DJs, Moderators, & Presenters

Avian Invasion is an American Progressive House act known for a captivating blend of trance and progressive house. DJ/performer Bird One blends live vocals and keyboards with modern dance music for a truly unique show. With sci-fi flavor and an emphasis on beauty and positivity, B1 has inspired fans from around the world seeking to escape their normal lives.

While Avian Invasion may be a relatively new name in the EDM scene, B1 has been named Guest of Honor or a performing headliner at over a hundred fan conventions in more than twenty states and parts of Canada. Where most artists spent their early careers in clubs, B1 cultivated his following among cosplayers, sci-fi fans, furries, and steampunkers.

Photo by Nakean Photogprahy

Issa Arden has been a player for over 30 years and a community member for over 20. She serves on the Executive Committee of and as the head of Education for Mr. International Rubber. She is also newly on the Board of American Brotherhood Weekend having been the Contestant Coordinator for the event for 6 years. She is on staff for Internal Mr. Leather and previously held staff positions with Leather Hall of Fame and Illinois Leather Alliance. Arden is working on various PoC and Bisexual visibility projects, has judged numerous contests, including International Ms. Leather and International Puppy and Trainer, Mr. Midwest Rubber, Twin City Leather, ABW, and Mr. Ebony Leather. She has been a presenter on race and alternative gender modes in leather and an educator on topics from corsets to cigars to wax play. She curated Excavating Experience: The Presence of LGBTQ People of Color in Cook County and the Bay Area Leather History pop-up and co-curated the Chicago Leather Contests and Titleholders pop-up for the LA&M. Arden held two Louisiana leather titles, was an NLA-NOLA Board member, and developed and hosted numerous New Orleans fetish parties.

boy Jason is a Chicago resident working on becoming a therapist.  Their pronouns are they/them.   They are non-binary, neurodivergent, and a big advocate for making the world a safer and better place in more equitable and inclusive ways.  They are a collared boy by their Daddy in Dallas.  They have worked all over the country in the world of kink usually in some form of education like teaching about consent or how to engage in healthy dynamics as a neurodivergent person.  They are thrilled to be a part of creating this space for Trans, GNC, and Non-Binary folks this year.  One which will hopefully continue for many MIRs to come!

Heya folks, Maxim Lupin here! You may know me from classics like Just For Fans' top ten trans men for 2 of the 4 years I've been active in sex work, my queer history YouTube channel, or even your local dark room. I've been an active member of the kink community for the past 8 years. I started my journey on the east coast, where I assisted in leadership for Roc PAH, to my new home in the Midwest. I'm a black trans man, and I have many opinions. But I'm a listener as much as a speaker and I love to get deep into various topics. I can't wait to chat together.

Aura (Mxtress Polaris, if you are submissive) is a Chicago resident, currently working as a engineer. Fae/they pronouns, and started transitioning in 2019. Fae has been involved in the gear/kink scene since 2008, having worked with numerous organizations, a former MWR titleholder, and has taught several kink classes. Faer has used faers title to spread rubber across the Midwest at numerous leather events. As a neurodivergent Trans person, faer wants to help other individuals feel welcomed into kink spaces.

Preston “wexx” So (he/they) is the first Asian international fetish titleholder and the first Mr. International Rubber (MIR) of color. He is Mr. International Rubber 20 (2017) and Mr. New England Rubber 2016. Preston’s writing has appeared in The New York Times and Mochi Magazine, among other places, and he has been featured twice in Vice in addition to media in three languages.

Preston has been interested in latex rubber since 2007 and has actively practiced the fetish since 2010. He taught other students about leather, latex, neoprene, spandex, and other similar fetishes at Harvard College Munch, the BDSM student organization at his alma mater, at a time when the group was publicly vilified by Bill O’Reilly and the Harvard College Republicans as a university-funded “sex club” on Fox News.

Preston is a co-founder of the Mr. Rubber Mexico (est. 2017) and Mr. Rubber Brazil (est. 2019) contests, respectively the first rubber competitions in Latin America, and served as multilingual emcee for Mr. Rubber Mexico in 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023; Mr. Rubber Poland in 2018; and Mr. Rubber Brazil in 2019. He also hosted the West Coast Rubber Contest in San Diego in 2023. Representing fetishists of East Asian heritage, Preston judged the International Mr. Leather (IML) 2019 and International Pup and Handler (IPAHW) 2019 contests. He is based in New York City.

Antoin is the Brand Events Producer for Recon and is known to us as a very keen rubber man of colour. He's been working with the Recon brand and has helped to support parts of the global kink community for over 14 years.

