A LOOK BACK

EXPLORE MORE SUMMIT

2016

OUR FIRST SUMMIT!
January 28 - February 7, 2016

HERE ARE 2016'S LINE-UP & TOPICS


Note: In 2018 & 2019, two speakers from 2016's summit were asked, separately, to do accountability processes for abuse & harm. Though one of the two engaged actively in their accountability process from the start, both speakers spoke in 2016 on topics related to the behaviors they were later asked to amend. As a result those speakers are not listed below nor are they included in the content you will receive if you buy access to the Explore More Archive.

Allison Moon

Sex Educator & Girl Sex Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Labels – they can set us free and help us find community, but they can also hold us back and keep us trapped.
- Erotic energy can fuel creativity, art, family, community. So much juicy stuff here.
- Regrettable sexual experiences. Oy! We’ve all had them. What do they mean and how can we use them to grow rather than live in regret?
- What should you do if the moment is ruined in bed?

Amy Jo Goddard

Sexual Empowerment Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- What does it mean to be empowered? Amy Jo shares her own journey towards empowerment.
- We are constantly abandoning ourselves in little ways. How can we begin to come home to ourselves? Why is coming home so important to our sexual self?
- Amy Jo loves saying, “Sex is always a negotiation.” Find out why treating it as a negotiation rather than as a given leads to experiences that are more enjoyable, more connected, and better for everyone involved.
- Expectations around pleasure and relationships are toxic. Letting go and getting curious is the key to transformation. We discuss.

Ashley Manta

STIs  & Cannabis Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Dirty talk 101 – how do we get past the awkward? And, tips for keeping it interesting.
- A scarcity mentality creates tremendous pain and unhealthy relationships. What happens when we shift to an abundance mentality? Believing we deserve love and pleasure?
- STIs happen to lovely, clean, smart people every day. Ashley shares her story and how we can begin destigmatizing STIs.
- Pleasure and cannabis? Yep. We go there.

Barbara Carrellas

Urban Tantra & Ecstasy Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Ecstatic experiences aren’t always pleasurable, but they have a real cathartic edge that can be bliss inducing.
- What is urban tantra and how can it enrich your sense of the spiritual and erotic?
- Not sure what you want? Flip the script. Barbara tells us how to use the things you dislike or hate about your current situation or experiences to get clarity on what you actually want.

Bianca Laureano

Feminism & Sexuality Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Learning and appreciating your body is an important part of everyone’s pleasure. How can we begin to shift the dialog with have with ourselves about our bodies?
- Safer sex talks have such a stigma – that they’re not sexy or mood-killing. But, when you don’t apologize for what you need and when you find ways to sexualize the barriers themselves (we LOVE gloves), it can become really hot.
- Bianca’s documentary, Black Pervert, is a beautiful look at the intersections of Black and kink. We roll around in what it means to be a person of color and kinky in a world that marginalizes both communities.

Conner Habib

Adult Film & Culture Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:

 

- Our culture believes in sexual morality – where some experiences are deemed good and others deemed bad. How does this fundamentalism hold us back? What does a radical approach to sex look like?
- Conner sets the record straight on the myth of “great sex”. If it is like a conversation, imagine all the different types of conversations we have. This chat leads us interesting places.
- What would the world look like if we were all sexually liberated? -Loony tunes to deep personal awareness, you may find yourself ready to reframe everything you think you know about sex.

Cyndi Darnell

Therapist & Arousal Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Sensuality and feelings aren’t as valued as our thoughts. This causes disembodied relationships and disconnection. What can be done to heal and soften that?
- How to practice sensual touch and erotic experiences.
- All the sexy fun you can have with your clothes on! Oh yes!
- Scheduling intimacy can be very liberating when you approach it this way…

Dan Savage

Sex & Relationship Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- For years, Dan has been offering the same advice to folks who are trapped in a sexless marriage or who have mismatched libidos. Why does the question keep coming up? Why are people resisting what he’s telling them?
- Have we started de-stigmatizing non-monogamy in our culture? In his 20+ years as an expert, what kinds of shifts has he already seen in the culture?
- Dan says we should rush towards rejection instead of shying away from it. Find out why and how loving rejection can lead to better relationships in the long run.
- I ask Dan a question he’s never been asked before…so listen in and find out what question you can send him that would absolutely delight him.

