Dawn (Women in Leather Panel)

Dawn is a nationally recognized, trauma-informed sex educator, presenter, podcaster, and storyteller with over twenty years of lived and professional experience in Power Exchange, Leather, Polyamory, and Sacred Sexuality. She has inspired audiences nationwide with her grounded wisdom, warmth, humor, and practical tools for creating authentic relationships, conscious connection, and deep personal transformation. Since 2009, Dawn has been a Host/co-host of the Erotic Awakening podcast, sharing long-form conversations on kink, power exchange, polyamory, and the skills needed to thrive in complex relationship dynamics. She is the co-author of The Polyamory Toolkit, Living M/s, Hearts & Collars, and Lead Follow Love, and the sole author of Birth to Earth, a Priestess’s twenty-year collection of rites of passage ceremonies drawn from her sacred work in community. Dawn is also recognized within the Leather community as GLLA Slave 2010, a title reflecting her deep commitment to service, integrity, and embodied power exchange. Co-producer of the Power eXchange Summit and creator of the Subs in Service Intensive, Dawn brings decades of lived experience into spaces that honor service as strength and devotion as a conscious, empowered choice. Whether behind a microphone, in front of a classroom, or holding sacred space as a Priestess, Dawn’s mission is simple: to inspire healing, authenticity, and conscious connection—both in and out of the dungeon.

Master Lisa (Women in Leather panel)

Lisa identifies as a Dominant Leather Woman. She embarked on her journey as a submissive in 2010 and accepted her Master’s collar in 2012. After her relationship ended in 2017, she redirected her path towards Dominance, gaining valuable insights into the submissive experience. This journey has made her a more effective Dominant, comprehending the challenges faced by her submissive partners.

Master Lisa serves as the head of household at Harmony House and is a member of a larger Leather Family comprising three independent households. She is married to her devoted submissive and has a long history of service within her community. Her priorities include service and continuous education for personal growth and connection.
In 2023, her Leather Brother, Master Tony Black, presented her with her Master’s Cover at an intimate ceremony.
In 2016, Master Lisa established the Ft Lauderdale MAsT chapter, where she served as a Founding Director from 2016 to 2025. Each month, she hosted a small group at her home, bringing together newcomers and seasoned community members for learning and growth in a safe environment. Master Lisa has served her community in various capacities. For the South Florida Holiday Picnic, she was the Volunteer Director from 2014 to 2018. At Florida Power Exchange, she served as Sponsorship Director from 2017 to 2018. At Beyond Leather, she was the Volunteer Director from 2018 to 2021.
In 2022, Master Lisa received the Community Appreciation Award at Beyond Leather.
⁃ Service is a core value for Master Lisa, as she believes it establishes a strong foundation for individuals, relationships, and communities.

Lovey (Women in Leather Panel)

Lovey/ONYX natani's BDSM journey began 15 years ago. she describes herself as a Leather girl, a servant, and a masochist. Service being at her core, and volunteering in and out of BDSM is her love, and especially, as a support to other women.  her path has been from the beginning ~ to serve #Us.  natani finds the most beauty in being surrounded by POC in kink.  Our rhythm, style, and overall philosophy of BDSM as a culture is amazing. One of her kinks is cigar service and smoking, and in her downtime she works with a mobile cigar service providing experiences around the metro area. natani is current acting Secretary of the ONYX Pearls Great Lakes Chapter and a Charter Member since 2018.

Rayn (Women in Leather Panel)

Rayn emerged in 1996 at the time when she began to figure out who she was becoming. Her early mentor, Lady QuyitStorm, who taught her how to define who she would become. After her training, she was introduced to REIGNSTORM, who became her Protector then later her Daddy for over 11 years. 

She was born and raised by a Dominant Mother, who taught her how to be a great woman, she was the leading force in rayn’s evolution. Being guided by strong women in her life, she was later mentored in kink by another Dominant force in the community, Goddess Lakshimi, whom she lovingly refers to as Mommy.

Rayn lives in the little town of Morenci Michigan, her passion is cooking for her siblings and allowing them to be themselves, to talk, to laugh, to cry, knowing “What happens in the house, Stays in the house!!.” Rayn still has regular dinners every year and continues to do so as a way of feeding the soul!

She has had to evolve due to recently added disability, she has become a rope bunny and has had to adapt her kinky lifestyle. The fact that she lives in this lifestyle with disabilities leads her to become a beacon for others who has disabilities and are kinksters. As a result she participates as a presenter for a workshop entitled - DisKINKability aside the one she fondly calls her “Wifi” (wife), cyberdiva of 20 years. 

Rayn has been in the lifestyle for over 30 years.  She is a Daddy’s gurl and is fondly called, 

“The Black Martha Stewart.” An additional force behind her is the Artist and Documentary Photographer, coming from a museum background, her love for archiving and the preservation of history is a passion she holds deep. She is the official photographer/archivist of Black B.E.A.T. Inc., Detroit Black Munch and OPGL (ONYX Pearl Great Lakes).