Being the producer of Recon’s brand and promotional events, as well as their play parties, Antoin is very well-travelled, is a well-known face on the scene, and has experienced a lot of the diversity within the scene, globally. As a Brand Ambassador, Antoin is genuinely invested in empowering those he meets within the community to be themselves and live their best fetish life - whatever that means for you. He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and insight and is always happy to stop and have a chat.

Trooper is a board member of ICON Detroit Leatherclub, and associate member of Chicago Hellfire Club. Trooper has judged MIR21, IML33, 2016 Drummer North America, Illinois Leather Sir/boy, Ms. Pride and Community Bootblack, Great Lakes Sir/boy/bootblack and numerous bar and state contests. He has attended every MIR contest since 2006. Trooper has helped bring pup mosh and Rubber bar nights to the city of Detroit, and he enjoys mentoring titleholders/hopefuls, as well as presenting skills & workshops on many topics and utilizing bootblacking to fundraise in cities across North America.

Daddy Shadi (he/him/his) served as Illinois Leather Sir from 2016-2017. He has served as both a director and secretary of the Chicago Pet Patrol, is a trustee emeritus of Out Bowling, and volunteered for the following: IML/IMBB, Open Shine, MIR, Mr. Leather 64Ten, Chicago Leather Community Outreach, St. James Pantry, The Imperial Windy City Court of the Prairie State Empire, Night Ministry, and Center on Halsted. He believes that volunteerism is core to maintaining our broader community, with service in both kink subcultures and local organizations being critical to the maintenance and development of healthy societies.

Daddy Shadi has also taught classes in kink, heavily promoting active consent as the default power exchange dynamic. He has taught classes on impact play, BIPOC issues, scene negotiation, and his primary kink, fisting. These classes have been held as part of the event weekends of Mr. Chicago Leather, Mr. Nebraska Leather, Mr. Kentucky Leather, and Mr. Leather 64Ten, as well as several standalone classes throughout the Ohio River Valley region. He believes kink education by the skilled is a critical component of serving the community, and that the only educators worth listening to are the ones who keep learning.

Bio:
COMING

Course Description:
Repairing the Shiny Side of Life
This class will go over the basics of care and repair for lifestyle gear and clothing. Common types of damage and malfunctions, how to best repair these different issues, expectations from repairs, and preventative reinforcement that can be done on gear and clothes before anything goes wrong. Students are encouraged to bring personal items needing repair for discussion and possible repairs during the class, depending on the severity of the damage and time. 

Bio:
Pup Icarus is originally from Houston, TX. He has worked with various charities, clubs and organizations around the Chicago Land area. He has also been a part of the Chicago Kink Community since he moved here in 2011. Pup Icarus has been fisting for over 18 years and has been teaching the skill for six years. He finds that the connection and ecstasy of Fisting are what attracted him to find his place in the Fisting Community.

He is a former associate member of the Chicago Puppy Patrol, and a former member and former board member of M.A.F.I.A (Mid-America Fist In Action) and a supporter of The Chicago Rubber Club. In Houston he worked with the A.I.D.S Foundation Houston, Legacy Clinic and the Houston Area Teen Coalition for Homosexuality In his spare time you can find this puppy searching for treats, scritches, belly rubs and spreading the gospel of rubber peace and love.

Course Description:
The art of Anal Fisting and It's Mechanics
In this course you will learn the basics of fisting. You will also gain the knowledge of how some of fisting is not just physical but also mental. You will gain information on warms up to help your partner relax and get into the right headspace. As well as proper etiquette for a wonderful fisting experience. This class is open to all genders.

Bio: 
Mistress Simone is the author of “Toy Bag Guide to Chastity – A Practical Guide.” She has been a lifestyle and prodomme for over 30 years. She is an educator, former leather titleholder, community leader, and mentor. She is the owner of The Studio dungeon space in Chicago and has a space in St Louis but works around the world. She has presented at Kinky Kollege, NELA, SELF, Shibaricon, Galleria Domina 2 and DomCon. She has lectured at Northwestern University, Loyola, and the University of Chicago. Mistress Simone seeks to engage with those who desire to explore deeper into their submission, soul, and psyche. 

Course Description:
Hand Over Those Keys - It's Locktober!
The perfect time to discuss chastity and the intricacies of being caged. While it seems simple – just popping on a cage and handing over the keys, there are many aspects to consider before taking the leap into lockdom. Let’s begin with motivation. It’s always why do you desire to do “X”? If the motivation does not match the structure, you may as well toss out the cage. The class will cover: Device Choice; Wear Frequency; Motivation; Finding a keyholder; Play or Control; Cleaning; Oops; Additional Support; Mental chastity, developing trust; and Structure