Online Sexceptional Business Summit:
sexology in the media

100% Online Conference!

Join the Sexual Health Alliance (SHA) for our annual Sexceptional Business Summit, a two-day online event designed to help you build, grow, and scale a successful sex-positive business.

Over two days, you’ll gain real-world insights from leading experts in sex therapy, coaching, education, and entrepreneurship, learning how to position yourself as a sexuality professional, attract clients, and grow ethically in a rapidly evolving digital world.

WHY ATTEND?

Building a career in sexual health isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about visibility, positioning, and sustainable growth.

This summit gives you direct access to professionals who have successfully built thriving sexuality businesses, sharing what actually works—from branding and marketing to navigating stigma and burnout.

Whether you're just starting out or ready to scale, you’ll leave with clarity, confidence, and actionable strategies to grow your impact and income..

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to position yourself as a trusted sexuality expert

• Ethical marketing strategies for sex therapists, coaches, and educators

• How to attract and retain aligned clients

• Building a personal brand in sexual health and sexology

• Scaling your practice, courses, or online offerings

• Navigating stigma, visibility, and burnout in this field

• Aligning your mission, values, and business growth

WHO THIS EVENT IS FOR

• Sex coaches, therapists, and counselors

• Sex educators and sexologists

• Wellness professionals entering the sexual health field

• SHA students and alumni

• Entrepreneurs building or scaling a sex-positive business

• Anyone looking to turn their passion for sexual wellness into a career

• No prior SHA enrollment required — ALL ARE WELCOME!

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, JULY 18TH

START TIME: 10:00AM - 6:00pm cst

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH

START TIME: 10:00AM - 6:00pm cst

Use this world clock to find the corresponding time in your time zone!

WANT TO BECOME SHA CERTIFIED?

Imagine completing your Certification in Sexology (and including your AASECT application) in a fraction of the time—saving hundreds of hours—while gaining every CE you need, all in one place. When you become SHA Certified, you’re not just checking boxes; you’re joining a global community of sex educators, counselors, coaches, and therapists who are shaping the future of sexual health.

Instead of piecing together conferences one by one and hoping they align with International standards or the (US AASECT requirements), you can enroll in SHA’s Sexuality Educator / Counselor / Coach / Sexology / Sex Therapy Certification Program, where every training is intentionally curated, tracked, and streamlined to support your AASECT path. No guesswork. No overwhelm. Just a clear, supported journey from start to finish.

As an SHA Certified professional, you’ll gain:

• Access to a thriving global community of practitioners and leaders

• Expert faculty, mentorship, and guidance every step of the way

• Exclusive SHA trainings, tools, and support you won’t find anywhere else

• A complete, organized portfolio for international associations (including AASECT-aligned hours)

If you’re ready to take your sexual health education further—and become truly sexceptional—apply to become SHA Certified today. Your future clients (and your future self) will thank you. Apply HERE.

PRESENTERS

David Ley, PhD, CST-S

David Ley is a clinical psychologist in practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Ole Miss, and his Master's and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Ley is licensed in New Mexico and North Carolina, and has provided clinical and consultative services in numerous other states. He is the Executive Director of New Mexico Solutions, a large outpatient mental health and substance abuse program in Albuquerque, NM. Dr. Ley also serves on the advisory board for the Sexual Health Alliance and leads SHA’s Sexual Attitude Reassessment or Adjustment (SAR) as well as SHA’s Advanced SARs in Mexico and Jamaica.

Dr. Ley has been treating sexuality issues throughout his career. He first began treating perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse, but expanded his approach to include the fostering and promotion of healthy sexuality, and awareness of the wide range of normative sexual behaviors. Insatiable Wives is his first book and won a Silver Medal in the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year contest for 2009. Dr. Ley wrote Insatiable Wives following two years of interviews with couples around the country. His controversial second book, The Myth of Sex Addiction was released in March 2012, challenging the concept of sexual addiction and exploring a different model of male sexuality. The Myth of Sex Addiction triggered a firestorm of debate, allowing people to finally challenge the media hype of this pseudo-disorder. His most recent book, Ethical Porn for Dicks, A Man's Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure has been a staple for any curious individual.

Dr. Nicole McNichols

Nicole McNichols, Ph.D., is a professor of human sexuality at the University of Washington, where she teaches the largest human sexuality course in the United States. She is the author of the forthcoming book You Could Be Having Better Sex: A Definitive Guide to a Happier, Healthier and Hotter Sex Life (Simon Element, February 2026). A dynamic and in-demand speaker, Nicole gives talks across the country on topics related to intimacy, pleasure, and sustaining passion in long-term relationships. Follow her for daily insights, tips, and candid conversations on sex and relationships on Instagram and TikTok @Nicole_TheSexProfessor.

Nicole Hoffman

Nicole Leinbach Hoffman is the Founder and Publisher of RetailMinded.com, a well-respected retail industry resource that has been recognized worldwide for its leading business insight since 2007, and the nation's first B2B trade show + conference dedicated to sexual wellness, STIMULATE. Hoffman is a frequent guest and contributor to various media outlets that have included The Today Show, Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, and countless B2B publications, and has supported American Express’s Small Business Saturday as a Spokesperson.

She is also the author of the book Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and Marketing Your Retail Business from McGraw-Hill and speaks regularly at retail events that have included Dreamforce, MAGIC, NRF, Retail Global, NY Now, and many associations and private events. In March 2022, Women’s Wear Daily recognized Leinbach Hoffman as one of the most inspiring 25 women in retail, and in October 2023, she was named one of the nation’s top leaders within ESG by WWD for her work with STIMULATE.

Lindsay Goldwert

Lindsay Goldwert is a sex writer, educator, journalist, and author specializing in midlife sexuality, money, and taboo topics such as kink and menopause. She is the co-author of The Midlife Plot Twist: How to Reboot Your Life Without Burning It Down (2026) and Bow Down: Lessons from Dominatrixes on How to Get Everything You Want (2020).

Her work—known for blending humor, compassion, and practical insight—has been featured in major publications including The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Refinery29. She is currently pursuing certification with the Sexual Health Alliance as a sex educator and coach.

Goldwert has held leadership roles in editorial and content strategy, including Editorial Director at Stash, where she launched StashLearn and led financial education initiatives. She also developed content strategy for Stripes. A podcast creator, she hosted SPENT with Lindsay Goldwert and Teach Me How to Money, both recognized for making personal finance engaging and accessible.

Midori

Known as the “supernova of kink” according to Dan Savage, Midori emerged from the Sex Positive movement in San Francisco in the early 1990s and soon became one of the most highly regarded presenters on sexuality, personal fulfillment, and kinky adventures. 

Her reputation as an authority and leading expert on alternative pleasures stem not only from her unique and entertaining process of teaching concrete skills, but in her ability to deconstruct and distill complex matters of desire into surprisingly accessible lessons with eloquence and humanity. 

She’s known for tackling challenging topics with fresh and relevant insights. She calls this her “head-heart-hands” method to create a space where people are allowed individual self-exploration. Fundamentally, she is motivated by helping people to create authentic and intimate relationships while emphasizing self-actualization, shame reduction, acceptance, and justice.

Known for her ability to teach with equal parts expertise and heart, her intensives and pop-up classes are often booked months in advance. She is best known for her transformative small-group educational intensives, Rope Dojo and ForteFemme: Women’s Dominance Weekend Intensive.  

She is the author of The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage, Wild Side Sex, and Master Han’s Daughter. She has also contributed her expertise and voice in numerous articles, columns, works of fiction, and instructional books. 

When she’s not traveling and teaching, she’s creating provocative and haunting art and performances.

Nicole Messick

Nicole Messick (also known as Nikki Mars Messick) is a sex coach, digital creator, and relationship wellness advocate focused on self-love, intimacy, and personal empowerment. She is the Owner and CEO of NikLovin, LLC, where she creates content and resources designed to help individuals and couples build confidence and healthier relationships.

With a background as a Regional Sales Manager and board member at Pure Romance, Messick combines business expertise with a passion for sexual wellness education. Based in Rogers, Arkansas, her work blends coaching, humor, and relatable storytelling to inspire audiences to embrace self-worth, connection, and pleasure.

Thea Wayne

Thea Wayne is a sex-tech entrepreneur, podcast host, and founder focused on modernizing sexual health and breaking stigma. She is the CEO and Founder of Testie, a direct-to-consumer platform designed to make STI testing fast, accessible, and shame-free through a customer-first approach and partnerships with leading labs.

Wayne is also the host of Seggs Talk Radio, a top-performing Spotify video podcast known for candid conversations around sex, wellness, and taboo topics. With a background in building and scaling consumer brands, including two successful CPG ventures in her early career, she brings expertise in organic growth, brand strategy, and audience engagement. Based in New York City, her work centers on redefining sexual wellness as an essential and stigma-free part of everyday self-care.

Erica & Matt Corpening

Erica Corpening and Matt Corpening are a married couple and creative partners behind Hidden Honey Homes, an adults-only collection of private getaway spaces designed for couples to reconnect and slow down together.

Hidden Honey Homes was created around the idea of removing distraction from travel and focusing instead on presence, intimacy, and shared experience. Each stay is designed to feel intentional, private, and grounded in comfort, giving couples space to step away from routine and reconnect.

Erica brings a focus on atmosphere and detail, shaping warm, thoughtful interiors that influence how each space feels and flows. Matt handles structure and execution, drawing on his background in finance and real estate to bring each property to life in a practical, sustainable way.

Together, Erica and Matt Corpening have built Hidden Honey Homes as a couples-focused retreat concept centered on intentional time together and meaningful connection.

Angela Skurtu, M.Ed., LMFT, ACST-S

Angela Skurtu, M.Ed., LMFT-S, ACST-S. Angela is a Keynote Speaker and Author of the books “From F*ck No to F*ck Yes Sex!” (2025), “Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity: A Therapist’s Manual” (2018), and “Pre-Marital Counseling: A Guide for Clinicians” (2016). She is a Licensed Marriage Therapist and Supervisor (AAMFT) and a Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor (AASECT). To find out about Angela’s YouTube channel, podcast, book series, products and services, visit OpenBedroomDoors.com.

Angela on a personal level: I help couples who are best friends take their relationship from the “friend zone” to the “sexy zone” by normalizing conversations about sex. I love this work. Every day, I am privileged to walk with couples in their time of need and help sexually empower them. For many of the couples I work with, sex is mired in shame. Instead of feeling comfortable in their body, sex is scary, lonely, and creates anxiety. My work with couples is all about helping them find their own creative sexual style and become their authentic sexual selves. My passion is to help individuals find their sexual voice and their personal sexual identity. I’m Angela Skurtu and I open bedroom doors!

Sexual Health Alliance has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7730. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Sexual Health Alliance is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

This event is eligible for a maximum of 14 CE hours.