Midwest Love Fest 2024
Evening Connection Sessions
August 17, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis - 8-10:30pm
Connection Sessions at this year’s Midwest Lovefest are 40-minute interactive experiences designed to foster mindfulness and deeper connections among participants. These sessions are categorized into three distinct tracks: Community Building, Spirituality, and Quick Connections, each serving a unique purpose to enhance the social experience of the festival.
Overall, Connection Sessions provide a structured yet flexible environment for attendees to engage deeply with others, whether they are looking to network professionally, explore spiritual connections, or simply meet new people quickly and meaningfully.
Quick Connections
Room Name: Network
Join Nova Abbott and Lee Cherolis for Midwest Love Fest’s innovative take on speed connecting. These sessions are tailored for those looking to make fast, yet meaningful, connections. This is an intentional space to meet and mingle where participants engage in short, timed interactions that encourage them to explore common interests and topics. This format is ideal for attendees who want to meet a variety of people in a short amount of time, making it a fun and efficient way to expand one’s social circle.
Each session includes ice breakers and methods for staying in touch without exchanging personal information. It's a unique opportunity to connect and explore meaningful interactions in a safe and inclusive environment.
The sessions are divided into three categories:
Queer Connections
8-8:40pm
Designed for participants who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Buddy System
8:50-9:30pm
Ideal for those attending with a partner or buddy.
Solo Poly & RA
9:40-10:20pm
Tailored for individuals seeking non-hierarchical bonds.
Spirituality
Room Name: Theory
Join Jera Brown and Bianca Alba for a spiritually enriching connection session at Midwest Love Fest. Spirituality sessions are designed to provide a more introspective and meditative experience. These sessions aim to help participants connect on a deeper level, exploring their inner selves and sharing their spiritual journeys with others.
The session will include the following theme:
Cultivating Sacred Intimacy
8-8:40pm
Jera Brown and Bianca Alba will guide participants through techniques drawn from various wisdom traditions, including meditation, breathwork, and non-sexual ecstatic movement. This interactive session invites participants to explore profound connections on a spiritual level, regardless of partnership status. It's an opportunity to engage with our bodies, hearts, minds, and the world around us. Partnered participation is not a requirement for this session, all exercises can be performed solo.
Community Building
Room Name: Concept
Join Ashley Meyer, Erin Kitson, and Rainbow Planche for an enriching community-building sessions. Attendees have the opportunity to meet and connect with like-minded individuals, share ideas, and potentially form lasting relationships. This structured conversation aims to inspire collaborative efforts and actionable steps towards a thriving non-monogamy community in the Midwest.
The sessions will include the following themes:
Consent Circle Facilitation
8-8:40pm
Ashley Meyer and Erin Kitson will lead a Consent Circle session where we'll cultivate communication skills, practice boundary-setting, and engage in active listening. Together, we'll foster an environment that honors autonomy, ensuring everyone feels safe and respected. Whether you're new to consent circles or seeking to deepen your understanding, this session promises a transformative experience in building trust and nurturing meaningful connections.
Link Tree Building Session
8:50-9:30pm
Join Ashley Meyer for a live link tree building session aimed at promoting your non-monogamous and sex-positive businesses. This interactive workshop is tailored for entrepreneurs, small business owners, freelancers, and anyone eager to expand their network within the community. It's an opportunity to share insights about your business and connect with like-minded individuals. Enhance your digital presence with a personalized link tree that effectively showcases your offerings and aligns with the spirit of Midwest Love Fest.
World Cafe™ Conversation
9:40-10:20pm
Rainbow Planche will host a World Cafe-style discussion focused on consciously co-creating the CNM community. This session will center around three key questions:
What meaningful takeaways from MWLF today can contribute to our non-monogamous communities?
What needs do you see in our communities, and what gifts can you contribute?
What are your hopes for the future of non-monogamy in the Midwest?
Note: The World Cafe method is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license. https://theworldcafe.com.
