Why I Built Leora
Leora wasn't born from a business plan.
It was born from lived experience.
At 47 when I found myself single, like millions of people, I turned to online dating in 2025, believing it was a modern way to meet someone genuine. I expected awkward conversations, mismatched expectations, maybe the occasional disappointment. What I didn't expect was how unsafe, manipulative, and emotionally draining it could be - particularly for women.
Kelly Jones - CEO of Leora Group
Over time, I realised something unsettling:
The burden of safety had quietly been placed on users.
We're told to “be careful”, to spot red flags, to block, report, and move on. We're expected to manage deception, catfishing, coercion, and inappropriate behaviour as if it's simply part of the process. As if vigilance is the price of connection.
I didn't accept that.
I've spent my career building and scaling systems that work - systems that protect people, hold others accountable, and don't rely on good intentions alone. And I couldn't ignore the fact that dating platforms had the technology to do better, but chose not to.
So I decided to build what I couldn't find.
Leora is the dating platform I needed, I wanted - not because I was naïve, but because I believe connection should never come at the cost of safety or self-respect.
This isn't about fear.
It's about removing unnecessary risk.
It's about ending the normalisation of predatory users with violent pasts, fake profiles, sexual predators, love bombing, harassment, and other toxic behaviour. It's about creating a space where people don't have to second-guess who they're talking to, or brace themselves for harm.
At Leora, safety is not reactive. It's proactive.
Background checks are required.
Verification is not optional. It's standard.
Accountability isn't symbolic. It's enforced.
And most importantly, the responsibility for safety does not sit with the user - it sits with the platform.
While Leora is designed with safety at its core, this is a platform for everyone who values honesty, respect, and genuine connection. Because when you design for the most vulnerable, you create a better experience for all.
I didn't build Leora because I thought dating apps were broken.
I built it because I know they can be better.
Leora is personal to me - but it's bigger than me.
It's for anyone who wants to date without fear, without games, and without compromising who they are just to stay safe.
This is the dating platform I wish had existed.
So, with my business partner I built it.