Rayn is The First ~ Ms. Michigan Leather Pride 2025. She is a servant to the BDSM community, the current owner of Detroit Black Munch, where she has been an integral participant in the events hosted. This spirit of loyalty to the lifestyle and the community led her to continue her journey as a leather woman and joined ONYX Pearls South East in 2016. Her ONYX Pearl legacy has branched into her being one of the co-founders of the Great Lakes chapter of ONYX Pearls of which she has served as President, Vice President, Treasurer and Pledge Mistress. Rayn assisted with the chartering line: First Tribe in May 2019. She continues her work of education to those in the community who have disabilities ranging from the physical, the mental and the emotional aspects of it and are the lifestyle kinksters.

She looks forward to every new adventure in her life and she hopes that everyone has an umbrella…

“In everyone’s life a little rayn must fall…

Prepare for the Deluge!” 

Pup Rex (Leather Pup Culture)

Rex is the Alpha of the Diesel pack based out of Pittsburgh, PA. He has been a pup for 18 years and has dedicated much of that time to learning and sharing the history of pup play, and how it ties into broader LGBTQ+ history and movements. Rex has used his platform to educate on kink awareness and acceptance, mental health awareness, and sex workers' rights. He is very happy to join the Leather Life series to share his knowledge and further the reach of pup lifestyle in our community.

Mistress Simone (Women in Leather Panel)

I am Mistress Simone AKA Chicagomistress, an internationally known PROFESSIONAL DOMINATRIX, Leather Titleholder, Community activist and BDSM educator. 

I began my professional career in 1993. 
My journey and career is well documented online.

The best way to lean more about me is my website, chicago-mistress.com

My main kink is control. I love controlling you in many ways but particularly physical. I am known for my bondage, caning and medical play,particularly needles.

Saint Louis AND Chicago based. 2 complete dungeons for use. I travel regularly between the 2 cities.

My sessions can range from a playful spanking to an intense psychological mind-trip.
I do enjoy a more ritualistic, spiritual session where there is an intimate energy exchange between myself and the person I am playing with.  All levels of lifestyle experience are welcome to see me. Open to all DEI persons - genders,sexualities, ethnicities and differently abled souls.

EDUCATOR/Titleholder

As a national educator and community activist, I seek to assist our community by helping educate where I can. I will be pleased to discuss the possibility of speaking to your group,munch,slosh or event.While big events are wonderful energy to attend, I feel best serving smaller groups who need educators.

While I enjoy teaching on a wide array of topics, my specialties are Female dominance, medical play, corporal punishment/spanking, caning, foot worship , CBT and puppy play. i have over 25 classes on my resume for you to choose.

Some of the clubs/events I have taught at:

Kinky Kollege
Leather Rose Chicago
SMARTfest
Boston fetish market
GLLA
Viscous Valentine
Beyond Leather
Galleria Domain Chicago
DomCon LA
DomCon Atlanta
MR International Rubber
ImsL
Rome BDSM conference
Sinsations in leather
Beat Me in Saint Louis

Sir Topher (Gay Leather History)

SIR Topher began his journey in the lifestyle in 2008. He was introduced into the Leather Community with a foundation in Old Guard without the limitations of Old Guard. Topher has won two titles, BNC boy 2010, Sawmill Leather boy 2012 & Sawmill Leather Sir 2024. He was nominated for Puppy of the Year 2016 with International Puppy Contest, Lifetime Achievement Award for Orlando Leather Pride 2023, & Leather Heart Award 2024. SIR Topher was the Keynote speaker at Florida Power Exchange 2016. SIR Topher was the Contestant Educator at Florida Leather & Fetish Pride from 2014 to 2018. SIR Topher on 12/22/2023 officially received his SIR’s cover from his mentor. He is happily married to his partner, MASTER Shadow, and they are the co-founders of Florida Puppy Contest. He is very blessed to have a very accepting biological family who inspired and supported the foundation and development of his Chosen/Leather Family as well. SIR Topher believes in education, tolerance, bringing out confidence in and out of the lifestyle, and putting the UNITY back into commUNITY.

Julia "Tink" Underwood (Mock Contest, Women in Leather Panel)

Ms. Classic Leather 2025 and Miss Cleveland Leather 2017 has been a part of the Leather community for 17yrs.  She is a member of R&J Leather Productions and the Rangers.  She has been behind the scenes working with, fighting for and supporting others for many years.  Over the last few years, she has stepped out of her comfort zone and been more visible.  She realized that being visible is what our community needs. Tink loves being a grandma and spending time with Pete.  She loves to travel, read, camp and spend time with family and friends. She is a momma, sister and friend to many.