A positive herpes diagnosis and a lack of  vulnerable stories from herpes positive people inspired our founder to create a documentary featuring the stories of STI positive people.  She wanted to normalize the idea of living with an STI, provide examples of STI disclosures and show people that life can be great post diagnosis. Most importantly, she wanted to show people that having an STI was NOT something to be ashamed of!

About

Meet the Founding Team

A woman with dark hair and a tattoo on her forearm, wearing a black shirt, sitting against a yellow wall, smiling and resting her head on her hand.

Graduating from Rowan University in 2012 with a BA in Psychology, Jolene's academic foundation laid the groundwork for her subsequent impactful endeavors.

Her passion for cultural exchange led her to receive a prestigious Fulbright grant, through which she taught English in Malaysia to secondary school students for two years. Post-Malaysia, Jolene extended her cultural engagement by leading over 1,000 Malaysian students in dance workshops, fostering deeper connections and understanding between communities.

Professionally, Jolene has nearly a decade of experience in administrative roles spanning the for-profit, non-profit, and startup sectors. 

Jolene's personal journey took a significant turn following a positive herpes diagnosis, catalyzing her exploration into sex positivity and advocacy. Inspired by her own experience of acceptance and empowerment, she channeled her creative energy into producing her debut film, No Shame in this Game.

Jolene finds joy in creating unique ways to break down barriers, challenge stigma, and promote understanding and acceptance on both cultural and personal levels.When Jolene is not working her day job, you can find her either dancing, baking, journaling, or planning her next passion project. 

A young woman with long dark hair smiling outdoors in front of a white wall, wearing a mustard-colored long-sleeve top and hoop earrings.

Erika is a proud Puerto Rican who was born and raised in Georgia. Wanting a different type of environment from the south, she made her way up to New York City in 2016.  

What blossomed Erika’s interest into sex education is when she was first diagnosed with GHSV1. She now devotes her time into challenging the taboos of sex and destroying the stigma around living with an STI. When Erika is not diving into sex education research, she loves trying to cook up new recipes, spending time with her dog, Lily, and exploring museums around NYC. 

A woman standing in front of three abstract nude figure paintings on a beige wall at an art gallery.

Meet the Film Team

Zia is an Oregon based artist and herpes focused content creator. She is the founder of The Gallery For Positive People – a platform for STI positive individuals to express themselves and build awareness of our lived experiences through creating and sharing art. During her studies at the University of Oregon, she conducted a qualitatively driven research study on the lived experiences of herpes positive people which became an undergraduate honors thesis. She is excited to continue to work on No Shame in this Game and build a world where people are informed and empowered regarding their bodies and sexual health. Feel free to connect with her on Instagram via @thegalleryforpositivepeople or @ziaoshunart.

NOMO Films creates and shapes emotion through cinematic commercials, documentaries, music videos, and films. They’re a sleeves-up studio that defiantly pursues work the world wants to talk about.