Devi Ward

Tantra & Pleasure Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Pleasure as medicine. Learn how to use pleasure to heal old wounds and connect with your body now.
- The separation of spirituality and sexuality has caused so much distress in our world. Tantra can be a path to realignment.
- Self-touch for sacred pleasure? Oh yes. We dive into sacred solo touch and the power of touching yourself.
- Devi and Dawn demonstrate ocean breath for getting in your body and turning off your mind.

Dirty Lola

Toy Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- The most common concerns people bring to a sex toy shop and how to navigate them.
- Fun toys and aids for every body – fat, disabled, older, pain-filled, and more. Plus, how to use them in a way that doesn’t feel shameful.
- Did you know some toys are super toxic? We talk about safe materials, cleaning methods, and how to have fun while keeping your soft bits healthy.
- Getting into kink- Lola’s amazing first experience and her not-so-great second experience.

Elena Lipson

Radical Self-Care Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Too many of us wear “busy” as a badge, exhausted and stressed. What is radical self-care and how can slowing down actually free us?
- Self-care is more than bubble baths and candles. We dive deep into what it really means to put ourselves first so that we can truly serve others.
- Most of us have made a habit of breaking promise after promise to ourselves, to the point that we beat ourselves up and distrust our own voice. We talk about breaking that cycle and how it strengthens our relationship with ourselves and with our partners.

Erin Lee Kaufmann

Somatic Therapist & Body Love Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- How can we learn to trust our bodies? What kind of wisdom can be found in our bodies?
- Learn ways to use sensation in our body to process emotions in a healthy way and release pain.
- What does it mean to hold space for tough emotions, our own and a partner’s?

Feminista Jones

Sexuality & Kink Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- We never owe anyone access to our body, and yet culturally demanding/expecting access has become an acceptable way of treating partners. We break it down and flip it around.
- If 'virgin' doesn’t actually exist, then neither can wh0re. Feminista talks about myths that hold us back and how sex can be the ultimate liberation, especially for women of color.
- Finding your voice in bed is critical to tapping into your pleasure. How can we find the words to say what we want, especially if we’ve struggled in the past?
- Kink. Oh so much kink. From power play & teasing to so much more, we go there and we roll around in it.

Dr. Gina Senarighi

Relationship Coach & Uncommon Love Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Basic day to day skills and tiny things you can do to nurture the strengths in a relationship.
- What does vulnerability look like to you? What does it look like to your partner? Gina talks about navigating those differences and what support looks like.
- In some ways it’s easier to end things or cut someone off after a mistake. What does turning towards each other and navigating conflict really look like?
- Newbies to non-monogamy get some practical tips on how to get started.

JoEllen Notte

Sex & Depression Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Depression – how it impacts pleasure and ways to find support.
- The power of sexting. Yes, it’s real sex!
- Toy super heroes and how to find something that works for your body.
- When we disclose diabetes to a potential partner, they don’t bat an eye. But disclosing depression or other invisible disabilities can evoke a very different reaction. Here’s how to work with that paradigm so you feel supported.

Karen B.K. Chan

Intimacy & Emotional Intelligence Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Play and humor in pleasure are so important. What does it mean to stay flexible and playful, even when the stakes are high?
- Emotional intelligence – what is it and how do we cultivate it? The more you know, the stronger your relationships become.
- A man who peaks in his thumb inspires a chat about innovation and creativity in defining and experiencing pleasure. There’s so much more than what's between our legs.
- Trauma can have a deep impact on someone’s life. We talk about what it looks like to embrace our scars and to forgive ourselves for mistakes before they happen.

Lauren Marie Fleming

Confidence & Body Love Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Body love and what it means to take the guilty out of pleasure to live your best life.
- Why you should eliminate the word “healthy” from your vocabulary and what you should say instead.
- What if you don’t feel like you deserve love or pleasure? How can you find your voice when you feel unworthy or undesirable?

Mark A. Michaels & Patricia Johnson

Relationship Design Experts

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Instead of relationship agreements, what about starting with a statement of purpose on your shared vision?
- Instead of waiting for your relationship to be in crisis, take a different approach to relationship health.
- Reverence in relationship can create a resilient container for surviving conflict. What is reverence and how can we come back to it when emotions are high?

Dr. Marlene Wasserman (Dr. Eve)

Therapist & Cyber Infidelity Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Cyber infidelity – we’re all at risk, so what do we need to be aware of?
- Rich and deep versus wide and narrow conversations can make or break a relationship. Often, online conversations offer a safe space that our partners never have a chance to share.
- What does trauma do to us and our emotional experiences? How do we set ourselves up for healthier relationships by focusing on our own stuff?

