✏️ Name: Nellie Wilson
🏳️‍🌈 Pronouns: They / Them / She / Her
📍 Location: Chesterfield/Cummington, Western Massachusetts
🎂 Age: 42
🎗️ Role at Cuddle Party: Database Management

💬 Why do you think the work we do at Cuddle Party is important?
Cuddle Party offers a space to have authentic human connection with people in a really safe way. There’s this opportunity to have a container around exploring something that so many people don’t get in their day-to-day lives. Even folks who feel like they get a lot of touch still benefit—because of the focus on communication, consent, tuning into your own desires, and learning how to speak up for what feels like a yes. The transformative notion that “no” means someone is taking care of themselves has been life changing for me and something I share with clients, friends, and people I meet. You never have to cuddle anyone at a Cuddle Party—touch is not required. It’s welcomed, there’s an invitation, and we deeply honor your no. And we’ll celebrate if you change your mind. I wish every politician had to go to a Cuddle Party—these basic concepts could be hugely transformative for society at large.

 What is your role at Cuddle Party?
I am not offering Cuddle Parties at this time, but for quite a long time, I have been working behind the scenes on scheduling all those reminder emails you get about the weekly Tuesday (4 p.m. EST) and Wednesday (9 p.m. EST) ‘Cuddle Party Training and Certified Video Calls’. More recently, I have started working with Cuddle Party on evaluating and improving the CRM database. My background working at various nonprofits and geeking out on organizing and data entry inform my work on this project. Helping Cuddle Party continue to improve support for certified facilitators, students, and the public is something I want to contribute to. If your contact information has changed, please be sure to reach out so we can stay in touch!

🌱 Why did you decide to become a Cuddle Party Facilitator?
I really wanted to be able to hold that space for other people. I had done facilitation work—support groups, sex ed classes—so when I did my Cuddlist and Cuddle Party certifications around the same time, it felt like a really nice pairing. I could offer one-on-one work and also group events. I loved being a participant at Cuddle Parties and wanted to bring that into my life by facilitating. People enjoyed the parties I held. It was a lot of work—like full event production—but also really rewarding. My background in nonprofit event organizing definitely helped, especially since I was renting a space and had to manage setup and clean up each time.

🦸‍♀️ What are your superpowers as a Cuddle Party Facilitator?
I feel like I’m pretty good at meeting people where they’re at—having the invitation there, but also being really present with where someone is in the moment. That “being with” piece is really undervalued in a lot of societies, but it’s something I keep practicing. I’ve also gotten really good at embracing the awkward. So I’d say that’s another of my superpowers—being pretty good at leaning into the awkward and being silly.