Komi Pfeiffer holds a Masters in Psychology from Hunter College and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A graduate of Hunter College and a member of the Psi Chi Honors Society, Komi has taken multiple courses on human sexuality, drugs of addiction and African American studies (in particular, the psychology of marginalization/spot light anxiety). Komi also studied infant development and worked as lab manager in Tricia Striano’s Infancy Research Lab where she wrote grants and oversaw research projects. Komi later went on to start Komi Organics, an all organic children's meal delivery service, featured in the Post, Forbes and local Fox 5 News. Most recently, Komi has completed a CASAC-t certification for drug and alcohol counseling and is a DONA trained doula.

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To support her studies, Komi put herself through college by working as a dancer in gentlemen’s clubs in Manhattan, which served as a powerful motivator in her desire to form Ezili. Although at times empowering, her experiences in general, highlighted extreme power inequities between the dancers and the clubs that they worked in. These experiences caused Komi to want to become an advocate for dancers and other sex workers. Seeing the almost addictive nature of sex work, Komi witnessed how difficult it could be to pull away from the sometimes lucrative job. The flip side of the coin, was that long term involvement in sex work (including dancing), was that many women suffered long term trauma which prevented them from reaching their highest potential. Not always, of course, but enough of the time to warrant someone intervening and creating pathways to easier entry to academia. Komi also felt like there was a need for a supportive environment that truly nurtured dancers, as opposed to the clubs, which in essence used dancers until they were no longer profitable, leaving them with no long term plans, no health care or a place to go after dancing had run its course. 

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Komi is now a grateful mother of three wonderful children. She now hopes to use her various experiences to help others and level the playing field by building economic freedom for sex workers, so that sex work is a choice, not a necessity.

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