Derek Hanjora has spent over 18 years as a UX designer, building his career around a single guiding principle: always put the user first. That philosophy has allowed him to contribute to innovative projects across industries including SaaS, government, media, and retail.

He’s passionate about transforming complex challenges into intuitive, meaningful solutions that make people’s lives easier and more enjoyable.

Somewhere along the line, designing things stopped being enough for Derek. Not because he didn’t love it—but because he could see something missing. So he made the jump from designer to founder and built Sanctuary Innovations to give that instinct a place to live. Havven became the result: a secure, inclusive, beautifully considered digital sanctuary for kink, alternative lifestyle, and LGBTQ+ communities. Not another app chasing attention, but a deliberate answer to the question, why does this still feel unsafe online?

When he’s not building platforms, Derek’s life looks refreshingly human. He’s a husband. A dad. A lifelong Marvel comics devotee and unapologetic movie nerd. He’s also been deep into professional wrestling for more than thirty years—which, if you think about it, explains a lot. Wrestling is storytelling, spectacle, identity, and trust all wrapped together. Those ideas quietly show up in how he designs, how he leads, and how he thinks about community.

Sanctuary Innovations, LLC is the company behind Havven, a next-generation social and commerce platform created specifically for kink, alternative, and LGBTQ+ spaces—because “one size fits all” rarely fits anyone who lives outside the mainstream.

The team behind it isn’t guessing from the outside. With more than 100 years of combined tech experience, they’re also real members of the communities they serve. They’ve been censored. Pushed out. Made to start over on platforms that never really wanted them there in the first place. That lived experience shapes every decision, and it shows.

The mission is simple, but not easy: build a safe, inclusive digital home. Havven’s “Safety by Design” philosophy isn’t a slogan—it’s baked into every feature and policy, so users can connect, create, and earn in a space that actually respects them.

At the end of the day, Sanctuary Innovations exists for one reason. To give adults in alternative lifestyles a secure, stigma-free place online—something they’ve always needed, and never really been given.

You can follow Havven on X @Havven_xoxo

Bruce, the adult site broker, host of the show, and CEO of Adult Site Broker, said: “What Derek has created is phenomenal! It will help many people who didn’t have a social media place to go. It’s an interview you shouldn’t miss.”

Adult Site Broker helps people buy and sell websites in the adult space. They are known as “the ethical broker” for their business practices. You can contact them on their website at adultsitebroker.com. Bruce, the adult site broker, is a two-time nominee for XBIZ Community Figure of the Year and Adult Site Broker Talk was a 2026 AVN Award nominee for Favorite Adult Podcast.

Starting today, you can listen to Derek Hanjora on Adult Site Broker Talk.