Joani Blank was born on July 4, 1937, and died on August 6, 2016.
She was an entrepreneur, writer, videographer, cohousing enthusiast and adviser, philanthropist, sex educator, and inventor in the field of sexuality.
Blank founded Down There Press, a publisher of sex-related books, in 1975.
During 1977, Blank opened Good Vibrations, the second feminist sex toy business in the United States (the first having been Eve’s Garden in New York City, which was founded by Dell Williams in 1974).
Before to her opening Good Vibrations, Blank was hired at the University of California, San Francisco to screen candidates who had difficulties achieving orgasm.
That study influenced her business model for Good Vibrations.
Joani was one of the first volunteers at San Francisco Sex Information and has served on the Board of Directors of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
Blank was also known for her inventions of the Butterfly vibrator and Titattoos (now Intimate Art Tattoos).
Blank has lived in co-housing since 1992 and served for eight years on the board of the Cohousing Association of the United States.
Joani Blank passed away at 79 years old.