Behind the Brand
Dame was founded by sexologist Alexandra Fine and MIT mechanical engineer Janet Lieberman. Having always had an interest in sex, Alexandra earned her master's in clinical psychology with a concentration in sex therapy from Columbia University. She wanted to eliminate the cultural shame around intimacy and sex and help people lead healthier, happier lifestyles. Over time, however, Alexandra realized that she could have a larger impact by creating better sex products and starting a company. That’s precisely what she set out to do.
Alexandra began to tinker around in her kitchen using silver dollar coins, cellophane wrap, and moldable plastic. She took apart other vibrators to see how they worked, created her own vibrator prototypes, and invited friends over to test them out. She learned how to 3D print and started attending founder meetups, through which she eventually met co-founder Janet Lieberman. It took just one breakfast meeting for the two women to join forces. Alexandra and Janet combined their savings to invest in their own 3D printer and launch their Indiegogo campaign. Dame’s first product, Eva, became the most crowdfunded sex toy in history, and the company made national headlines by suing New York City’s subways for discrimination in advertising. Fast forward to today, Dame is at the forefront of a sexual wellness revolution that has touched 10 million lives and counting.