Annual Online Sexceptional Business Summit

EXPERT GUESTS WILL OPEN UP ABOUT ALL THEIR EXPERIENCES IN BUILDING A SEXUALITY BUSINESS AND HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF AS A SEXUALITY EXPERT in SHA’s annual Business Summit.

EVERY YEAR, WE AIM TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE SO THAT TOGETHER, WE CAN CREATE SEX POSITIVE BUSINESSES THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD. Participants will feel connected and supported while they learn from successful business owners as they share their experiences.

This event is open to everyone—you don’t have to be enrolled in an SHA program to attend. SHA students and alumni are especially encouraged to join and can receive credit toward certification or renewal. Whether you’re a sex coach, educator, therapist, counselor, or still figuring it out—this is your chance to connect, learn, and rise together.

Let’s build the future of sex-positive business—together.

Step Into Your Power as a Sexuality Professional at SHA’s Annual Business Summit

Join us for the Sexual Health Alliance’s Annual Business Summit—an energizing, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to build a successful, sex-positive business. This inspiring event features candid conversations with industry leaders, sex educators, therapists, coaches, and entrepreneurs who will share their journeys, mistakes, wins, and wisdom.

Whether you're just starting out or growing an established practice, this summit is designed to give you the real-world strategies you need to thrive. Our expert guests will dive deep into topics like branding yourself as a sexuality expert, marketing your services ethically and effectively, scaling your business, managing burnout, and navigating the challenges that come with being a visible leader in the field of sexual health.

This isn’t just about business—it’s about building a movement. Every year, SHA’s Business Summit brings together a passionate community of professionals who are committed to creating inclusive, affirming, and world-changing businesses rooted in sexual wellness and education. You'll walk away with practical tools, powerful insights, and the motivation to build something meaningful and sustainable.

What to Expect:

• Honest conversations with successful business owners and SHA faculty

• Tactical workshops on building your brand and growing your client base

• Guidance on aligning your mission with your marketing

• Networking opportunities with a vibrant, like-minded community

• Renewed inspiration to lead boldly in your career

FUll SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, September 6TH

START TIME: 8:00AM PST, 9:00AM MST, 10:00 AM CST, AND 11:00 AM EST.

SUNDAY, September 7TH

START TIME: 8:00AM PST, 9:00AM MST, 10:00 AM CST, AND 11:00 AM EST

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

PRESENTERS coming soon!

WANT TO BECOME SHA CERTIFIED?:

Want to stop paying for conferences one by one and gain hours towards AASECT Certification too? This program can also be registered for and included as part of SHA’s full Sexuality Educator/Counselor/Sex Therapy Certification & Sexuality Consultant Program. Apply HERE to become SHA Certified and to gain all the CEs you need to apply towards AASECT Certification. Take your sexuality education even further and become sexceptional.

Presenters

Dr. David Ley

Dr. David J. Ley is a world-renowned clinical psychologist known for bringing scientifically accurate and clinically sound information to discussions about modern sexuality.

He serves on the board of the Sexual Health Alliance as an expert advisor and is an internationally recognized expert on issues related to sexuality, pornography, and mental health.

He has appeared on television with Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Dr. Phil, and others. He has been interviewed in publications ranging from the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and the London Telegraph, to Playboy and Hustler magazines. Dr. Ley has published extensively in both the academic and “pop” realms of literature. His latest book, Ethical Porn for Dicks, A Man's Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure has endorsements from Dan Savage and Pornhub and is a humorous and provocative handbook for men who want to think more comprehensively about porn.

The Myth of Sex Addiction (2012) and Insatiable Wives (2009) were revolutionary explorations of sexual issues which blended a powerful client-centered narrative with a rich understanding of psychology, biology, and sociology.

Angela Skurtu, M.Ed., LMFT, ACST

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!

DR. JUSTIN LEHMILLER

Dr. Justin Lehmiller leads the SHA Study Abroad program. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Purdue University. He is a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and author of the book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, having been honored three times with the Certificate of Teaching Excellence from Harvard University, where he taught for several years. He is also a prolific researcher and scholar who has published more than 50 academic works to date, including a textbook titled The Psychology of Human Sexuality (now in its second edition) that is used in college classrooms around the world. Dr. Lehmiller's research focuses on topics including casual sex, sexual fantasy, sexual health, and friends with benefits. His studies have appeared in all of the leading journals on human sexuality, including the Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Dr. Lehmiller has run the popular blog Sex and Psychology since 2011, and it now receives several million page views per year. He has been interviewed by numerous media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, CNN, The Atlantic, The Globe and Mail, and The Sunday Times. He has been named one of 5 "Sexperts" You Need to Follow on Twitter by Men's Health and one of the "modern-day masters of sex" by Nerve. Dr. Lehmiller has appeared on the Netflix series Sex, Explained, he has been on several episodes of the television program Taboo on the National Geographic Channel, and he has been a guest on Dr. Phil. Dr. Lehmiller has also appeared on numerous podcasts and radio shows, including the Savage Lovecast, the BBC’s Up All Night, and several NPR programs (1A, Radio Times, and Airtalk).

