In a dating landscape driven by swipes, shortcuts, and surface-level connection, Brownie Marie is challenging women to seek something deeper. As the visionary behind Fox Hunters Club, she created a space specifically for millennial women ready for committed, intentional relationships with Gen X and older men—after recognizing that many were navigating a dating pool filled with minimal effort, stalled connections, and unclear intentions.
At the core of her platform is a growing truth: many women are finding greater alignment with men who have already matured through life’s experiences. With a focus on emotional availability, consistency, and genuine pursuit, Brownie Marie highlights how stepping outside traditional dating norms can open the door to deeper, more fulfilling partnerships—rooted not in convenience, but in clarity, growth, and lasting love. Let’s meet her…
You’ve described Fox Hunters Club as “the app you couldn’t find.” Can you take us back to the exact moment or experience that made you realize the dating market was failing millennial women seeking serious relationships with older men?
The goal of most dating apps and dating companies is to keep you as a customer, i.e. single. When I was looking for love on dating apps, I was seeing too many people that were looking to “hang out,” be “friends,” or were otherwise unserious. That isn’t even taking my age preferences into consideration. I realized that I was wasting time, energy, and emotions on these apps and they were not catering to me.
I was looking for the flip-side of a cougar app (older women with younger men), where I could be matched with older men for a non-transactional relationship. Unfortunately, my Google search led me to sugar baby app after sugar baby app– sites promoting financially successful men and attractive, younger women. I was in disbelief. Once I realized that this type of age-gap relationship was being ignored, I knew I had an opportunity to change that.
As both a tech executive and multimedia journalist, how did your background uniquely prepare you to identify this gap and actually build a solution instead of just talking about the problem?
My tech experience was critical in building Fox Hunters Club. I was already familiar with the concept of market gaps, UX/UI design, and what it takes to bring a tech product to launch. I designed the mock-ups for my previous company’s mobile app, and I’ve worked hand-in-hand with engineering and product teams for nearly a decade. If I did not have this background, I’m not sure that I would have pulled the trigger on starting this business, and I’m even less confident that I would have brought it to launch.
My journalism career has allowed me to build and maintain relationships in the entertainment industry that I proudly carry to this day. Living and working in the Greater New York City Area for over 10 years has connected me with publicists, podcasters, fellow journalists, and other business leaders that helped provide momentum around the NYC launch. I’m grateful for their support and encouragement! I also have experience creating press releases, building websites, interviewing, and other skills that have served me well in this new venture.
Founding Fox Hunters Club in 2024 placed you in a saturated and highly competitive industry—what resistance or skepticism did you encounter early on, and how did you push through it?
Because of the stigmas around age-gap dating, many people bristle at the notion. Once I explain that I’m not talking about “young girls,” rather that I’m marketing to grown women, their reaction softens. It becomes, “Oh, of course.” Of course a woman who is independent, confident, mature, successful, intelligent, and ready to settle down would want a partner who has all of those qualities. I also emphasize that this is niche dating. Fox Hunters Club is not meant for someone looking to cast a wide net. It is very specifically for millennial women seeking Gen X and older men for serious relationships. Raising awareness that these relationships actually exist has been key, as well as emphasizing that I’m not competing with Tinder, OkCupid, or Bumble. Fox Hunters Club is an alternative to mainstream apps as we cater to a specific clientele.
You’ve been very intentional about rejecting “transactional” dating dynamics. Why do you believe so many modern platforms have leaned into that model, and what are the long-term consequences for relationships?
Sex sells and that has been a fact since the beginning of time. There is a lot of money to be made offering transactional relationships– both on the client side and the platform side. As long as these are consenting adults and no one is being exploited, I see nothing wrong with this business. However, that is a business relationship and not dating. Transactional relationships are a job or side hustle and should not be expected to last forever. To define one’s worth based on looks or financial status is detrimental long-term. Presenting sugar relationships as dating relationships also sets unrealistic expectations for both parties and fuels the loneliness epidemic.
