drive in investment.

Alongside the recent spike in innovation and drive in investment, is a global overhaul of the lexicon used around sexuality. With consumer demand and sophistication at its peak, the way we talk about these products and how we share the problem is more important than ever before. I’m done talking about sexual dysfunctions like we are broken!

That language is harmful and is just adding to the taboo.

Education is vital to maintain the momentum in our industry.

So, with this opportunity in innovation, education and investment we sought to build the SH&T economy of the future and set up a global ecosystem, The Healthy Pleasure Group, that caters for the needs of every business in this space. We have not only created the infrastructure but are trailblazing with five businesses that look to answer any challenge. We bring innovation from Healthy Pleasure Lab, with a consistent creation of next generation IP, developed by worldleading Urologist Dr Mafe Peraza Godoy.

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We put products in the hands of millions of consumers with HP Demand, our global commercial business. With predictions that authoritative digital content as an industry will be worth $250m by 2024, we drive education in our industry via HP Agency and our School of Healthy Pleasure, helping people and brands tackle daily challenges of learning in an exclusively censored digital landscape. Finally, Amboy Street Ventures, our VC Fund, is spearheading the advancement of investment in women’s health and sexual health.

Looking to the future of the industry, the next major change we will see is market consolidation.

We are fortunate to speak to over a hundred brands a month and can see that the Sexual Health landscape has been fragmented across a range of categories including medtech, femtech, sextech, healthtech, telehealth and wellness. Each of these spaces are booming, so our mergers and acquisitions pipeline is a powerful avalanche waiting to close the trifecta between sex, health and technology and raise the industry up.

The new normal is feeling human, not a transaction, a user or just a consumer. We see a demand in humancentric technology, not technology that is simply marketed to humans.

Dominnique Karetsos CEO of Healthy Pleasure Group

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In looking to invest in a share of Future Wellness, we should no longer accept the ‘one size fits all’ approach to our sexual health. The new normal is feeling human, not just a transaction, a user or a consumer. We see a demand in human-centric technology, not technology that is simply marketed for humans.

The pandemic proved that our health and wellbeing is a complex system of not just “physical fitness” but interconnected fibres within our physical, psychological and sexual wellbeing as well, none can exist alone.

To be healthy in 2021 is to feel fulfilled in all areas of our lives and our industry is growing as a result. As we come out of the pandemic, the ease of access to technology is ultimately being driven by the desire to hold autonomy over our health and our bodies.

It’s never been a more critical time to care about our future wellness, whatever business that you’re in, it’s finally about owning a share of how and why and where the next generation will move through the world and how we want to right now.

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WHY JOIN THE SEXUAL HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY? Contributed by Healthy Pleasure Group

As a relatively young industry, there is no talent pool to choose from, no one can study the landscape because it's being built, created and shaped in real time. So why do people join the Sexual Health and Technology industry? Here are a few voices who sit within Dominnique’s global ecosystem across the UK, Europe and the US.

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Carli Sapir Founding Partner of Amboy Street Ventures

As a VC, I know many funds have a Vice Clause in their agreements that prohibits them from investing in anything ‘sex-related’. After struggling with my own women’s health issue for years, in 2019 I started the Female Founded Club, an organisation that helps female founders raise capital. My health problem was still undiagnosed, so I really resonated with founders who are solving the problems in the Women’s Health and Sexual Health space, but it was and is a real struggle with women making up only 5% of Partners at US VC funds.

It became clear to me that there was a need in the market for Amboy Street Ventures to combat the traditional VC decision makers who are not in the target demographic for a lot of the companies that are seeking investment, therefore may not understand the market needs and prevent genuine social change.

Carli Sapir Founding Partner of Amboy Street Ventures

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Dr Mafe Peraza Godoy Co-Founder, HPG and Head of Healthy Pleasure Lab

As a Professor of Urology, having seen nearly half a million genitalia-based issues, I have been seeking a space in the world with a unique outlook on sexuality that did not yet exist in the market.

Healthy Pleasure Group was born out of that necessity to carve a space where conversations about sexuality are framed not only in terms of health, but where sexual pleasure is understood as a biological and emotional gift that enhances well-being and allows personal and human growth. We find ourselves in a very dissonant time, where awareness about the importance of sexuality in our lives is greater, access to information is immediate and technology is dabbling in the area. Incremental change is not enough, the pandemic has proven that. We still find ourselves coming up against antiquated social conventions and the pleasure gap still exists, so we will persist.

Dr Mafe Peraza Godoy Co-Founder, HPG and Head of Healthy Pleasure Lab

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Sasha Lund Chief Strategy Officer Investment, Healthy Pleasure Group

Even people in the most developed countries in the world still struggle with the shame and fear of having “sexual health” conversations. We need a bridge that takes us from that fear to curiosity and that starts with education.

Sexual health to me is also part of our biology, pheromones help us make decisions and make us trust certain people, in business and in everyday life. This has driven my personal and professional curiosity for awareness and education and now I have a child, a hope for the future. The main goal when I look at this industry is to normalise the taboos and stigmas that exist. Women’s bodies and their functions are so much more than just sexuality. We need to get away from censorship to help empower women and to give them the tools and the language to feel it is ok to talk about it, to live it. By living it, I am empowering myself.

Sasha Lund Chief Strategy Officer - Investment, Healthy Pleasure Group

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Dominnique Karetsos CEO and CoFounder of Healthy Pleasure Group

When you scratch beneath the surface, you start to identify that systemic issues go way beyond the patriarchy. It’s my personal mission to change how we perceive autonomy of our bodies.

Motherhood and a financially crippling divorce completely debunked my belief system in autonomy of sex, tax & our bodies as women. We don’t know a lot about our autonomy, expression and freedom and we don’t ask enough questions.

So we tick the box, like Mrs., Ms. or Miss and just assume that the world will treat us fairly. This industry is where we can make a change.

Dominnique Karetsos CEO and Co-Founder Healthy Pleasure Group

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The Golden Rules of Sex, Tax & Money Having faced adversity over a decade ago with bankruptcy due to divorce and the inevitable financial problems that come with those challenges, Dominnique is passionate to unshackle the guilt and shame of these three topics and ensure that they become more considered and re-shaped in our daily conversations.

01

PERCEPTION

Carve a safe space to explore and discover all aspects of your life, including your sexual health. When you have the confidence to ask for what you want - from the bedroom to the boardroom - you have the confidence to ask for anything you desire. But it all starts with yourself. Decode your selfperception... If you can’t champion your own sexual health, it's very difficult to champion everyone else's.

02

PARTICIPATION

From the conversations you have with friends, strangers or your loved ones, the heart and soul of the matter is our understanding about women’s autonomy and the lack of it.

There’s so much shame and limitations around women and money, women and sex, & women and tax. Regardless of your gender, at a societal level this knowledge and the shortfalls it leaves us with, whether you’re a father with a daughter or a menopausal woman, we must all participate in the sex, tax and money dialogue we see and hear in the media.

Participate to shift the shame and snub the guilt. Participate to educate. For me, that’s looking at how I raise my daughter.

Arming her with the knowledge that behavioural change requires social motors to alter their direction.

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POLICY

This year I took part in the UN’s sixty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. It gave me a different perspective of how reform of equality for women, girls and marginalised communities is happening, and is crucial, but is slow to change.

We are all aware of the systemic issues. We have all, on some level, experienced them and possibly even contributed or served them.

To everyone who is trying, there are tectonic shifts that you are making: from changing policies, to safeguarding public places, to commanding political agendas, all for the good of the world, humanity and women and girls. Let’s keep demanding change.

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH GLENISE KINARDMOORE CEO & FOUNDER SKIIMOO TECH & VDOM LLC Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photo by Glenise Kinard-Moore

Their latest innovation, The VDOM , is an app-connected adult wearable device that

Glenise Kinard - Moore is the CEO &

has the ability to go from flaccid to erect at

Founder of Skiimoo Tech. She is also the

the push of a button.

Founder of VDOM, LLC. We had the pleasure of having a Q&A session VDOM LLC is an ingenious sex-tech firm

with Glenise where she shared her business

that focuses on human inspired engineering anecdote with us and talked about her company's value proposition and challenges and artificial intelligence. they have had to face

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Hello Glenise, thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A interview session. We would like to start by exploring your origin story. Please give me an overview of your background, initial career aspirations, and most importantly how you got into entrepreneurship?

Glenise: Thank you for the invitation to be apart of this interview session. I am an information security consultant by profession and an ambitious tech creative at night and self-proclaimed tech nerd. I like to say that her superpower is breaking apart many things to create new things and that is how my premiere product, The VDOM, was born. Having an idea like The VDOM forced me into entrepreneurship, I tried my hand at it right out of college, but nothing serious. I didn't have aspirations to be one, so to be honest I didn't have the proper training to be an entrepreneur but what I do have by nature is the ambition to be an entrepreneur, with that, I have just learned along the way how to truly be an entrepreneur and CEO.

How much of your upbringing, background and environment has influenced your entrepreneurial journey?

Glenise: My upbringing is the true impacting factor on me being an entrepreneur. My mother has worked for herself as a private nurse for majority of my life. I have seen both of my parents have multiple jobs at once to provide for our family, so that grit and hard work have been most impacting. But in addition to that, my wife is a caterer outside of her 9-5, I have friends who are entrepreneurs, so my environment definitely has an impact as well.

How much support have you received through your entrepreneurial journey?

Glenise: Support has been tremendous. Creating a product that is still a bit taboo, you would think that my support system would be lean an almost non-existent but that is the total opposite. My wife and my parents and majority of my family support me with this endeavour. Some of my family and friends were my first investors in my business. And I can't forget the SexTech community which is being led by some amazing women, the support and encouragement has been through the roof!

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What was it that drew you specifically towards the Sexual Health and Tech (SH&T) sector?

Glenise: Honestly, it was necessity. When you can't find products that fulfil a need and you realize you are not the only person with that need, you then create and simply fulfil the need. My creation just so happened to land me in this sector. And it has been an amazing journey thus far.

What key challenges have you faced as a black entrepreneur in the SH&T sector, and how have you navigated these?

Glenise: If I had to point out anything it would be the fundraising side of the house. We all know the statistics for the funding of black women owned entities, they are beyond ridiculous. Now add on a very misunderstood and taboo industry to the mix. Fundraising is definitely a sore spot. All of my fundraising thus far has been my savings account and family and friends.

Still on key challenges. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the SH&T industry. People still see it as a taboo to speak about sexual health and business within the same context. Why do you think this is happening, and do you have any proposals to address this?

Glenise: I truly believe it is just a result of age-old fears, misrepresentation, and the lack of education. Our goal is to educate educate educate. We believe if we can educate through effective communication, we can then slowly chip away from the age-old thought processes around sex and health.

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Let's explore your company SkiiMoo Tech. What does SkiiMoo Tech do, and where did the idea for this company come from?

Glenise: SkiiMoo Tech is a firm that focuses on creating tech-based consumer products for underrepresented communities.

At SkiiMoo we just want to create real life problem solving products for real people through technology. It may be a mobile app or a hardware device, as long as it solves a problem, we want to create it.

SkiiMoo came from the idea of creating The VDOM. I knew that The VDOM would not be the only thing I wanted to create and the other things I wanted to create would not reflect The VDOM, so I started the firm to be a parent to all the brands we will create.

What is the value proposition and target market of SkiiMoo Tech?

Glenise: Our value proposition is more so with our premiere product, "Our patent-pending prosthetic genital device allows individuals with anatomical and/or lifestyle restrictions, the experience of unencumbered sexual encounters with their partner. The VDOM can be worn at any time and can be activated & deactivated in less than a minute using our mobile app on any smart device".

The first product SkiiMoo Tech is bringing into the market is The VDOM. Please tell us what VDOM is, what it does, what its target market is and how much it costs?

Glenise: The VDOM is the solution for those who suffer from copious anatomical and lifestyle restrictions. Our product is an app-connected prosthetic genital device that allows comfortable all day, everyday wear, with the ability to go from flaccid to erect at the push of a button or a swipe via our mobile app on your smartphone or smartwatch. It is currently priced at $675 and we have pre-orders available through our website, in which, we are offering a deep discount for early adopters.

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Has the COVID 19 pandemic impacted your business positively or negatively?

Glenise: The pandemic effected us in both a positive and negative way. The positive side was time. We had time to sharpen our craft with the build of the product.

On the negative side, the pandemic affected the supply chain in the worst way. We were supposed to launch in April of this year, but due to a very important part being on backorder due to the pandemic, we lost our place in line for manufacturing. But we have pivoted and are just a few more weeks away from being able to get the product to market and to fulfil our pre-orders.

What is the current geographical reach of SkiiMoo Tech and do you have any expansion plans?

Glenise: Currently we are selling to and plan on shipping worldwide. Our entire team is here in Atlanta, including our engineers and manufacturers.