Dr. Meg-John Barker

Therapist, Sex & Relationship Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- The way we define love is so rigid. How can we find new ways to love and be in relationship?
- The romanticism and idea of The One sets us up for a ton of distress. There are more expansive ways to approach happiness and love in our lives.
- Self-criticism and intense emotions can take up so much space. How can we begin healing and learning ways to navigate those?

Nadine Thornhill

Parenting Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Talking about sex with kids sets them up for success in relationships as adults.
- How can adults listen to kids and what kinds of questions help kids figure out their emotions?
- Kids are much more sophisticated about their bodies than adults realize. Nadine shares how to navigate that landscape openly.

Sophie Delancey

Adult Film Creator, Pleasure & Disability Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Sophie recently suffered a series of strokes. She shares her story, and then we explore pleasure and disability. Disability can and will happen to everyone, if they’re around long enough, so we dive deep.
- Explicit films as a relationship building activity? Oh yes. Find out all the ways you can use it to connect and enjoy new kinds of intimacy.
- Body acceptance and naming our desires are so important if we want to explore our more. Find out safe ways to explore both on your own terms.
- We talk strap-on play for everyone.

Stacey Herrera

Sensuality & Body Love Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Self acceptance is liberating. Body shame is a jail. What happens when we start releasing ourselves from the prison?
- We struggle to sit in discomfort, but we also struggle to sit in pleasure. Why do we rush towards the end if it feels so good?
- Life can be ecstatic all the time. What does it take to live that way? And why do some people think that if they resist change things will stay the same?

Sunny Megatron & Ken Melvoin-Berg

Kink and Play Experts

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Not for the faint of heart, this talk gets real weird, REAL fast – humiliation, fluids, and more.
- Need to learn a lover’s body? Try optometrist sex. No, it’s not at all what you think.
- Toys that are often overlooked, and all the ways to use them with a partner. We investigate.
- World class oral? Yeah, we go there, too.

Tobi Hill-Meyer

Queer Trans Activist & Sexuality Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Most adult performers share their best-case story, but Tobi shares her worst and how there was still something validating in that experience.
- Seeing bodies like ours is incredibly important in adult film – trans bodies, fat bodies, older bodies, disabled bodies. How can we use it to heal ourselves and explore new things in relationship?
- Gender play – what is it, what does it mean, and how can someone explore it?
- Transphobia affects us all. What are some ways it shows up in our lives?

Tristan Taormino

Non-Monogamy & Sexuality Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Tristan shares a few stories she’s never shared before including how she injured herself trying to get off and how shame shows up for her, even after 20+ years as an expert.
- Feminist erotic film – what is it and why is it so damn critical?
- The term “single” is vilified in our society, as if being in relationship is the only valid way to be happy. We break this down and why it’s so completely untrue.

Victoria Rosa

Jealousy & Open Relationship Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Jealousy can build intimacy and vulnerability if you navigate it openly. Here is how to accept it, dig in to it, and find out what’s really going on – in a healthy way.
- The number one mistake people make when approaching a partner about wanting to change something or try something new.
- Most common pitfalls for exploring non-monogamy.

Virgie Tovar

Fat Activist & Body Image Expert

In this talk, a few of the things we explore include:
 
- Fat phobia is rampant. That’s why self-love is such a radical act.
- Concrete steps for releasing body shame and finding self-compassion.
- How does diet culture impact all of us? How can we start breaking free to live happy and feel sexy in the bodies we have?

CURIOUS ABOUT THE SCHEDULE?

Here's how that first summit unfolded:

DAY 1

Erin Lee Kaufmann

Dr. Gina Senarighi

DAY 2

Dr. Meg-John Barker
Virgie Tovar
Nadine Thornhill

DAY 3

Victoria Rosa
Allison Moon
Lauren Marie Fleming

DAY 4

Cyndi Darnell
Elena Lipson

DAY 5

JoEllen Notte
Mark A. Michaels & Patricia Johnson
Dirty Lola

DAY 6

Feminista Jones
Ashley Manta
Barbara Carrellas

DAY 7

Karen B.K. Chan

Stacey Herrera
Dr. Eve (Marlene)

DAY 8

Sunny Megatron & Ken Melvoin-Berg
Sophie Delancey
Amy Jo Goddard

DAY 9

Devi Ward
Tobi Hill-Meyer
Conner Habib

DAY 10

Dan Savage

Tristan Taormino

Bianca Laureano

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