Nicole Daedone

The founder and the chief executive of a wellness education company that was founded in San Francisco have been indicted for forced labor conspiracy in connection to a years-long scheme to obtain labor and services from members, according to the United States Department of Justice. An indictment unsealed on Tuesday June 6 2023 in a federal court in Brooklyn states that Nicole Daedone, founder and former Chief Executive Officer, and Rachel Cherwitz, former Head of Sales at OneTaste, Inc., subjected volunteers, contractors and employees to “economic, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation.” OneTaste, which branded itself as a “sexually-focused wellness education company,” was founded by Daedone in 2004. From then until 2018, the company generated revenue by providing courses, coaching and events related to so-called wellness practices — in exchange for a fee. Over time OneTaste maintained operations in New York City, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Boulder, Austin and London. Cherwitz was arrested Tuesday and is expected to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Daedone currently remains at large. If convicted, Daedone and Cherwitz each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.