You are a cybersecurity expert. With the recent hacks in America and the fact that the internet connects all things, how secure is VDOM from hacks and data breaches?

Glenise: We take this very personal at VDOM. We believe in safety and privacy to the highest degree. We are doing everything in our power to build a product and mobile app that is safe from hacks but if we were to be hacked we make it a point to protect individuals data and uphold their privacy.

We would like to get your perspective on some entrepreneurial questions. Firstly, what would you say defines a successful entrepreneur and business leader?

Glenise: A successful entrepreneur and business leader is defined by ones ability to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. In addition , it takes someone who can uphold integrity and character while pursuing to make money. And most of all, solve real problems for real people. I like to say, yes I am in the SexTech business, but I am more so in the People Tech business. I just want to solve problems for everyday people like myself. It has to be a combination of those things for me, to truly feel successful.

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What would you say are the key traits of an effective entrepreneur and business leader, especially in the Sexual Health and Technology sector?

Glenise: The ability to get to the grit of an issue or opportunity and the ability to pivot and not be thrown off course by things you can't control.

What is your take on the systemic racism in America? Do you think the Biden administrations will do better than the Trump administration to address this?

Glenise: This would be a very very very long answer to this question. But I will simply say, the US has a lot of bullsh*t to clean up. I believe we are finally peeling back centuries of wool from over the world's eyes when it comes to systemic racism but we have a long way to go We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session.

Glenise: Thank you again for inviting to me. It was very enjoyable.

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH PATRICIA LÓPEZ TRABAJO FOUNDER & CEO OF MYHIXEL Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photo by Patricia López Trabajo

Patricia López Trabajo is the CEO and Founder of MYHIXEL. Born in Seville, she describes herself as a citizen of the world.

She has had several year of professional experience working in the Tourism and Sex-Tech industry.

It is a pioneering brand developing a revolutionary scientifically proven method, that helps men and their partners to reach a new sexual level.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign in October of 2018, MYHIXEL sold more than 500 units in 30 days, across 35 different countries. We had the pleasure of

Her company MYHIXEL, was founded in

having a Q&A session with Patricia where she shared

2017 with the mission of improving male

her business anecdote with us.

sexual well-being.

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Hello Patricia and thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A interview session. We would like to start by exploring your origin story. Please give me an overview of your background, initial career aspirations, and most importantly how you got into entrepreneurship?

Patricia: I was born and raised in Seville, in a family that was deeply respectful of my personal growth from an independent point of view, and let me take my path. During my college period I studied tourism and worked for years in the sector.

Then, life took me to a company in the adult sector where I spent 4 years, and for several circumstances, my interest in sexual health began.

After noticing that most of the sexual wellness companies were focused on women, I decided to take my steps towards creating MYHIXEL, a brand for men's sexual health.

How much of your upbringing, background and environment has influenced your entrepreneurial journey?

Patricia: Well, I grew up in an environment where I have been always allowed to take my own path, and to follow my dreams. My family has always been very respectful with my decisions, although I was told very clearly that I’d have to accept the consequences of those decisions.

Also, I have never been afraid of changes. For example, I moved from one country to another country, and from one day to the other, to understand different cultures and learn their language better.

So, when I totally changed my professional experience from tourism to the adult sector, nobody got surprised and when I realized there was a big lack of need to cover the male wellness market, I just jumped into the adventure of becoming an entrepreneur founding MYHIXEL to improve male sexual wellness.

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What was it that drew you specifically towards the Sexual Health and Tech (SH&T) sector?

Patricia: After almost 4 years working in the industry, I realized that the future was linked to health, tech & education, so all old and new brands should make an effort and invest in innovation if they wanted to have a space in the middle term.

It was time to give the relevance that men's wellness also deserved, by building a new brand that could bring together health, tech & education, by offering innovative products and solutions for men. Since then, MYHIXEL has become a pioneering brand focused on men's sexual health; based on science and technology, developing solutions for ejaculatory control, MYHIXEL MED for Premature ejaculation, and MYHIXEL TR to improve climax control, and to decide when to ejaculate.

What key challenges have you faced as a black entrepreneur in the SH&T sector, and how have you navigated these?

Patricia: First of all, in MYHIXEL we have had to face many stigmas that surround male sexual wellness, this is still a taboo and we are working to break it and normalize it. We want to help people realize that male wellness is as important as female. We also have to face difficulties on how to announce our brand on platforms like social networks. To navigate these, we show that MYHIXEL is not a brand that creates products for sexual pleasure but a brand that has the FDA medical certification and is marked with the European CE as a medical device.

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Still on key challenges. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the SH&T industry. People still see it as a taboo to speak about sexual health and business within the same context. Why do you think this is happening, and do you have any proposals to address this?

Patricia: Although sexual health is just as important as overall health, it is true that traditionally it has been linked to reproductive health overall. Just recently this denomination has made possible for ideas like MYHIXEL’s to be in a category inside of the business of health.

Due to this, it is not surprising that putting sexual health and business in the same context still make an impression on some people, the fact that pleasure is linked to sexual health and the stigma surrounding pleasure products makes it difficult for SH&T companies to navigate in business.

In any case this taboo is slowly fading and we can see it on a daily basis. I think that the future of sexual wellness is linked to technology supported by science, and it is also a business area which is starting to grow.

Let's explore your company MYHIXEL. What is MYHIXEL and where did the idea come from?

We'll have to keep working and talking about it until it becomes normalized.

Patricia: In 2017 while some other female brands were focusing on health, tech & education, in the case of male products, most of them were far behind with just a few examples. So, I thought that it was time to create a new brand that could bring together health, tech & education by offering innovative products/solutions for men. We started to do research, then we developed MYHIXEL, which became a pioneering brand focused on male wellness and based on science and technology. We develop solutions to face premature ejaculation, MYHIXEL MED; and to improve ejaculatory control, MYHIXEL TR. Our solutions, both, consisting of an app called MYHIXEL Play, with a program of activities developed by doctors, engineers, and sexologists, specially created to face these sexual issues. This app is combined with a pleasure device, MYHIXEL I, which is made to make the activities guided by the app. We are also working on future solutions that will face other male sexual issues, like retarded ejaculation.

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What is the value proposition and target market of MYHIXEL? Patricia: We are a differential company, as our products are designed to bring an improvement in the sexual life of men and their partners and we rely on science and technology to achieve it. Our goal is for men to achieve their sexual wellbeing in a natural way, which also gives them a boost in selfesteem and happiness. There are many companies focused on male concerns such as hair loss and others focused on ejaculation control, but rely on chemical-based products such as pills or sprays. Our modus operandi is very different, as it is based on science and technology and no chemicals are needed.