Meet Our Connection Sessions Presenters
Quick Connections Presenters
Lee Cherolis (he/him)
Lee is an artist, musician, podcaster, community organizer, seeker of inner truth, explorer of life, love, and the human experience, anime junkie, hiking and camping enthusiast, sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming nerd. Not a fan of tomatoes. Considered by many to own more hoodies than is reasonable.
Lee co-hosts the Mindful Poly Podcast. His pronouns are He/Him. He identifies as a pansexual, neuro-spicy, relationship anarchist. His favorite color is music, his favorite food is nearby and his favorite time is now.
Nova Abbott (she/her)
Nova is an incredibly curious human who loves learning more about life, the universe, and everything. She is a full-stack programmer, a retired roller derby player, and a member of a wonderful, supportive poly family. Her pronouns are she/her and she identifies as aromantic/asexual, pansexual, and polyamorous.
Nova is a co-host of the Mindful Poly Podcast and she loves creating all kinds of art you can check out at her Etsy Store.
Spirituality Presenters
Jera Brown (they/them)
Jera Brown (they/them) is a writer and fetish provider. The dungeon is their church and queerness is their primary ethical and spiritual lens. They are the host of Radical Soul, a newsletter and podcast about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy. Subscribe at radicalsoul.co and follow Jera on IG @thejerabrown.
Bianca Alba (all pronouns)
Bianca Alba, MPH (all pronouns) is a Chicago-based sex educator, journalist, and eclectic witch. S/he teaches and writes about trauma-informed sexual health topics, transformative healing, and spiritual sexuality, and offers tarot card readings and handmade spiritual supplies at shadyladybrand.etsy.com. Follow Bianca on IG @biancaalbamph.
Community Building Presenters
Erin Kitson (she/her)
Based in Chicago, Erin Kitson (she/her) is a dedicated, empathetic leader in the non-monogamy community. As a queer, neurodivergent, disabled, cis-gender woman, Erin brings a unique perspective to her work, which includes over 8 years of experience practicing various forms of ethical non-monogamy, including polyamory, relationship anarchy, and the swinging lifestyle. With an advanced degree in Relational Communication and certification as a Professional Relationship Coach specializing in alternative relationship styles, she excels in facilitating consent circles, fostering open communication, and setting clear boundaries. Known for her ability to bridge the gap between practicing polyamory and the swinging 'lifestyle', Erin has been a speaker at Atlanta Polyamory Weekend, featured in Ethical Non-Monogamy Magazine, a host for Chicago Polyamory Connection, and an event organizer for a prominent swinger lifestyle club in Chicago. Passionate about creating intentionally safe and consensual spaces, Erin empowers others to make authentic choices while appreciating the importance of mutual respect and consent.
Connect with Erin on Facebook: Erin Christina
Rainbow Planche (she/they)
Rainbow has been applying RA principles to their relationships for over 2 years, and continues to be grateful for the thoughtful contributions that come from norm-questioning spaces. They're thrilled to be a part of this team and to connect with others looking to build a world rooted in consent, mutual aid, and the dismantling of oppressive systems.
Rainbow Planche (she/they) has lived in several cultural contexts, and finds deep motivation in both community building and intersectional liberation work--arguably one and the same.
With an MSc in Poverty Reduction, Rainbow mostly works in international non-profit program management, though a season of 'funemployment' has led to intentionally embracing the informal economy, and the richness of reciprocal communal care.
In their free time, you might spot them at free events around the city, or gathering loved ones over art, food, and/or conversations.
Ashley Meyer (she/her)
Ashley Meyer (she/her) is the head organizer of Chicago Polyamory Connection (MeetUp & Facebook), one of the largest polyamorous communities in the Midwest. She comes with a wealth of knowledge as a queer, Hispanic, polyamorist that has practiced polyamory for 15+ years in a variety of relationship dynamics and spaces. This includes practicing polyamory in the South and now the Midwest. Ashley is an educator with diversity and equity training which she uses to help mold consensual and safe spaces for polyamorous people both in online spaces and communal gatherings.
You can contact her via messenger here:
https://www.facebook.com/ashley.freemanmeyer
Join the Meetup Group: