Oli Lipski
Oli Lipski
Occupation: Freelance Sex Tech Researcher
Location: London, United Kingdom
The Sex in My Business: I research and report on technologies that enhance the human sexual experience.
A Typical Day: As I freelance for multiple sex tech companies, I am happy to say that each day provides something new and interesting. Some days I blog about the importance of sensuality and developing intimacy with ourselves and partners for WISP, and other days I report on new sex tech, including smart vibrators, dating and sexual wellness apps, and virtual reality pornography, to share the future of sex with the world via the online magazine SEXTECHGUIDE.
The Best Part: I love having the freedom to explore my interests — and getting paid to do it! Every day I am able to build on my skill set, while being trusted to produce work that I am passionate about.
The Worst Part: I find being stuck behind a screen for 90% of my waking life quite draining. Though I love researching and writing, an even bigger passion of mine is connecting with people. I love real-life networking, public speaking, being able to fully express myself with my words and my body language, and ultimately making sexy friends, so, on occasion, my screen-heavy job can make me crave these other experiences. Luckily, my new venture working with the sex positive social enterprise, Scarlet Ladies, offers this human interaction in the events we host.
How I Got Here: Let me take you on a trip down memory lane… I came out as a baby bisexual when I was just 13, which I think might be why I became so deeply inspired by queer and feminist politics — I even co-ran the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) with my best friend at school. As an undergraduate, I studied history and immediately took to researching the history of gender and sexuality, which subsequently led me to complete a master’s in sexual dissidence, where I studied queerness through the lens of media, anthropology, English literature, law, and politics. My final thesis was on the topic of sex robots and whether sex technologies can transcend the heteronormative gaze. During that project, I discovered a Women of Sex Tech collective. I took it upon myself to attend as many sex tech events I could, reporting for the Future of Sex, including hackathons and meetups. Networking with some amazing people, I landed myself a research and marketing role at MysteryVibe under the wonderful Stephanie Alys, and have since freelanced for several sex tech companies, including all those listed above.
What Society Thinks: Sometimes people respond with genuine awe and ask a range of questions, others express discomfort and quickly change the subject. Most are quick to assume that I am a sex toy reviewer, and while I do review many wonderful devices as a researcher, my role is ultimately to drive positive conversation around sex tech and create a positive environment where innovation can thrive. Some who are intrigued by my work may end up sharing super intimate details about their sex lives, which I believe underscores what needs to change, because currently many people find they have no one to talk to about sex. Of course, depending on my mood, I may hesitate to share my line of work with strangers, just because I may not want to discuss such a big topic in that moment, or with that particular person. However, when I am in the mood, it can also be such a motivating factor. I sometimes live in such a sex positive bubble I forget the importance of my work and feel joy when people outside that are engaged in dismantling stigma and taboo.
When I’m Not at Work: Usually, you’ll find me at sex-positive events and collaborating with women-led projects (I guess those count as work, though). Travelling is a passion of mine — mostly to exist in a new space and to escape the business of London so I can come back with a new lease on life! I love a good swim and a sauna or a long bubble bath with a disco playlist when I need some serious relaxation and reconnection time. Socialising with friends and family is also high on my to-do list — in fact, list-making ranks highly on my to-do lists too.
Published in Issue III: Language