The phrase “intentionality over transaction” is central to your platform. How do you operationalize that within the app experience—what does that actually look like for users?
Members are limited regarding the number of swipes they can perform in a day, encouraging them to slow down and be more intentional about their likes and rejections. Also, there is no option to select what you are looking for, whereas mainstream apps have selections like “Looking for marriage, Friends, Nothing serious, Hang out,” etc. The only reason to be on Fox Hunters Club is if you are looking for a serious relationship within the parameters of age-gap dating.
Many mainstream apps prioritize volume and swiping culture. How does Fox Hunters Club redefine what success looks like in dating—especially in an era driven by instant gratification?
Success on Fox Hunters Club is deleting the Fox Hunters Club app because you have found your partner. I am not interested in having a diluted dating pool of singletons perpetually swiping. I don’t want members on the app all day, and that is the opposite of how most dating apps operate. That is also one of the reasons that I have prioritized IRL events since our initial launch and will continue to lean into this offering in the future. I genuinely want to build connections and have members find love, not download Fox Hunters Club and become life-long customers.
Age-gap relationships—especially with older men and younger women—often come with assumptions. What are the biggest misconceptions you’ve seen, and how is your platform actively challenging them?
The biggest misconception is that age-gap dating equals sugar dating. Unfortunately, many people have never heard of or considered an age-gap relationship outside of the sugar dynamic. I continue to emphasize in my ads, interviews, app descriptions, everywhere I can that we are not for sugar babies. I block and remove profiles that are contrary to this mission, and encourage members to report any infiltrators. It is a violation of our terms to ask for money and I am entirely against sending money to strangers on the internet under the guise of dating.
Romance scams are too prevalent for people to remain naive on this issue. Fox Hunters Club is the first app of its kind, so I must continually raise awareness and counter the assumptions of what age-gap dating can be.
Why do you believe millennial women, specifically those aged 30–45, are increasingly drawn to Gen X and older men for long-term partnership?
Many millennial women are not finding mature, emotionally available men their own age who are ready to commit. Unfortunately, it takes men significantly longer to mature, and our culture is increasingly interested in instant gratification instead of quality relationships. A man who has fully matured and desires a serious relationship is going to be a better partner than one who is still living like he is in his 20s, literally or figuratively. I’ve also found that a man who has been through some things (in his career, relationships, personal setbacks), can come out the other side wiser, more appreciative, self-aware, and humble. These are character traits that are valuable in a life partner and benefit the relationship overall.
In your experience, what do mature men bring to relationships that many women feel is missing in their current dating pool?
One common complaint that I hear from millennial women is that men aren’t actually interested in getting to know them. They display minimal effort by texting or direct messaging instead of calling, don’t plan dates, and there is little progression in the relationship. Once a woman stops accepting this type of behavior, the dating pool may seem a bit shallow if only millennial men are being considered. I encourage these women to date outside the box by considering a gentleman in his late 40s or early 50s, and see the difference in how they are treated. In general, Gen X grew up with different norms around what dating looks and feels like, and it can be to the benefit of millennial women. The generational difference combined with the maturity and life experience of an older man can be the missing ingredients for a healthy, successful relationship for a millennial woman.
Your platform is described as “freemium” but rooted in quality over quantity. How do you balance accessibility with maintaining a curated, serious user base?
The curated base comes more from my messaging than the app’s functionality. It is important to me not to gatekeep Fox Hunters Club by adding a paywall just to browse, match, and chat.
Some of our IRL events are paid, but the majority have been free. All of them have required an RSVP to promote gender balance and a curated audience. There are additional features in the app that are unlocked with the subscription, and future builds will add more functionality for both paid and free members. Also, Fox Hunters app is a niche app in its introductory phase, so it is more important to me to raise awareness than to increase friction by pushing subscriptions.
With organic growth reaching places like Africa, India, and Canada without formal expansion, what does that tell you about the global demand for intentional dating—and how are you planning to scale responsibly?
