Execs delete, block campaigners calling for divestment - take action!
We've got Phoenix-Arizona and Dallas-Texas-based investment firm Versant Capital Management in our sights for propping up sexploitation through ownership of strip club shares.
Twice, we left comments on Versant Capital Management LinkedIn post querying its investment in criminal strip club company RCI Hospitality Holdings. Twice our comment disappeared.
So we reposted Versant's original post with some important questions. We asked co-CEO Royce Ramey what he was hiding. And we asked newly appointed Managing Director Brittyn Russell Brender if she was ok with the investment. We said that the matter required the urgent attention of co-CEO Elizabeth Shubaker.
- One city’s residents literally begged their council to shut down an RCI venue due to crimes and violence
- Another was described by a TX county DA as a “crime factory”
- RCI recently launched a federal lawsuit against a tiny Colorado mountain town where residents don’t want corporatised sexual exploitation of women (apparently this corporate bully-pimp did a sweet deal with the mayor)
- RCI was recently ordered by Colorado State's auditor to pay back $14m in a wage theft case
We told Brandon Yee, Versant's Director of Research and signatory on official documents confirming ownership in RCI strip clubs, that he was welcome after we did his job for free.
(Hi, Brandon 👋🏼.)
We had previously documented the number of RCI strip clubs in the Dallas region, where Versant is based:
10. That’s the no of RCI Hospitality-owned strip clubs in Dallas-Fort Worth. @charliegeren, does this have anything to do with your receipt of $11k from this criminal corporate mega pimp in 2022? What other kickbacks did you receive? Who else took money from Rick’s Cabaret? https://t.co/FnYagxrW6T pic.twitter.com/qz5GVw2Vib
— LSKennedy (@LSKennedy5) June 23, 2024
We had other questions and comments for Versant.
Including for founder Thomas J Connelly.
(Hi Tom 👋🏼.)
We were blocked by all of them (except Tom).
This is an inadequate (and senseless!) response to a serious issue and urgent call to dump strip club shares.
Trading in women’s bodies for men’s sexual entertainment is unacceptable - especially for any company that claims to care about ethics, integrity and trust.
Take action!
Use the button below to email Versant Capital Management execs - tell them to dump their strip club shares and put RCI Hospitality Holdings on their "No-Buy" list.
UPDATE July 8, 2025
Following supporter action calling for divestment from strip club company RCI Hospitality Holdings, Texas-based investment firm Versant Capital Management has dumped their shares! Thanks to all who contacted Versant to put the pressure on.
As Versant did not directly respond to us, we will continue to monitor their shareholdings to make sure they don't buy back in.
See also
WIN: Five shareholders dump strip clubs after our calls to divest
Sex abuse survivor condemns Lutheran company’s strip club investments and shuts daughter’s account
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