Dating app boss who ‘bullied staff to tears’ judged industry diversity and inclusion awards
‘Diversity and inclusion champion’ Rhonda Alexander accused of humiliating and reducing colleagues to tears
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A former CEO of a dating app company, who was accused of bullying staff and reducing them to tears, was drafted in to judge an industry diversity and inclusion awards.
Rhonda Alexander, who was the boss of female-friendly dating app Fluttr, boasted about her judging credentials on social media despite claims against her including reducing colleagues to tears and “throwing eggs at ideas”.
A native New Yorker, Ms Alexander set out to create Fluttr, a dating app that sought to beat “Tinder Swindler” type dating app scams to create a “safe space” for women.
She describes herself as a “fierce female and diversity, equity, and inclusion champion” and a “fierce advocate for female leaders and entrepreneurs.”
However, an employment tribunal earlier this year ordered her the company which runs Fluttr to pay a former employee almost £100,000 after hearing testimony of “manipulative” behaviour perpetrated by the Cambridge graduate.
PIMFA, a trade association for investment managers, welcomed Ms Alexander to their panel to judge the awards given to individuals or organisations to celebrate “inspiring stories” of diversity and inclusion across the industry.
According to her LinkedIn, Ms Alexander has served on the judging panel since the awards were created in 2021, but since this year’s event earlier this month, the panel has since disbanded.
A PIMFA spokesperson told The Independent: “Our 2024 judging panel has disbanded and as far as we were aware Ms Alexander refuted and investigated all allegations.”
Laura Cameron Peck, who was the CEO of a sister start-up to Fluttr, told her bosses that Ms Alexander was “passive aggressive” and often wore down her employees’ confidence by “throwing eggs” at ideas.
Following her complaint, Ms Cameron Peck was forced out of the company after three months and was awarded £97,361 in compensation for the mistreatment.
Ms Cameron Peck was hired to lead digital company Wndr Social Ltd., a subsidiary of firm Ethical Social Group (ESG), in August 2021. Fluttr, run by Ms Alexander, was also a subsidiary under ESG, which was on “a mission to rebuild social platforms for good”.
However, Ms Cameron Peck told the tribunal she received a swathe of complaints from employees, some of whom were in tears, about Ms Alexander’s behaviour, which she flagged to the ESG’s founder and CEO Graham Pullan in a WhatsApp message.
The hearing was told: “She wrote about people contacting her in tears, talking about the bullying and rudeness they experienced and the way they had been treated, having eggs thrown at their efforts or suggestions and becoming silenced, deep professional experience being talked down by louder inexperienced and rude voices, confidence being eroded.”
It also heard how Ms Cameron Peck told her boss she had experienced much of Ms Alexander’s “passive, aggressive, and manipulative” behaviour herself.
“(Incidents) included calling out and trying to embarrass/humiliate colleagues in open settings, such as online meetings, and adopting inappropriate and purposefully aggressive facial expressions and gestures on team/group video calls when someone she chose to be in confrontation with spoke, making it uncomfortable for others and for her target,” the tribunal heard.
ESG ceased trading in 2022, and Ms. Alexander now works at The Maven Group, a consultancy she founded in 2016 working to “strategically accelerate growth, diversity and inclusion, marketing, and funding plans” for start-ups, not for profits and SME’s.
Ms Alexander was contacted for comment.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments