Prestigious Acknowledgement Recognizes Years of

CHICAGO (April 11, 2016) – Adult performer and Wicked Pictures contract star jessica drake was awarded the prestigious Catalyst Award at this year’s CatalystCon Midwest 2016 for the impactful work she has done as a sex educator. The bi-annual conference, now in its fifth year, gives the award each year to the speaker who “Inspires Exceptional Conversations in Sexuality.” Since CatalystCon’s inception, drake has been a keynote speaker and a panelist on multiple occasions.

“Each conference I give this award to someone who has been a catalyst for change, and jessica drake is that person,” said Dee Dennis, co-founder of CatalystCon. “Her ongoing dedication to changing the conversations we have about sex work, sex education, and sexuality overall has made her a catalyst in our field.”

“CatalystCon in Chicago was quite a success!” said jessica drake. “Receiving the Catalyst Award is not only a huge accomplishment for me, it is also an honor I share with so many other deserving, inspiring people in our corner of the world. As Dee gave her speech right before she announced the winner, I was looking around the room and imagining who it could be… when I heard my name, I was thrilled… floored… and so grateful.”

At CatalystCon Midwest, drake participated in a discussion on “Slut-Shaming: Taking on Intolerance About Our Open, Unashamed Sexualities.” The panel included Sexologist Carol Queen, writer and podcaster Katie Mack, and burlesque artist Zyra Lee Vanity. The much needed discussion on slut shaming brought to light the harmful, judgmental finger-pointing used against women.

“The Slut Shaming panel was once again a huge success, and with a packed room, we spoke not only on our personal experiences both in and out of the sex positive community, but also how we can further help educate others and affect change for the future,” explained drake.

“I also hosted the Sex Worker meet up, and started to facilitate some big changes in this really important space at the conference. Everyone in attendance had some incredible input, and I’m looking forward to what CatalystCon West will bring,” added drake.

The event, which was open to all sex workers past and present, helped continue to foster a support network and community among those in the industry.

“Sometimes change is quick; other times we have to push and work for it, and it seems like such a process until one day you realize you made a difference… but always know- you DO make a difference!” said drake. “Thank you so very much to CatalystCon, to Dee, Wicked Pictures, and everyone who supports my efforts and ambition to make a difference.”

Three-time AVN Best Actress winner and sexual wellness authority jessica drake brings erotic topics to life through intimate demonstrations performed by some of today’s hottest adult stars in her instructional series, “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex.” The stimulating sequences are sensual, provocative, and enlivened by an informative optional audio commentary. In each volume of “Guide to Wicked Sex,” writer, producer, director, and host jessica drake addresses a different aspect of human sexuality, ranging from Fellatio and Anal to BDSM, Striptease, and Plus Size sex. The series’ volume on Fellatio earned AVN’s 2012 Best Educational Release trophy, “Anal” was named XBIZ’s 2012 Specialty Release of the Year, “Anal Sex for Men” received AVN’s 2014 Best Educational Release award, and “Plus Size” earned XBIZ’s 2015 Specialty Release of the Year. In order to further spread the word about healthy sexuality, drake released the digital magazine “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex” in 2016, which ranks her among Oprah, Martha Stewart, and Rachel Ray, as the only celeb-branded magazines on the market. Whether through her movies, articles, or live workshops, jessica explores all sex-related topics with the same distinct blend of knowledge, experience, and good humor leading popular culture site Uproxx.com to write, “drake’s career and fan-base put her in a unique position to talk about sex with authority, to breakdown stigmas, and to bring important conversations (like consent) to the fore. Here’s the best part: it seems to be helping people.” The AVN Awards named jessica drake its Mainstream Star of the Year in 2016 for her work educating people on how to have a healthier and happier sex life. For more information, visit www.GuideToWickedSex.com, www.Facebook.com/GuideToWickedSex, www.Twitter.com/Guide2WickedSex, or http://jessicadrake.skinmagz.com.

CatalystCon is a conference created to inspire exceptional conversations about sexuality. It is about reaching out and stimulating those who attend to create those important conversations in their own communities, changing how we as a society talk and treat sexuality. It is about stimulating the activist that is within all of us and sparking transformation in the way friends, neighbors, children and even politicians discuss one of the most important aspects of humanity. Founder/Creator Dee Dennis regards this conference as a “melting pot of sexuality” that will unite sex educators, sexologists, sex workers, writers, activists, those in the adult industry and anyone with a passion for creating change. “Knowledge is power, and sharing that knowledge is the first spark in igniting change.” This is the fundamental principle behind CatalystCon. For more information, visit http://catalystcon.com.