Beyond Vanilla XX Keynote Speaker

Ricci Levy: Woodhull President and founding executive director.

Ricci Levy has been engaged in sexual freedom activism for more than a decade. After a successful career in corporate America, serving as Senior VP, Director of Operations of CAP Index, Inc. and as President of R. J. Levy Consulting Inc., Ms. Levy formally entered the world of non-profit advocacy work as Director of Operations for a national non-profit. In 2002, she helped found The Woodhull Freedom Foundation and Federation, an organization whose mission is to affirm sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. As the Executive Director and President of both the Foundation and the Federation, she has been instrumental in Woodhull's growing leadership in the sexual freedom movement.

Ricci has testified before Congress and has shared the mission of Woodhull in the media, at conferences and in dialogs with legislators and decision makers all over the country.  In partnership with The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Levy was a driving force in establishing a sexual freedom track at Creating Change, the largest annual LGBT political conference in the world. In 2006, under Levy's direction, the first Sexual Freedom Institute was offered at the conference. The institute is now an annual event, as is the youth academy for sexual freedom, also launched by Woodhull.

Ricci serves on the Steering Committee of the Free Expression Network (FEN), the Advisory Committee of Causes in Common, a group that brings together activists in the LGBT Liberation and Reproductive Justice Movements, the Advocacy Advisory Committee of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), and the Education Committee of the US Human Rights Network.

Looking forward to Keynote Speaker 2011 at Beyond Vanilla XXI...

Vince Andrews: Author, Artist, and Leatherman

Vince Andrews, is a hard working Leatherman dedicated to providing education and support to the community. He has volunteered his services and dedicated his time to a broad range of projects. He has helped various leather clubs throughout the country with their diverse formation and structuring needs. He has helped with tasks like designing club logos, creating or revising by-laws, and the creation and distribution of published media to publicize organizations and their events. Vince has always been known for his organizational work and restructuring abilities.

Most recently Vince served as President of NLA-International for over four years (2006—2010) overseeing one of the Leather community’s oldest and historically respected organizations. During his term as President he worked to restructure and revitalize the NLA-International, as well as create new innovations for its many Chapters.

In his past Vince has participated in many educational leather classes and is known for being very passionate about education in the leather lifestyle. His presentations include, revitalizing organizations, art of gay cruising past and future, Boot Worship as well as many topics on being a leatherboy. His list of accomplishments and involvement include, Co-founding the first Wichita Leather Pride, Co-founder of W.O.O.L.F., Former President of KC boys, Former writer for the Midwest Bound’s Fetish Forum, writer for KC Exposures, Lifetime Member of NLA-I, Assoc Member KC boys, Assoc Member KC Pioneers, Author of “The Leatherboy Handbook” published in both Germany and the US, Creator of the IMsL sashes and BootBlack patches for 2005 – 2007. He has also created and designed several state, and regional belts and sashes.

Vince still volunteers his time for local and regional needs. He is renowned for his illustrative artwork that he donates to worthy causes across the country.