Combined Panel

AJ Renard (she/her) has been involved in the BDSM world her entire adult life, although she was a dark little thing far before that. AJ is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and has a deep passion for teaching about the intersection of BDSM and mental health. She finds her happy place when there is rope, electricity, knives, boots, fear, and a lot of crying involved. In her limited free time she makes custom chainmaille for her shop, Foxy Feisty Redhead.

AJ teaches a variety of classes about consent, negotiations, perspectives on D/s, bottoming for intense scenes and edgeplay, mental health and BDSM, and behavioral science in PE dynamics. Additionally she often teaches about BDSM in non-kink spaces, hoping to de-stigmatize kink for therapists and medical professionals. She also loves demo bottoming for Violet Wand demos, and things that make her shy in front of groups of people.

Thank you for your interest and your support of THRIVE! Because THRIVE is 100% free, we ask that you pay it forward by donating to our speakers. 

AJ Renard accepts support through PayPal (FoxyFeistyRedhead@gmail.com) 
If you enjoyed AJ, you can follow her on FoxyFeistyRedhead.com or Fetlife (fetlife.com/users/419271)

If you would like to support THRIVE’s efforts, consider picking up THRIVE swag at https://www.redbubble.com/people/DevynStone/

Gogo or Go Go (she/her) started exploring the BDSM and Kink community in her early twenties in Los Angeles. However, after her return to her southern roots she has spent many years as a “bedroom only” kinky Black biqueerfemme (and cis woman.) After almost a decade in the (conservative) K-12 education environment—she is finally free to participate in community spaces. What better way to build roots then to make yourself highly vulnerable to a mass of strangers doing what you do best??? Geaux (or Go) is also a life long personal and professional development enthusiast. Her interest for psychosocial development; her passion for building inclusive spaces; and her love for restive expression has led her to developing classes and workshops that empower others to dig deep and connect with their innermost. This has looked like:

- teaching a creative memoir and feminist theory classes for young people;
- mentoring and coaching teachers, especially around creating inclusive spaces for all brains;
- Workshops on Intimacy and relationship building for neurodiverse folks;
- And using creative expression as self-exploration.

When she is not leading workshops (or breaking out of her bedroom-only bubble) Go Go is a photographer, puzzle addict, a music appreciator, lover of queer tv “dramas” from around the world, an ethically non-monogamous slut, and a student of metaphysics.
You've probably picked up by now that she goes by multiple iterations of her name: Gogo, Go Go, Go, and Geaux all work in conversation and communication.

J Baby is International Leatherboy 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 and South Central Leatherboy 2019. He was always curious about the forbidden, and that search for the peculiar and the internet led him to the magical world of the kinky. In 2007 he explored and took baby steps into a different scene and began his journey as a Leatherboy. Despite protests, he refused to "put away childish things" and is proud to be a Leather little boy. He enjoys serving in whatever way that is, as well as finding any excuse for cuddles. He has presented for events and organizations across the country. He has also served as a Judge, Judge's boy, and Emcee for a number of contests and events as well. When having to be out in the "vanilla" world, he spends most of his time working in the theatre, teaching. gaming, and watching far too much YouTube.

Adorable by nature and kind by choice, kitten is a queer, non-binary trans spoonie living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. They navigate life through their own autistic lens, and are passionate about making the world a better place through compassion and living their life openly even when that feels like a revolution. They live daily with bipolar disorder, including psychosis, as well as severe generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) that has manifested over their life in various ways including disordered eating, IBD, body dysmorphia and impulse-control disorder (ICD). As far as physical health, they were also diagnosed in 2014 with a rare idiopathic inflammatory disorder, Adult Onset Still's Disease that keeps them on immunosuppresants, and later with fibromyalgia.

Within kink, kitten is a leather little, a bootblack and a masochist, identifying strongly with being property and giving service--- before Covid they could often be found taking pain, in some sort of predicament being shaved, involved in a group scene or lovingly swallowing ash in a cigar lounge. They moderate for a Saskatchewan based polyamory group, PolyamSask, have facilitated many times for AWAKENS (a Saskatoon based women and non-binary discussion group) and are the co-organizer of a Saskatoon based non-binary/ gender fluid kinky coffee group. They can often be found advocating for trans and two-spirit rights, speaking openly about mental health, playing the Sims 4, loving their puppy and two cats, watching Pixar movies and surrounded by stationary, stuffies and coffee. kitten was formally, publicly collared by their Keeper in March 2019 and they have been building their 24/7, queer, polyamourous, long distance dynamic together since 2016. Together they are your Western Canada Power Exchange 2020/2021 titleholders and educate internationally on mental health, polyamoury, gender variance and many other topics from their perspective as a Power Exchange couple.

