Brand Ambassador of the Year

Kristel Penn Snags Two XBIZ Industry Exec Award Nominations

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LOS ANGELES, CA - Grooby’s Marketing and Editorial Director Kristel Penn snagged two coveted XBIZ Industry Exec Award nominations this week.


“It’s an honor not only be nominated for an XBIZ Industry Exec Award, but to be nominated in two categories that hold such personal significance to me,” said Kristel Penn. “In both categories, my name is listed amongst people who are doing such important work in our industry and who I’ve long admired since I started my career over ten years ago. Win or lose, I am incredibly grateful to be recognized for my work and to share this nomination with so many titans of our industry.”

Penn is currently nominated for Community Figure of the Year and WIA Woman of the Year. Winners will be announced at the upcoming 2019 XBIZ LA Show at the Andaz Hotel.

In 2018, Penn served as the Managing Editor of Transformation Magazine, America’s longest running transgender lifestyle magazine. As Grooby’s Marketing and Editorial Director, she is also the Event Producer of the annual Transgender Erotica Awards in Los Angeles, CA. Earlier this year Grooby created a free bi-monthly digital magazine, Grooby Girls, to provide business resources, community news, and more to the trans adult industry.

In addition to Penn’s work with Grooby, earlier this year she co-presented an educational workshop at Catalyst Con to discuss how to destigmatize porn and its consumption, with a focus on detangling shame and sexuality through self-reflection and open dialogue. Most recently, she enrolled in an MA in Counseling program with the long-term goal of helping create safe and competent mental health services to those in the adult industry.


“Mental health awareness is a topic that has long been part of my advocacy work on a personal and professional level,” Penn added. “I want to use my life experiences, which includes both my privilege and marginalization, to help destigmatize the adult industry and help provide competent mental health resources for our community. I understand the great responsibility of having a goal like this, which is why I chose to enroll in a counseling program this year. I wanted to ensure that anything I’d potentially implement would be competent, safe, and sustainable.”


In 2017, Penn won the XBIZ Industry Exec Award for Brand Ambassador of the Year. In 2018, she was nominated for Marketing Executive of the Year. To learn more about her, visit IkigaiMarketing.com and Grooby.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Kristel_Penn.

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Grooby Wins Big at the 2017 XBIZ Awards

Los Angeles, CA – Grooby, the leading producer of trans erotica, won big at the XBIZ Awards and the XBIZ Industry Executive Awards last week. The company took home four awards in total.

“Thank you so much to XBIZ and everyone who voted for Grooby,” said Steven Grooby. “We have a small, dedicated team who take great pride in what we do as a company so to be honored with awards at Xbiz this year for Trans Release of the Year, Adult Site of the Year (Trans), and Trans Studio of the Year is a fantastic reward and motivation for everyone across the company.”

He added, “Thank you also for recognizing Kristel as Brand Ambassador of the Year, she’s been putting love, heart and soul into Grooby since she began and to see her nominated and then winning alongside other fabulous nominees was much appreciated. Finally, thank you for recognizing Mona Wales’ first directorial release, ‘Real Fucking Girls’, which is an unique of a project that we’ve ever released. All the women who worked on that DVD should be very proud of what they’ve accomplished with it. Thank you XBIZ for  the recognition and encouragement for us to go forward with in 2017.”

Last night at the XBIZ Awards Grooby won Trans Release of the Year for ‘Real Fucking Girls’, Adult Site of the Year for ShemaleYum.com, and Trans Studio of the Year. Buddy Wood’s ‘Tranny Vice’ was also nominated in the Trans Release of the Year category, along with Grooby Network stars Kylie Maria, Chelsea Marie, and Domino Presley for Trans Performer of the Year.

Earlier in the week, Grooby’s Marketing and Editorial Director Kristel Penn won the 2017 XBIZ Industry Executive Award for Brand Ambassador of the Year. Owner Steven Grooby was up for Businessman of the Year.

“It is an honor to win such a prestigious award for my work at Grooby,” said Kristel Penn. “Steven has been instrumental in encouraging me to branch out and diversify our brand and I’m excited for what’s ahead for our company. Although I’m a representative for Grooby, I hope others will feel like this is a shared win for the trans adult industry as a whole.”

“Congratulations to Aubrey Kate on winning Trans Performer of the Year,” Steven Grooby added. “Never has an award been more appropriate for one of the hardest working and professional transsexual performers in the industry and we thank her for working with us.”  Aubrey Kate starred in Real Fucking Girls and also appeared in XBIZ nominated Tranny Vice, in addition to appearing on many of Grooby’s popular websites.

 

About Grooby
Founded in 1996, Grooby is currently based in Los Angeles and is the leading producer of transgender erotica. Operating over 30 membership websites, the company has numerous popular DVD lines and operates the GroobyNetwork.com, which gives models an unique opportunity to own and manage their own solo site. They are also the host of the annual Transgender Erotica Awards. For more information, visit Grooby.com.