What key challenges has MYHIXEL faced since its launch and how have you navigated these?

Patricia: One of our main goals was to make clear that our method is therapeutic, and made to improve sexual wellness and health through pleasure. So, one of our most important challenges was being certified as a sanitary manufacturing company by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), we also are CE marked as a medical device and we are FDA registered as sanitary products.

Challenges regarding restriction policies, as mentioned, on social networks, or on the communication side to explain our product are day-to-day challenges. In any case, after numerous attempts, some more successful than others, and through the knowledge and experience that the team is acquiring, we are trying to refine each day to be able to give visibility to our brand without breaking the restriction policies.

On top of that, our international market keeps growing, today we are selling in more than 42 countries with a view to extending to more countries. But sometimes because of the country's restrictions and policies, we have had setbacks that have prevent us to be able to sell there.

Looking out to the future, we are ready to face the new challenges related to male sexual wellness, to keep covering the needs men have related to their sexual concerns.

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With the recent cyber attacks happening worldwide, what mitigations has been put in place to secure MYHIXEL from hacks and data breaches?

Patricia: In MYHIXEL we are fully committed to the security of our users' data. We work with two different systems when regarding the web and the app. In our website we count with services like Cloudflare to protect against injection and identity theft, but to upgrade our security we also have an IT security company working with us, which guarantees us and our customers full security of our IT systems.

In the developing of our app, we collaborated closely with a team of cyber safety experts. As a result, the architecture of MYHIXEL Play is designed so that it is not necessary to collect personal information from the user. Thus, the usage data of the app is completely anonymous. Besides this, safety has been guaranteed through the guidance of the latest and most demanding international verification standards in mobile applications.

Has the COVID 19 pandemic impacted your business positively or negatively?

Patricia: As it is known, the pandemic had a positive impact on online companies in terms of purchases. As our shop is online, we increased our sales, we understand that people spent more time than usually connected to their devices so we could reach more targets, and the fact that people had more free time also helped.

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What is the current geographical reach of MYHIXEL and do you have any expansion plans?

Patricia: We are present in countries all over the world through our online store that allows us to sell internationally. Although our strongest markets are Spain, the US, and the UK, where we work hand in hand with distributors besides shipping from our store.

Although there are countries whose policies make it difficult to sell, that doesn’t prevent us from keeping the expansion through the different markets. We are also entering LATAM, a market with a great economic barrier for a product like ours, as well as in different European countries. In short, our goal is to continue to grow in LATAM and to establish ourselves in Europe. as well as to continue to reinforce our distribution, marketing, and communication channels to continue growing and trying to enter new markets little by little.

We would like your views on some entrepreneurial questions. What would you say defines a successful entrepreneur and business leader?

Patricia: Perseverance; I have always believed in this quality, so being persistent has helped me to not give up on achieving my dreams. Today, at MYHIXEL, we continue to work towards our goal without giving up.

Form a team who is motivated with the project and working with them side by side, all going in the same direction.

Adaptability; it is important to be quick to adapt to the circumstances of each situation in this evolution.

Don´t give up, if you don't achieve a goal, there will always be another way to achieve it and even a better goal to aim for. For example: when we get rejected by an investor, it feels like we're taking a step backward, but then I realize it is just a bump in the road and other investors will be interested. In fact, that is what has happened.

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What would you say are the key traits of an effective entrepreneur and business leader, especially in the Sexual Health and Technology sector?

Patricia: Surround yourself with a great professional team that shares the same values as you. Only if you share the same principles and values, the team will make sense in the long term.

- The ability to adapt to change is vital. In a start-up, you are in a constant state of flux and you have to be agile in the face of change.

- Believe in yourself above all else. If you don't, it shows in all areas and is the beginning of the project’s decline.

- Rest and take time for yourself and your loved ones.

Success is meaningless if it is not shared.

Any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders?

Patricia: First of all, before jumping into the entrepreneur adventure, It's important to believe in your project and be emotionally prepared to deal with the ups and downs. Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster and it is relatively easy to throw in the towel when you are at your lowest point. But if you trust in your project, you will overcome any difficulty.

On the other hand, I would also advise female entrepreneurs not to lose sight of tech and what it can do for them. I think it is the future for companies, and nowadays everything that surrounds us has a technological influence, even health. So, I will tell them to jump into the adventure and engage with technological advances, to access opportunities tech has to offer.

We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session.

Patricia: Thanks to you, it has been a pleasure.

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH HEATHER MORRISON CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF HANDI Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photo by Heather Morrison

Handi was launched two years ago by Heather and her brother Andrew Gurza, an award winning disability awareness

Heather Morrison is the CEO and Co-

consultant. Hindi’s first product on the

Founder of Handi, a company

market is called The Handi Joystick. It

revolutionising sexual health and tech for

specifically caters to those with hand

the disabled community.

limitations, which is the biggest barrier for

She has spent the last 10 years plus

disabled people to access self pleasure and

working in the advertising and marketing

has been designed to remove the reliance

space, and creating innovative strategies

on fine motor skills.

for brands of all shapes and sizes

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Hello Heather and thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A interview session. We would like to start by exploring your origin story. Please give me an overview of your background, initial career aspirations, and most importantly how you got into entrepreneurship?

Heather: For over a decade, I’ve worked in advertising and innovation as a strategist. When I first fell into advertising, I remember being amazed by the incredible combination creativity and brilliance the industry attracted. I loved being part of big, bold campaigns that used creativity and insights to challenge traditional ways of thinking. I always knew I was entrepreneurial and dreamed of creating something that could benefit people and make a demonstrable difference, but I never really knew what I wanted to do. I had a lot of ideas, but no follow through. It wasn't until I was confronted with a problem so big, so shockingly unresolved, and which directly impacted my brother and so many like him, that I was compelled to do something about it.

How much of your upbringing, background and environment has influenced your entrepreneurial journey?

Heather: Growing up our house was always a little bit crazy - I have 3 younger brothers and I was the only girl.

Amidst the chaos, was incredible amount of room for creativity and ingenuity. We were always making (and breaking) stuff, filming adventures, creating stories and art. And we were encouraged to pull on the threads of creativity and 'give it a go' by our parents.