The organic growth really speaks to the demand for an alternative to mainstream apps for those seeking serious relationships. At a base level, a person is downloading Fox Hunters Club because they are open to dating outside of their age bracket in order to find love. That desire for lasting companionship is universal, and there is a great opportunity in cultures where there is less of a stigma around age-gap dating. I am scaling responsibly by launching in one market at a time, learning from each launch, and committing to realistic expansion timelines.
The DMV launch on May 26, 2026 is a major milestone. What makes that region particularly aligned with your mission, and how do you plan to engage that community differently from previous markets?
I am excited for the May 26 launch and see the DMV as ideal for Fox Hunters Club. There is a large proportion of women, specifically single women, and they are upwardly mobile. This aligns with my target audience of successful, independent women who see a partner as a complement rather than a benefactor. The DMV also has a significant black population, so I’m engaging with the culture differently than I did in other markets. I’m thankful for the coverage I continue to receive from black journalists, and I have a resonating selection of events on the way this summer.
As you expand into new metro areas, how do you ensure the culture of the platform remains consistent and doesn’t drift toward the very dynamics you set out to avoid?
It is largely about marketing. For example, I don’t advertise or have a presence on TikTok as the site is Gen Z-centered. I also intentionally target millennial women not only because I’m a millennial myself, but because it distances the app from sugar sites that broadly discuss “younger women” or age-gap dating in a general sense. The non-transactional aspect of Fox Hunters Club is what makes us one-of-a-kind in the market, so it is critical that it remains at the forefront of our messaging.
You’ve been recognized by Global Dating Insights and featured across major platforms. How has media visibility shaped both your credibility and the expectations placed on your brand?
Global Dating Insights (GDI) has been an incredible support and resource, even before I launched. At GDI’s annual Dating and Social Discovery North America Conferences, I networked with industry veterans from the Match Group (Tinder, Hinge, The League, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish), Bumble, Spark Networks (Christian Mingle, Jdate), and ParshipMeet Group (eharmony), and received invaluable feedback, advice, and encouragement. GDI is the leading news and analytical source for the dating industry, and their coverage helped put Fox Hunters Club on the industry’s radar globally. I was also honored to be named a 2025 Woman in Dating by GDI alongside industry giants.
Features in ESSENCE, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM and other major platforms have also led to increased media coverage and organic user growth worldwide. These recognitions let me know that even in a saturated, jaded market, there is still room for intentional dating. There are media outlets willing to amplify the message that you may find love in a different package than you were expecting or previously considered. The media visibility bolsters my resolve and encourages me on this thought leadership journey.
Looking ahead, what does success look like for Fox Hunters Club—not just as a business, but as a cultural shift in how women approach dating, partnership, and long-term love?
The business goal is to increase awareness of loving, age-gap dating relationships, and success is making Fox Hunters Club synonymous with that. The cultural conversations that have blossomed from this venture include encouraging women to recognize and lean into their power, not settling, and rejecting the notion that love is a fairytale. I hope to be a part of a cultural shift where healthy, loving relationships are expected, cultivated, and celebrated by both men and women.
Where intention meets maturity—and modern women finally meet their match.
During a recent virtual press event, Brownie Marie spotlighted the momentum behind Fox Hunters Club, including its highly anticipated DMV launch and intentional expansion into markets where professional, relationship-minded women are actively seeking meaningful connection. She emphasized a user-first approach, noting that the app is designed to foster comfort, authenticity, and genuine interaction—not just between matches, but within the platform experience itself. Drawing from her hands-on journey of building a startup from the ground up, Brownie highlighted accessible features like free swiping, matching, and chatting, alongside premium options that enhance the experience. Beyond functionality, she positioned the app as a true facilitator of real relationships—where people meet, fall in love, and form lasting partnerships. With growing global interest and organic reach, she also addressed the evolving narrative around age-gap dating, reframing it as a “maturity gap” conversation that challenges outdated stigmas. From early success stories to upcoming in-person events, giveaways, and strategic partnerships, Brownie made it clear that Fox Hunters Club is not just an app—it’s a movement rooted in intentional connection and long-term love. For more information visit foxhuntersclub.com
