A California tech startup known for hiring “hot” girls devolved into public chaos after staffers’ spicy social media takes seemingly sparked a crash-out.
asserted
takes → know → out
San Francisco insurance-tech startup Corgi has gained an outsized rep, not for its risk-underwriting but rather for unhinged dating demands, “mean-girl” staffers and public infighting — as its CEO issued awkward statement defending the $4 billion firm’s culture.
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CEO → gain → culture
Then, another Corgi staffer who goes by Nicole Clash, was called out for repeatedly calling people “retards” online and appearing to dismiss the use of the N-word in a now-deleted tweet, prompting a colleague to condemn the comments.
“Reading is hard for the retarded it’s ok I understand,” wrote Clash, identified as a Corgi marketing staffer by Insurance Business, on Sept. 20.
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Clash → go → Sept.
In another post that has since been deleted, the Corgi employee shared that she would “not attempt to police” those who use the N-word — which spurred furious X posts labeling her a “mean girl” and an apparent condemnation by another staffer, Ella Schlaghecke.
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which → delete → staffer
(The Post did not see the live X post, but reviewed screenshots.)
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Post → see → screenshots
“There is a distinct difference between believing that society should not censor people and deciding that we have no responsibility to challenge language that dehumanizes others,” wrote Schlaghecke, who’s described as a partnerships manager on Linkedin.
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who → be → Linkedin
Clash said she removed some of the offending posts “after reflection” when reached for comment, and said they don’t represent the views of her employer.
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they → say → employer
The dust-up came in the wake of LeBlanc’s laundry list of dating must-haves that demanded her future husband be “post economic (still hardworking),” “fit and sober,” “healthy masculine” and between the ages of 35 and 42.
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husband → come → 35
The company’s 26-year-old CEO, Nico Laqua, then posted a screed railing against “cancel culture” in response to LeBlanc’s viral comments.
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CEO → post → comments
“If I’ve learned one thing about startups, it’s that VCs and very online figures care mostly about press and social media.
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VCs → learn → press
However, real hackers and builders care about making a durable business, and that’s what we’re doing at Corgi,” Laqua wrote in the X post.
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Laqua → care → post
The startup later clarified that Laqua’s post defending free expression came before Clash’s controversial posts, saying he does “not support that kind of language, and neither does Corgi.”
The brouhaha has left many wondering what it all has to do with insurance.
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it → clarify → insurance
“Suddenly, people were looking at Corgi for all the wrong reasons,” said PR veteran Chris Harihar of the backlash to LeBlanc’s post.
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Harihar → look → post
“Now, you’re the company known for provocative or offensive posts, not insurance.
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you → ’re → posts
While edgy posts can be effective in getting attention, Harihar said a controversial image can make it harder to attract more traditional customers: “At some point, the wrong kind of attention costs you money,” he added.
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he → get → money
The startup, which describes itself as an “AI native, full-stack” platform that underwrites and sells insurance directly to other companies, has gained infamy for its promotion of the hustle-culture credo that techies should work 12 hours a day, including on weekends.
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techies → describe → weekends
“If your days off happen to be Saturday and Sunday every week, you will not have a place at Corgi,” Laqua boasted on the 20vchq podcast, alleging he sleeps 3-4 hours per night on an office mattress.
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he → happen → mattress
The startup’s growth also spawned the term “Corgi girls” for its rumored use of “hot” and “extremely online” women as a marketing tactic — including “a steady stream of photogenic women announcing their marketing and growth roles in viral X posts,” according to the website SFisms.
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growth → spawn → website
Corgi called this rumor “false” in a statement provided by attorney Jeremy Eisemann.
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Corgi → call → Eisemann
“We hire people for their ability to contribute to our business.
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We → hire → business
Characterizing our colleagues as a marketing tactic is disrespectful to them and misrepresents our culture,” he said.
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he → characterize → culture
The 400-person company said it remains committed to the cafe expansions and is also expanding its products to include “admitted insurance and reinsurance,” among other offerings.
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it → say → offerings
A lot of people in tech and VCs are like, this is ridiculous,” one San Francisco venture capitalist told The California Post.
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capitalist → tell → Post
“But to give them some amount of credit, consumer insurance and fintech at the end of the day is brand driven.
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give → give → day
Their play clearly seems to be are we going to get a certain kind of customer to our insurance products with a non-corporate, Gen Z voice,” the investor continued.
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investor → seem → voice
Aaron Peskin, a former city supervisor and critic of San Francisco’s tech industry, said Corgi’s cafes — which have been lambasted online as “smelly” and poorly maintained — left him wondering, ““What the f— is going on in this town?
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f → say → town
“Look, immature, silly people and organizations are not a new thing on the planet Earth,” Peskin said.
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Peskin → look → Earth
“It’s like watching a train wreck.”
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It → ’ → wreck
The Aporia