He is a popular freelance writer, penning columns and op-eds for major publications, including The Washington Post, Playboy, USA Today, VICE, Psychology Today, Men’s Health, Politico, and New York Magazine. In addition, the articles he writes on Sex and Psychology have been syndicated on major websites, including Business Insider, Huffington Post, and Thought Catalog. He has also interviewed several prominent authors, journalists, and psychologists about their work for his blog and podcast, including Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Lisa Ling, Drs. John and Julie Gottman, and bestselling authors Christopher Ryan (Sex at Dawn) and Lisa Taddeo (Three Women).

Dr. Lehmiller has given talks around the world on sex, love, and relationships. He is available as an expert speaker and has experience consulting on legal cases, including taking the stand as an expert witness. Dr. Lehmiller has also worked with several major sexual health and wellness brands and is available as a spokesperson, as well as a media, marketing, and product development consultant.

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.

Based in Denver, Hoffman is happily married and a proud mom of four (plus three dogs).

DR. SOUM RAKSHIT

Dr. Soum Rakshit is the Co-Founder & CEO of MysteryVibe. He did his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and created a startup in eye recognition which was acquired by a US defense company. He then spent 7 years in management consulting on large technology projects. In 2014 Soum started MysteryVibe to bring defense electronics and medical expertise together and create devices that solve big topics in sexual health in an accessible way. 

Jessie Gretener

C*EO (Chief Sex Education Officer), Delvvy

Jessie Gretener (she/her) is a Journalist and Sexologist who is on a mission to create and support responsible storytelling about sexual and reproductive health and rights.

She’s the Founder and C*EO (Chief Sex Education Officer) of Delvvy. She’s also the organiser of 100 Days of Sex Ed, a global initiative that’s brought together 100+ experts to provide 100 free resources.

Jessie has over a decade of international journalism experience, most recently as an editorial and production lead for CNN in London and Abu Dhabi. At 27 years old, she’s spearheaded over 1000 hours of breaking news, including Emmy award-winning coverage.

She’s an accredited Sex and Relationship Educator, trained Somatic Sex and Relationship Coach, and holds a Graduate Certificate of Sexology, Master of Human Rights, and Bachelor of Multi-Platform Production.

Jessie is Australian, Swiss, and Italian. She grew up on the Sunshine Coast and is now based in London.

Emmy Nicholson

Emmy Nicholson is a seasoned public relations professional specializing in sexual wellness and health communications. She currently serves as the Head of North American PR at Lovehoney Group, a global leader in intimate lifestyle brands. In this role, Emmy leads strategic media relations and brand storytelling for prominent names such as Womanizer, We-Vibe, Arcwave, pjur, and Romp. Her efforts focus on destigmatizing conversations around sexual health and wellness through impactful campaigns and partnerships. Emmy's academic background includes a degree from Arizona State University, where she studied journalism with a focus on public relations and magazine writing.

Dr. Laurie Bennett-Cook

Dr. Laurie Bennett-Cook is a graduate level Clinical Sexologist. Specializing in non-monogamy and kink, it is through counseling, workshops, and hands on, experiential exercises, she assists others in achieving the level of sexual function they desire. She enjoys the study and research of not only what people are doing sexually, but how they feel about it.

Dr. Laurie divides her time between Palm Springs, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to seeing clients in either of her offices or via zoom, she serves on the board of Sex Positive Los Angeles (SPLA) and one the advisory board for the non profit Sex Positive World (SPW).

Rounding off her work, she has been trained by the International Professional Surrogate Association (IPSA) as a Surrogate Partner Therapist, working with clients and therapists in a triadic model to aid in bringing clients comfortable with their sexual selves. She can be heard in several podcasts and she is frequently contracted as a consultant for media projects for MGM, Epix and Netflix.

Her knowledge and expertise is not just from academia but also through lived experience. Laurie and her husband have been in an ethically non-monogamous relationship for over twenty years. During their marriage she worked at the Wild Horse Brothel, the upscale sister house to the famed Mustang Ranch, where she gained a keen insight into what really goes on behind closed doors when people feel safe to reveal their inner most fantasies and desires. The topics she teaches and lectures on are those she is familiar with both professionally and personally.

Dr. Laurie can be reached at DrLaurieBennett-Cook@gmail.com

Tara Jones

Tara Michaela Jones is a sex educator based in Philadelphia and New York. She is the founder and Executive Director of The Youth Sexpert Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to training the next generation of sexual health experts. Through digital workshops and hands-on intensives, Tara empowers high school-aged youth to take on leadership roles as trusted resources for sexual health in their own communities.

A passionate educator and activist, Tara has been at the forefront of conversations about sex education, working tirelessly to challenge taboos and build spaces where young people feel affirmed. Her work is rooted in the belief that every young person deserves access to comprehensive sex education—no matter where they live or the barriers they face. Tara's innovative approach combines her background of years of personal research, public speaking, writing, and digital content creation to make sex education not just a curriculum, but a tool for liberation and systemic change.

In addition to her work with The Youth Sexpert Program, Tara is a published writer and content creator. She has contributed to platforms such as Them.us and Shado Magazine, where she addresses topics related to sexual health, identity, and empowerment. Tara's commitment to inclusive and affirming sex education continues to inspire and empower young people across the country.