Bliss Boogie Leadership Team
CEO • event Director • Visionary
Kai Baylis
Meet Kai, a pure and loving visionary, always working to help others.
Kai is the founder/creator/visionary behind Bliss Boogie. After going to similar events, she was driven to bring this event to North Carolina. She considers herself an entrepreneur of consciousness evolution.
Kai started her personal growth journey in yoga at age 18 and her business journey as a massage therapist in 2004. She’s studied various styles of bodywork, Tantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga, Qigong, along with various forms of meditation and flow states, dance, and Raw Food coaching.
Kai has lived a life of transformational healing in the face of addiction in her youth, Lyme disease, and divorce. Kai owns and runs a wellness center, The Living Room Raleigh, and co-owns the Raleigh Energy Enhancement System, which is a bridge between technology and healing.
Kai’s passion has always been to craft spaces for people to step into the fullness of who they truly are. May Bliss Boogie set you free!
EXECUTIVE Director
tobi bowen
Meet Tobi, a creative healer.
Tobi serves as the president of Instinctive Branding and leads a dedicated team specializing in brand development, content creation, website design, internet presence, social media management, marketing consulting, event management, and more. Tobi’s educational background includes a psychology degree from Rutgers University, and she’s had the privilege of working in nonprofit roles for nearly 25 years from community development to Executive Director.
Tobi shares her knowledge as a speaker, having presented at conferences including the Digital Marketing for Business Conference. She also actively engages with her community by serving on various non-profit boards and has assisted in founding and sitting in leadership positions for local networking groups. In addition to marketing, Tobi is a Reiki Master, Archangelic Light Master and has been doing Shamanic work for over 8 years. You can learn more and connect with her on LinkedIn.
OPERATIONs DIRECTOR
wayne hall
Meet Wayne, the evolving adventurer.
Wayne redefined himself more times than he can count. At 18, he joined the Army and spent 20 years hopscotching the world working in special operations. He then spent 7 years as a corporate executive.
After nearly 30 years, the physical and mental stress took its toll on him. In 2019 he began a new journey exploring a new side of himself. He began looking at what made him happy, rather than just what made him money.
His journey began with yoga, getting a second degree in photography and returning to nature. On this path, he was drawn to Tantra as a way to heal some of the damage the prior years had caused. Wayne is currently in his third year of Tantric practice and working towards teaching others. He has also been an active member and event organizer in various kink communities for multiple decades.
Sanctuary Lead
Sheffa Ariens
Meet Sheffa, a therapist committed to the healing power of embodiment, play, sensuality, and community.
Sheffa is a licensed somatic psychotherapist with over 20 years experience in private practice, specializing in ethical non-monogamy, kink, embodiment, and non-traditional relationships.
She has expertise in trauma, LGBTQIA+ issues, and relationship therapy. Sheffa is also deeply rooted in local dance, yoga, and regional burn communities.
She will be coordinating therapeutic support staff for Bliss Boogie and running the Sanctuary tent. More information about Sheffa can be found on her website.
art Director
j laren
Meet J, an artist, and spiritual creative.
J. is a lifelong artist and designer who loves to write, paint, and create beauty. His passion project is a trilogy of fiction books—two novels and a full color art book—that he is both writing and illustrating.
J. began his professional career as a graphic and web designer in 2007, and was blessed to manage Source School of Tantra Yoga from 2011-2021.
He fell in love with the art of Tantra for many reasons, but most of all for its ability to combine sexuality, creativity, and spirituality in the context of conscious intimacy.
diversity Lead
KandAKA immanuel
Meet Kandaka, devoted to love, human rights and fighting for what she believes in.
Kandaka Immanueal is a leadership expert who delivers high energy keynote presentations and workshops that challenge audiences to leverage their focus and pay attention to what matters most at work and in life. Audiences love her practical strategies that they can apply personally and professionally. Meeting planners love working with Kandaka, often describing her as one of the most empowering, impactful, and engaging speakers for their events.
Kandaka holds degrees and certifications in ministry, human resources management, EEO and labor relations, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her strong background in learning, development and cultivating talent, makes her the perfect fit for Bliss Boogie.
Kandaka is very passionate about human rights and advocacy. She proudly volunteers as a “Mama Bear” with her fellow Free Mom Hugs LGBTQIA+ Allies, for voting rights programs and registration drives, and as an international advocate and resource connector for children and women who have survived the sex trafficking and slave trades throughout the continent of Africa. Her diverse upbringing and family background have endowed her with a unique perspective and wisdom, enhancing her ability to relate to a wide range of people. As an ordained minister, she distinguishes herself from traditional ministers by centering her faith practice on the principle of LOVE.
Georg Kluzniok
Meet Georg, a dedicated and passionate soul.
Georg Kluzniok has played a pivotal role as a Camp Director and Board Member for a renowned folk music camp nestled in the picturesque Sierra Mountains of California. His impressive tenure of 30 years as a participant, with 25 of those years at the helm of that camp, makes him uniquely qualified to be on the leadership team of Bliss Boogie.
Georg’s journey as Camp Director for SMAI (Sierra Music & Arts Institute) has been an amazing journey of dedication and passion. Over the course of decades, he has orchestrated the annual gathering of up to 500 folk music enthusiasts, creating a vibrant community that celebrates the rich tapestry of folk music. His exceptional experience in managing such a large scale event has made him a linchpin of the camp’s success. He has guided the camp through “droughts, dying trees, massive fires and floods”.
In his role as Camp Director, Georg has demonstrated a remarkable knack for logistics, ensuring that the camp runs smoothly from start to finish. His ability to rally and lead volunteer crews has been instrumental in building an atmosphere of collaboration and camaraderie.
Beyond the technical aspects of running the camp, Georg’s warm and approachable demeanor makes him a beloved figure in the community, and he’s always ready to lend an empathetic ear to those in need. Tolerance and compassion are values he holds dear, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who attend.
WORK TRADE SCHOLARSHIP COORDINATOR
APRIL ERICKSON
Meet April a dedicated advocate for holistic well-being.
April Erickson is a Las Vegas-based massage therapist and pelvic floor nerd, she is passionate about helping adults learn how to have less shame and greater freedom, embodiment, and pleasure in and out of the bedroom. Trained as a dancer when she was young, a massage therapist as an adult, and mother to six children, April is intimately familiar with how pelvic floor issues, undealt-with trauma, and religious shame can quash bedroom fun and one’s ability to enjoy sex. She is honored to be able to help adults of all genders unlock their abilities to give and receive pleasure and intimacy in healthy ways.