When I look at my siblings now, we've all become artists and creators in our own right (a musician, a visual artist, a speaker and entrepreneur). It would be pretty hard to say it wasn't a direct result of the upbringing we had and belief our parents instilled in us. When I entered advertising I often felt that I didn't really fit in. There were so many times I wasn't sure why I was there and suffered from intense imposter syndrome (I still do). I felt like I was always trying to escape ad land, escape the grind, and escape need to separate my work from my own values, unsure of my place within it. But now looking back I am so grateful for every moment. Not only did it reinforce the power of creativity and provide an incredibly solid foundation for grit and hard work, but it also taught me so much about business, story telling, building presentations, public speaking, strategy, analytics and content. The list goes on and on.

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Heather: In the midst of ad land I spent some time at an innovation agency working to create products and services for different companies. This also gave me tools that I have used every day, such as the ability to facilitate research, put together and execute large scopes of work, manage stakeholders, and understand and execute design thinking models. So, my family, friends, and career all led me to be where I am today. Laying the groundwork and arming me with the tools an entrepreneur needs. I grateful for every minute i spent and every lesson I learned along the way.

What was it that drew you specifically towards the Sexual Health and Tech (SH&T) sector?

Heather: I never in a million years thought I'd be creating sex toys and sex tech for a living. But I'm so delighted it's where I landed. I was drawn to it because of the simple and shocking fact that hundreds of millions of people aren't able to access their human rights to sexual pleasure due hand limitations. And that, even more surprisingly, there are no toys that have been designed with this in mind.

It was a huge lightbulb moment for me and one that I believed I could have a positive impact on. Over the last 2 years I have met so many incredible people who work in this industry.. and some wankers too.. but 99.9% have been amazing, talented, dedicated people who have welcomed Handi into the community and been so inclusive and supportive on our journey. Today, if I were to step away from Handi, the first place I'd look is sex tech. Not just because of the amazing community, but also because there are so many opportunities to help people and solve problems that others don't even realise exist. Because it's seen as a taboo, it's a massively untapped opportunity goldmine.

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What key challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur in the SH&T sector, and how have you navigated these?

Heather: Some challenges that we've experience so far include: 1. Sex sells, but not on Instagram & Facebook - Most companies have the ability to market to their audiences through paid social media channels. Unfortunately Facebook (and therefor Instagram) have extremely prudish and strict policies when it comes to sexual content. They don’t allow any paid content which looks at sex from a positive, pleasurable perspective. Even sexual health and wellness content gets removed by their filters. This really limits our ability to gain mass reach within the disabled community and able-bodied communities as well. So we need to take a more creative approach, to be very nimble and leverage as much PR, Influencers, Word of Mouth as much as we can.

2. Hardware is Hard - When we naively set out to completely reimagine sex tech for disabled people, we had never heard this turn of phrase commonly used in start-up land. Essentially birthing a physical product into the world take a lot of initial capital than software does. It involves design, testing, physical prototypes, materials, manufacturing, shipping and meeting of regulatory standards, to name a few. Particularly because we are innovating and designing a totally new need - we can’t rely on previous designs or drop shipping like some other companies. To navigate this, we've learned to ask for help and know when we don't have the answers and go out and find someone who does.

We've leaned into the amazing startup and sex tech communities who have both helped and advised us at every stage. It takes a village to launch a startup, and we've got a two pretty great ones.

3. Investment - both of these dovetail into investment hurdles. Reduced access to audience stifles your traction and demonstrating 10x or 100x growth that investors are looking for when you don't have a physical product yet is pretty impossible. It takes longer and requires investment up front. We've also found many investors and grants don't want to invest in sex tech due to the stigma around it, despite it being a billion dollar industry. We're still navigating this one - we lean into more impact investors and angels who believe in our mission. We know we'll get there. We just don't always know how.

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Still on key challenges. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding disability and the SH&T industry. People still see it as a taboo to speak about sexual health in a business context and disability context. Why do you think this is happening, and do you have any proposals to address this?

Heather: Sex is still taboo in many societies. Even more taboo is masturbation. Then layer on top of that disability and people get very uncomfortable very quickly. But this means that people don't talk about what's happening in the world of sex+disability, which only perpetuates the stigma and causes feelings of shame and isolation for the disabled community.

It also leads to low problem recognition. Many people don't even realise there are needs and rights not being met, which results in a lack of innovation and problem solving. To change this, we must come out of the shadows and openly have conversations to tear down the taboos that sit around them and normalise the topic of sex+disability.

That's a big focus for Handi, leaning into the taboos, tearing them down, normalising conversation to breed feelings of inclusion and empathy. Talking about it is the first step to solving the problem. To this end, we created The Handi Book of Love, Lust & Disability last year, working with 50 disabled contributors to talk about all aspects and feelings surrounding sex+disability. Topics that we couldn't see had been discussed anywhere else, including best and worst sexual experiences, kink, the sexiest thing anyone's said to you, the intersection of pleasure and pain and body image.

Let's explore your company Handi. Where did the idea and inspiration for Handi come from?

Heather: My younger brother (and co-founder) Andrew Gurza has been working as a sex and disability activist for over a decade to shine a light on the topic and tear down the taboos surrounding it. Due to his work and lived experience as a disabled man, he gave me my lightbulb moment 2 years ago, making me more aware of the problem - that many disabled people are unable to access sexual pleasure, himself included. Like so many able bodied people, I had just never thought about it or the limitations that might exist.

Handi was born from a simple and surprising fact, that there are hundreds of millions of people worldwide who cannot self pleasure due to hand limitations. Shockingly there are no toys on the market that have been designed with this in mind. Given sexual pleasure has been declared a basic human right by the World Health Organisation this seemed like a problem that needed solving and so we, somewhat naively, decided to give it a go. We believe that everyone regardless of their ability has the right to ‘get off’, so we’re on a mission to put sexual pleasure in reach… for everyone. We are a brother and sister team tackling sexual inclusion and rights, which gets us into some pretty interesting conversations and we probably know more about each others’ sex lives than we'd like to. But all for the greater good :)

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What is the value proposition and target market of Handi?

Heather: Our overarching brand purpose is to Put Pleasure Within Reach. This includes our brand acts and content, products and future services. For so many disabled people pleasure and sexuality has simply been taken off the table or refused to them, either physically, culturally or systemically. We want to change that and believe that everybody should be able to access their human right to sexual pleasure.

Our target market is the disabled community, they are the biggest minority group in the world, and completely overlooked when it comes to their sexual needs and health. Despite leveraging what we call disability-driven-design, we know our products will be enjoyed by all and that our content and brand acts will drive positive change for society as a whole.

Our first toy on the market is The Handi Joystick. It specifically caters to hand limitations, which is the biggest barrier for disabled people to access self pleasure and has been designed to remove the reliance on fine motor skills. But we intend to continue to innovate and release a full product range because we recognised early on we would never hit all disabilities, needs and preferences with one toy.

Has the COVID 19 pandemic impacted your business positively or negatively?

Heather: The COVID pandemic has both helped and hindered our progress, but mostly helped. We launched during lockdown, at a time when the rest of the world was at a standstill we were sprinting forward which gave us incredible momentum. We also benefited from many brilliant people being on reduced hours and wanting to donate their time and talent to a cause they believed in. Without the contributions of these amazing people, we wouldn't be where we are today. We are forever grateful for their support.

Like I said, it takes a village! COVID lockdowns hit the disabled community pretty hard, with higher vulnerabilities and underlying risks. This increased isolation and time alone further reinforced the need for our brand and product. Finally, the industry itself has witnessed huge growth during the lockdown. We know what people were doing with their spare time..the data doesn't like, haha. We did have to chop and change a little bit at the beginning , it meant we weren't able to get into people's homes to test the designs and needed to adjust our research methodologies. But overall there have been more pros than cons.

What is the current geographical reach of Handi and do you have any expansion plans?

Heather: We are currently speaking to a global disabled community from our socials and The Handi Book we created last year. We learned from day one that we would need to be global, because the problem was so widespread and solutions so non-existent. However, we will do a small test roll out with our first product, focusing on Australia to test and learn before rolling out internationally. Australia is a great test market for larger markets like the US & Europe and will allow us to glean learnings for a successful geographical expansion.

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We would like your views on some entrepreneurial questions. What would you say defines a successful entrepreneur and business leader?

Heather: I think everyone will carve a slightly different trail up the entrepreneur mountain. And everyone defines success differently. Whether it's getting a product to market, building a team, making your first non friends and family dollar, signing your first client or getting a positive review. It's important to celebrate the little wins as much as the big ones. But there are a few key traits that have helped me and I've witnessed in others around me: 1. Resilience is a big one as there will be so many obstacles, many unforeseen to overcome along the way.

And without the resilience to keep going even when the going gets tough (and it will), you may not make it to the top.

2. Passion - believing in your mission and why you're on it beyond the financial opportunity. The reality is monetary payoff if you're successful comes later, not right away. So if you're not driven by a real belief and passion for what you're building and why, you may ditch and run when you look at all the work you're putting in for very little financial reward.

3. Asking for help! No one has all the answers, even seasoned entrepreneurs surround themselves with advisors. Don't be afraid to admit when you don't know something or need help. There will be so many moments when you need to lean into the expertise of someone else, ask a friend to pitch in, or call in favours. You can't do it alone and the more you ask for help from those who believe in you and your mission, the stronger your startup and abilities become. And the more you can focus on the areas you excel at.

Any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders?

Heather: If you have an idea that you can't shake, believe would help people or make a difference in their lives, and makes you both excited and terrified, go for it! Start by taking the first step, and then the next step after that. Starting a business can feel daunting and I think so many of us suffer imposter syndrome and doubt ourselves. Taking small steps one at a time, can help make things far more achievable and less overwhelming. You don't have to have all the answers today, you just need to take the first step.

We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session.

Thank you

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH JEFF BENNETT FOUNDER AND CEO OF MORARI MEDICAL Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photos by CNET and Jeff Bennett

After two decades in the medical device industry, Jeff sees a world where all beings can enjoy their sexuality freely with

Jeff is the founder and CEO of Morari

confidence, curiosity and control.

Medical, an innovative sexual health and wellness company. A proven

Morari Medical’s mission is to restore

medical device industry leader, Jeff has

confidence in sexual health. The start-up is

more than 20 years of sales and

a pioneer of wearable tech that enables all

marketing experience, with the level of

to create the climactic journey and sexual

his role and responsibilities increasing

experience they desire.

over the course of his career.

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Hello Jeff, thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A interview session. Please give us an overview of your career in the Sexual health and tech sector, key milestones and achievements?

Jeff: I have over 25 years of product marketing experience in the medical device industry. One of my first product responsibilities involved neuromodulation and specifically, neurostimulation, which uses electrical energy to treat a variety of medical conditions. Later in my career I transitioned to the areas of Urology and Sexual Medicine. During this time, I came up with the idea of a type of wearable product that could be used to delay an ejaculation using neuromodulation. In 2017, myself and two business partners formalized the company Morari Medical with a mission to restore confidence in sexual health. We have developed a working prototype, filed intellectual property and completed a feasibility study. In January of 2019 we won the inaugural Proctor and Gamble Innovation Challenge. In addition, we were named by Medgadget as the 2021 Consumer Electronic Shows most interesting medical gadget. Earlier this month we won the best startup award at the SexTech Summit meeting.

As a Business leader and entrepreneur, what initially attracted you to the SH&T sector?

Jeff: Throughout my career I have always focused on looking for and solving unmet needs. While working with Urologists and Sexual Medicine experts, I became aware of the various issues surrounding sexual dysfunction.

I was surprised to see how little innovation had occurred in an existing multi-billion dollar market. Let's face it, sex is an important contributor to overall quality of life. Sexual health and wellness represents a large opportunity to bring more innovative solutions to areas of unmet need. I am one of the millions of men worldwide who would like to delay an ejaculation at times. Because of this, I started to ask my Urology customers about the potential for a ejaculatory delaying product. To my surprise, I was told that 30% of men experience premature ejaculation. In addition, there is another segment of men who don't meet the clinical definition of premature ejaculation but either they or their partner are looking to last longer.

What key challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur in the SH&T sector, and how have you navigated these?

Jeff: My first challenge, was how to get comfortable discussing my desires to start and lead a company in the sexual health and wellness space? Would my wife support? Family? Friends? Business Associates? When is the right time to leave a well paying job to focus full-time on the new company and not have a salary right away? I struggled with these questions for years and finally decided to go for it. The experience of going for it has been liberating and the support I have received from all within my network is more that I could have ever hoped for.

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Jeff: Now that we have formed a company, new challenges exist. The first of which is raising funds to manage the business. Initially myself and two business partners self-funded the business. In the summer of 2020, we raised our first outside money through friends and family, which for me, as a first time entrepreneur, carried with it an increased burden of responsibility. We are currently raising a second round of funding and have been fortunate to raise some money through angel investors. We are planning to complete the second round with additional investors to include venture capitalists. Given the sexual health and wellness market has been regarded as a taboo topic, many investment firms/groups have not been willing to invest in this space. This is starting to change but in general, it remains challenging to find investors who are comfortable with this space.

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Still on key challenges. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the SH&T industry. People still see it as a taboo to speak about sexual health and business within the same context. Why do you think this is happening, and do you have any proposals to address this?

Jeff: In general, when people hear sexual health they think of sex toys. Sex toys are a multi-billion dollar industry but don't represent the full scale of sexual health opportunities. For example, urinary incontinence can have a profound impact on an individuals overall sexual health and wellness. Small steps such as this article will help. Another positive step occurred in 2020 when the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) allowed sex tech companies to formally exhibit at their annual meeting.

Many of the headlines coming out of the meeting were related to sex tech. At Morari Medical, we believe awareness and education will help break the stigma of this taboo topic. Along with others in the sexual health and wellness industry, we want to work with social media companies to raise awareness of how sexual health and wellness impacts overall mental health..

Let's explore your company Morari. Please give us an overview of what Morari does, their value propositions and target market?

Jeff: Morari Medical has developed a chemical-free wearable patch for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). PE is the most prevalent male sexual dysfunction, estimated to affect 30% of men worldwide. With a higher incidence than erectile dysfunction (ED) or an enlarged prostate, PE represents a large global market opportunity. We have completed proof of concept testing, developed a Bluetooth enabled prototype, completed an early feasibility study and filed several patents for a wearable treatment solution. PE can be a serious quality of life issue. Most men don’t consult a doctor and doctors lack meaningful treatment options.

The impact of PE on partners can be significant. Our market research discovered that many partners express disappointment, helplessness, frustration and unfulfilled feelings when their partners experience PE.

Still on value proposition. Morari developed a wearable tech solution for Premature ejaculation called the Taint Bandaid. Please talk us through what this device does and it’s target market?

Jeff: As previous stated, 30% of men experience PE, where PE is defined as ejaculation occurring in less than two minutes post penetration. In the absence of PE, an additional 40% of men would prefer to last longer. The product uses neuromodulation to inhibit the nerves of the penis, thereby delaying ejaculation. The design includes a patch which contains elements that, when activated, interfere with the nerve signals from the penis to the brain to delay an ejaculation. The patch is worn during intercourse and after ejaculation, is removed and disposed. To clarify, our product is not called a taint bandaid. We haven't decided on a final product name yet but do like that the media coined the term and continue to use taint bandaid to refer to our technology. When you think of removing a bandaid you may think of discomfort associated with removing it from the skin or hair.

We have identified a very novel medical adhesive that is strong enough to hold our patch to the skin and gentle enough to remove to avoid the sometimes unpleasant experience of removing a bandaid.

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With the current waves of cybercrime, hacks and ransomware, what measures have been put in place by Morari to protect users of the “Tainted bandaid” from hacks and data breaches?

Jeff: At this point our product is not collecting or reporting any data. We have developed an app which uses Bluetooth to change the energy delivery setting of our patch. As we work to develop a commercial product, we will be working to ensure that the app is privacy protected. There is an opportunity for sexual and health companies to collect and report data with their products, but to do so, need to ensure the safeguards are put in to protect the use and gain their trust. If data is made available, we believe there will be interest for people to review their data and compare with other anonymous data.

What key challenges has Morari faced to date and how were these addressed?

Jeff: Outside of the funding challenges mentioned previously, we were challenged in recruiting for a formal feasibility study of our product. We tried using advertisements on various social media channels to recruit study participants but the ads were rejected given the sexual nature of the content. As a result we ran some radio ads in our local market and were able to get approval from the radio station to allow the use of the word ejaculation in the radio ad. This was a key win for us as the response we had from the radio ads were very positive and allowed us to recruit and complete our study. In addition, we received hundreds of email messages from others who represent future customers.

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Still on challenges, what impact has the COVID 19 pandemic had on Morari?

Jeff: Other than not having the ability to meet with potential investors and partners in-person, COVID 19 has not had a material impact on the business.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders in the SH&T sector?

Jeff: If you have an idea that can solve an unmet need, don't wait to go after it. Don't worry about what others think of you entering into this space as they probably have similar ideas but are too embarrassed to discuss it.

Once in the industry, start to develop your network with others in the industry. I have found everyone to be incredibly supportive and willing to help if they can. Be prepared to be exposed to products, services and offerings that you may not have known existed. Finally, get comfortable with the uncomfortable!

We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session.

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH RACHEL BRAUN SCHERL CO-FOUNDER OF SPARK SOLUTIONS FOR GROWTH Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photos by Rachel Braun Scherl

Rachel Braun Scherl is the Co-Founder of SPARK Solutions for Growth, a company helping customers take advantage of new growth opportunities more successfully. She is a dynamic speaker, an accomplished consultant, and an established authority on leadership, entrepreneurship and women’s health.

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As a prolific thought leader on the Sexual Health and Tech, Rachel published Orgasmic Leadership: Profiting from the Coming Surge in Female Health and Wellness in May 2018.

Rachel previously co-founded and served as President of Semprae Laboratories, a venture-backed company engaged in developing and marketing women’s sexual health products. The company was sold to Innovus Pharmaceuticals in 2013.

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Hello Rachel, thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A interview session. Please give us an overview of your career in the Sexual health and tech sector, key milestones and achievements?

Rachel: I started a venture-backed business in the space of women's sexual arousal, desire and satisfaction, which with my business partner, we built and sold. I have run and worked with growing companies in the space and worked in and with large companies with leading brands in the space. In addition, I create important partnerships between start-ups and large healthcare companies. I speak often about the importance of the growth of the category. I have written a book in the space, "Orgasmic Leadership: Profiting from the Coming Surge in Women's Sexual Health and Wellness". In addition, I conducted over 120 interviews with leaders in femtech, sextech and women's health for my video series, "Quotes from Quarantine" which is being analyzed by a leading business school for publication in an academic journal. In Q2 2021, I launched a podcast with my OB/GYN podcast co-host, titled "Business of the V", focused on the intersection of women's health, unmet needs and the businesses being created to resolve those questions.

As a Business leader and entrepreneur, what initially attracted you to the SH&T sector?

Rachel: I saw it as a perfect storm when I started my first company in the space. I saw a huge need for women's sexual health and wellness, limited conversation, insufficient education, huge needs and limited, if any solutions. I was presented with a clinically-proven product that improved arousal, desire and satisfaction for women of all ages and lifestages. The company which owed the product was interested in selling - that was my moment.

What key challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur in the SH&T sector, and how have you navigated these?

