Kristel (she/they/fancy he) received her BA from George Washington University where she majored in Religion and minored in Sociocultural Anthropology.

She holds a Marketing Certificate from Santa Monica College and is currently working toward her MA in Psychology from California Southern University as part of their MFT (marriage and family therapist) program. She is a marriage and family therapist trainee fulfilling her practicum hours at the LGBTQ Center OC under the supervision of Brooklynn Kendall (CA LMFT #103221).

Kristel also owns and operates Ikigai Marketing, which offers purpose-driven business coaching and marketing services. Created back in 2016, she has worked with a diverse range of clients across different industries.

With her unique background in marketing and mental health, Kristel has presented at numerous professional conferences such as the Contemporary Relationships Conference, Catalyst Con, Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit, Gender Spectrum, Internext, XBIZ, AVN, YNOT’s Cammunity Event, Exxxotica, and as part of Kink.com’s educational series. She also hosts a free educational workshop to help SWers find competent and affirming mental healthcare services.