Sex News: TickleCharge, Casey Calvert at XBIZ & Lora DiCarlo is MIA

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Here’s a quick rundown of sex news and adult biz headlines from the past couple weeks.

XBIZ Keynote Speaker Casey Calvert up for ‘Director of the Year’

A veteran in the adult industry with a decade of experience, performer and director Casey Calvert will keynote the 2023 XBIZ LA conference set for Jan. 9 to 12.

Calvert is also nominated for “Director of the Year” after releasing titles such as the supernatural fable “Sorrow Bay” and her theater-based dramedy feature, “Going Up,” starring Seth Gamble, Victoria Voxxx, and Charlotte Sartre.

An exclusive contract director with Erika Lust, she is recognized for her high-quality and “Netflix-style” narrative productions.

“Casey’s work has been giving an essential boost to Erika Lust’s mission to shape a change in the industry by providing opportunities and bigger budgets to female directors in the U.S. and making the most out of the cinematic possibilities of porn,” a Lust Cinema spokesperson told XBIZ.

The start of the January conference also kicks off XBIZ Week, which will include panels, networking socials, and exclusive special events such as Winter Wonderland and XBIZ Honors. The X3 Expo and the 2023 XBIZ Awards will take place after the conference. (via XBIZ Show)

Tickle.Life lauches anti-censorship adult payment gateway

“TickleCharge will cater to anyone from the sexual well-being and SexTech industry, whether they are a sex educator, doctor, sex therapist, coach, or a SexTech entrepreneur.

“On the launch announcement, Shakun Sethi, founder of TickleLife said, ‘being from the sexual well-being industry for more than 2 years and a user ourselves, TickleLife encountered multiple roadblocks in the payments front while engaging with users from across the world, we realized that a major component of the services provided would be incomplete unless payment stability is created. Hence the birth of TickleCharge.’

“TickleCharge will function primarily in the North American market but will take merchants on case-to-case basis from across the world, except in sanctioned countries.

“Highlights of the TickleCharge:

• Can receive and hold in more than 20 currencies
• Easily integrated with multiple platforms
• Merchant account code according to the services provided, and not a blanket High-risk category code
• Robust merchants’ verification process to ensure no de-platforming later

“This Payment Gateway will help with the discoverability issue that the sexual well-being industry faces. Every year approximately more than $1.15 Bn is lost due to payment censorship. With TickleCharge, not only to streamline the industry but also help to eradicate the taboo attached will be achieved.” (via Tickle.Life)

Lora DiCarlo goes ‘silent’ amid ‘bankruptcy’ claim

“The brand’s star seems to have quickly fallen, however, amid a report from a retailer that Lora DiCarlo has ‘gone silent’. In early November 2022 Women’s Health Interactive reported seeing correspondence from a former senior advisor to the brand, in which they stated that their understanding was ‘that the company is going to imminently be filing for bankruptcy.’

“A retailer that worked with Lora DiCarlo, speaking to Beauty Independent under condition of anonymity, said that marketing agency Gisele International stopped working with the sextech company in October after the brand ‘went silent’

“Customers have reportedly been complaining about unfulfilled orders and Lora DiCarlo not responding to messages since September. On November 29 the brand’s website remained offline, with emails to the company bouncing back.” (via SexTechGuide)

Trans experience in the industry with Cam Damage and Wicked Wren [PODCAST]

The FREYJA podcast wants to be the antidote to your bad sex education experiences. It covers topics like better sex education for diverse groups and sexual health needs and aims to break down taboos surrounding sexuality and the porn industry

In the latest episode, host Maria Allgaier and Rina speak to trans content creators Cam Damage and Wicked Wren, trans content creators about their journeys into the adult industry. (via FREYJA – Safety is Sexy)

Erectile health device maker FirmTech listed among ’20 Most Innovative Companies to Watch’

“Firmtech, creator of the Tech Ring (FTR) erectile health device, has been named one of the ’20 Most Innovative Companies to Watch’ by Business Worldwide Magazine.

“The list is ”a celebration of the trailblazing organizations that are changing the game in their respective industries and altering the corporate landscape,’ said a rep. ‘Whether it’s healthcare, banking, industry, construction, energy, or more, these companies are at the cutting edge of breakthrough technologies, innovation and modernized business structures.'”‘

“The magazine described the Tech Ring as ‘a breakthrough in health technology; not only enhancing pleasure but also tracking the vital signs of erectile health.'” (via XBIZ)

This Indian woman entrepreneur’s sextech platform has won recognition in South Korea

“Priyal Agrawal is the founder of StandWeSpeak, a social sextech startup. The platform’s AI chatbot Mae is an AI-powered anonymous chatbot that addresses all sexual and reproductive health queries.

“The idea was to build a website with digital, game-based content that addressed all sexual and reproductive health topics. But I wanted something more, so I started to conduct workshops in schools and colleges and also built a community, where I could share resources and respond to people’s queries and doubts,” says Priyal.” (via Herstory)

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