Rachel: Every business and business sector faces challenges. Businesses in women's sexual health, reproductive health and wellness face some idiosyncratic challenges - societal discomfort with many of the topics and body parts involved, often limited access to the kind of capital required to grow these businesses, and significant barriers in terms of availability of social media outlets. I have faced all of these challenges as have many many of the founders in this space.

Still on key challenges. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the SH&T industry. People still see it as a taboo to speak about sexual health and business within the same context. Why do you think this is happening, and do you have any proposals to address this?

Rachel: This is such a critical question. There are a number of challenges to speaking about this - different cultural and religious backgrounds, different, inadequate or no education on sexual health and wellness, fear of sexual enjoyment especially for women - the list goes on. We need to provide information, generate conversations and continue to develop a language around all of the complex glory of sexuality. Many companies in this space are stepping up to be sources of information to fill in the very large gaps left by inadequate education and discomfort.

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Let's explore your company, SPARK Solutions for Growth. Please give us an overview of what “SPARK Solutions for Growth” does, their value propositions and target market?

Rachel: I SPARK focused on catalyzing topline growth for brands and businesses. With a laserlike focus on achieving client business objectives, SPARK develop growth strategies with actionable steps and measurable milestones as well as clarifying and defining positioning and message. SPARK identifies and connects businesses with key partners, both internal and external, to facilitate growth. Importantly, SPARK delivers results on strategy, on time and on budget.

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SPARK Solutions for Growth is 23 years plus now. What key challenges has this company faced to date and how were these addressed?

Rachel: As a boutique firm with customized solutions, we have to constantly balance the selling of services and delivery of services. And often, clients only knew what types of work we did for them as opposed to the broader range of services we delivered. Most importantly, we have to continually ensure that we are building relationship, keeping relationships and selling new business. We never give up and we keep learning. We develop and test unique sales strategies, evaluate the results, revise, tet and keep the cycle going.

What impact has the COVID 19 pandemic had on “SPARK Solutions for Growth”?

Rachel: SPARK has continued to focus even more on businesses from menstruation to menopasue. COVID and the resulting lack of travel, SPARK focused more intensely on education, training and community building. In the absence of in-person meetings, Managing Partner, Rachel Braun Scherl, created an informal zoom series, titled "Quotes from Quarantine", having conversations with investors, inventors, entrepreneurs, health care professionals and academics - ultimately interviewing, speaking with and building relationships with 120 participants.

What advice do you have for aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders in the SH&T sector?

Rachel: Don't give up. Reach out to as many networks and people as possible. Research, read

We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session.

Rachel: It was great to participate.

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SEX TECH AND THE CHALLENGES FACING THIS INDUSTRY

By Ola Miedzynska Founder and CEO of SX Tech

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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In this article prepared by Ola Miedzynska, the CEO and Co-Founder of Sx Tech eu, talks about her company's value proposition and the challenges facing the Sexual and Health Tech industry.

For those that don't know, Sx Tech eu organises the Sx Tech Conference, which is the world’s only annual conference that specialises in Sex tech, sexual health and wellness.

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Sex Tech is an emerging industry that leverages the power of technology to enhance pleasure and sexual wellness.

“Sex tech is any technology designed to enhance sexuality. So if we think about sexuality, rather than just sex, sexuality encompasses education, health, sexual assault reporting, crime and violence, medicine — then obviously relationships and pleasure and orgasms.”

- Bryony Cole

The mission is to focus on what innovation steps the Sex Tech industry will have to take to meet upcoming transformation needs. We decided to embrace education to boost female empowerment, innovation, and technology, and to mix it with startups, hackers, founders, along with the fresh ideas that will be coming out of the hackathon” . “

Ola Miedzynska CEO & Founder Sx Tech EU -

We are building the ecosystem by bringing together all the industry leaders to discuss and shape the future of the industry and creating cross sectoral cooperation between market players. It includes: Providing support & mentoring for startups Running hackathons and Demo days Running Sx Tech academy for medical communities Expo of the most innovative Sex Tech industry products Matchmaking startups with corporate clients and investors Providing platform for industry leaders to exchange ideas

Sx Tech strives to promote both business and technical innovation in the Sex Tech industry by presenting and discussing the latest trends and future possibilities and developing a community of professionals who are changing the industry landscape.

In 2021, it will be the third year we run our Sx Tech eu Conference, early bird tickets are available here. We are excited to announce the first speakers:

Our goal is to create a Sex Tech ecosystem by combining two themes: the wellness and sexual health conference and deep tech, so that both have a strong focus on innovation.

-Moe Helmy, Events Director for XBIZ -Bryony Cole, Podcaster, Future of Sex -Ola Miedzynska, CEO, Sx Tech eu -Shakun Sethi, CEO, Tickle.Life -Bree Mills, Chief Creative Officer, Adult Time

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There are several main challenges for Sex Tech entrepreneurs right now.

The first one is an exclusively censored digital landscape. Brands are battling it every day, it costs them time and money, and still their ads get blocked and content removed.

They have to find the ways around and mostly rely on influencers and partnership networks. But the most important part is that they have to create the right content which will pass the censorship and create a foundation to build a healthy community around their brand.

“Shadow-banning of sexual well being content is an issue. You can’t educate, if people are not able to find you.”

- Shakun Sethi

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The second one is the bias towards men’s products. Why is it okay to market products for men, for example, toys and supplements for premature ejaculation, but it’s not okay to even talk about menstruation? Products for women are harder to promote, the discussion around them is a taboo and still perceived as something shameful and dirty.

We are trying to change the narrative. By bringing the main players together to discuss and shape the future of the industry and elevating first-time founders, we change the way people perceive information about sexual health and wellness. We normalise it and open up a safe dialogue.

The market is still very fragmented, it has a huge potential not only in the Women’s Health areas (like menopause, fertility, intimate care) but also in Men’s Health which will eventually help to create this shift from toxic masculinity towards self-love normalising the sexual health as important part of taking care of your mental health and wellbeing.

We talk to many startup founders and what we see is that they start with the problem and may have assumptions about what their customers think and want. Our recommendation would be to stop making assumptions and go ask your prospect customers about what they really want and how they want to be communicated with.

It’s an important step which will be a strong foundation for brands to gain trust and deliver to their customers above and beyond their expectations.

And of course, it is vital to be a part of the community, to be that change we want to see. Join the discussion about the now, next, and future of the sextech industry with Sx Tech eu Conference. It will be held online on November 29th 2021, get your tickets here. We will share the latest innovations, brand case-studies, and various topics yet to be announced, so stay tuned!

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