Ms. Kelly Chance has been an active member of the Northwest BDSM community since 1999 when she attended her first munch in the Tri-Cities, WA and quickly became involved by volunteering with the local group.  She served on the board of Five Rivers Energy Exchange in the Tri-Cities.  After moving back to Seattle in 2004 to be with her Master, she became an active in the Seattle community as member of the Center for Sex Positive Culture and is a founding member of Seattle MAsT.  Ms. Kelly is on the Board of Directors of Evergreen Leather Events which produces Leather Reign, a Seattle based conference and worked on the Kink LINCS Organizing Committee.  She has been in service to Master Duane’s since 2002, and is currently Mistress/Master in her relationships with tiger and slaveboi Di. Ms. Kelly is Northwest Master 2017.  She has taught classes at In the Woods, Paradise, Vancouver Edge, Kitsap Aces, Northern Exposure, The Gathering, and Northwest Leather Celebration.  She credits much of her current sense of self to her BDSM /Leather journey and continues to learn and grow as she interacts with both her teachers and her students.

Mx. Pucks A'Plenty is a Black, Queer, Fat, Nonbinary, Disabled ThemDom and Goddexx based in Seattle, Washington. They are also the founder of Diadem-Events, a FemDom lifestyle events brand that produces play parties, vendor fairs, workshops, and conferences. Pucks is a sex educator, an active sex worker activist, and was one of the National Coordinators for #OldProProject in 2021. They have taught at KinkFest, Leather Reign, Virtual Intimacy Retreat 3, The Gathering NW, the BDSM Writers' Con, and Thrive Conference. They have also been a guest speaker at Brown University, Planned Parenthood of New York, the University of Washington, and Antioch University.

Featured in Revry TV's Submission Possible, Seattle Pride Magazine, The Seattle Times, South Seattle Emerald, KUOW, and Seattle Gay News, Pucks is the Femme Daddy your Mother didn't know to warn you about.

Thank you for your interest and your support of THRIVE! Because THRIVE is 100% free, we ask that you pay it forward by donating to our speakers. 

Mx. Pucks A'Plenty accepts support through CashApp ($pucksaplenty) and Venmo (@Mx-Pucks)
If you enjoyed Mx. Pucks A'Plenty, you can follow Pronouns on Facebook (link) or Fetlife (link)

If you would like to support THRIVE’s efforts, consider picking up THRIVE swag at https://www.redbubble.com/people/DevynStone/

Sir Wombat, aka Erik James Escareño, DSW (c) (he,she,they) is a two-spirited indigenous (Yavapai Apache and Chiricahua Apache) Los Angelino who is fueled by social justice and perpetuating meaningful change. Sir Wombat identifies as a Specialized Mental Health Clinical Social Worker, Interpreter, Doctoral Candidate, Sir, Handler/Trainer, Sadist, and Leather Daddy. As a clinician social worker, they provide mental health services to Deaf folx within Los Angeles County. As a Sir and Leather Daddy, they are the head of a leather family and are adept at a multitude of kinks and BDSM disciplines which they continue to hone and pass down to their boys.

Sir Wombat is a doctoral candidate focused on creating systemic change in accessibility to mental health services for Deaf folx. Their fervent hope is to create accessible mental health services for all. Having an intimate connection to, and understanding of, the Deaf community they provide ASL interpretation in many QIPOC and Kink spaces; striving to ensure the message of positive queerness and sex is not compromised. Guided by honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, Sir Wombat mentors others through an ethical lens while honoring sexual spirit.

Living in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Keeper balances being a passionate partner, a loving father, a huge nerd and an active member of his communities. In navigating both intergenerational and personal trauma of being the grandchild of Jewish Holocaust Surviors, the son of a solo mother, adopted, an abuse survivor, and growing up a bisexual man, amongst other things, he's spent his life developing coping mechanisms and lives daily with the effects of CPTSD, BPD, and ADHD. A self professed "Social Justice Bard", they are passionate about education, calling in and leaving the world a better place than he found it. Keeper is on the board for Queen City Pride as well as the founder of Sask Polyam Consensual After Dark.

Within kink, Keeper is a Sadist with a smile, a Dominant Daddy and a general kinky fucker. He loves mess, shaving, hitting people with sticks and fucking them until they cry. He's also passionate about negotiation and is always looks for ways to make his partners have a great time. Keeper is in a 24/7, queer, polyamourous, long distance dynamic with his kitten that is best described as "Keeper and kitten". They've been together since 2016 and he formally, publically collared them in March 2019; together they are your Western Canada Power Exchange 2020/2021 titleholders and educate internationally on a wide range of topics.