October 2010 – November 2013
Three years. That's how long it took for Phoenix Fund Holdings to move from a whisper in the financial world to a name spoken with admiration, envy, and occasionally, fear.
And a lot of it came down to social media.
It started as an experiment. Leah had posted a short behind-the-scenes video of one of their new venue openings in downtown Vegas. Within forty-eight hours, it had 4.6 million views, hundreds of thousands of shares, and a flood of incoming investor interest.
Dylan (waving his phone): "I just saw a tweet that called us 'the Avengers of Venture Capital.' I'm Iron Man, obviously."
Leah: "You wish. You're more like Ant-Man. Ryan's the brooding Captain America."
Ryan (grinning): "What does that make you, then?"
Leah (smirking): "Clearly Black Widow. Deadly and stylish."
Dylan: "Agreed. Except less murdery."
They all laughed, but the need was clear. What had started as fun became essential. The volume of public attention meant they had to shape their narrative carefully. Trolls. Impersonators. Viral rumors. Investment influencers. It was becoming chaotic.
Enter Marissa Sloan, their first-ever Director of Digital Presence. A veteran from a major West Coast PR firm, she came armed with analytics dashboards, a six-person team, and a fierce love of hashtags.
Marissa: "Your brand equity is your capital now. Let's make sure people associate your name with intelligence, innovation, and access."
Under Marissa, they launched:
A high-traffic business blog authored by Ryan, Leah, and Dylan (with ghostwriting help).
Personal social media accounts tailored to show leadership, philanthropy, and lifestyle.
A short-form documentary series called Start Bold, showcasing Phoenix Fund investments and the founders' journey.
Targeted ad campaigns for startup founders and young entrepreneurs.
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2011 – Year of the Pivot
Crypto soared. Then dipped. Then soared again. Ryan invested heavily in mining and infrastructure.
Leah expanded Ignite globally, opening chapters in eight countries.
Dylan took the lead on their entertainment projects and closed a landmark deal with a VR production company.
Leah (over coffee): "I'm still mad that your documentary got more likes than mine."
Ryan: "Maybe the algorithm likes my voice better."
Dylan: "No. It's your face. Like a responsible golden retriever."
Leah (laughing): "So true."
The trio spent long nights bouncing ideas, roasting each other, and growing their bond. Flirtation lingered between Leah and Ryan, their relationship solid but free-flowing with charm and laughter.
Ryan (teasing): "Are you flirting with me at work again?"
Leah: "Only when you wear that tie I like."
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2012 – Year of the Brand
They launched a clothing capsule brand with a designer startup. Unexpectedly, it went viral.
Marissa leaned in harder. By mid-2012:
Ryan had 1.1M followers on X (formerly Twitter)
Leah had become a TEDx regular and was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30
Dylan's podcast, Venture Out Loud, had half a million weekly listeners
The synergy wasn't just visible. It was monetizable.
Leah (during a livestream): "We don't just build wealth. We build worth."
Ryan (off-camera): "Did you just come up with that?"
Leah: "Yes. And it's trademarked."
Dylan: "Called it."
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2013 – Year of Consolidation
They hired a Chief Operations Officer and began grooming an executive suite to take over day-to-day functions.
Ryan and Leah began discussing global expansion.
Dylan negotiated a stake in a new streaming service and laid groundwork for what would become their most profitable media partnership.
Throughout it all, their friendship grew deeper. They vacationed together. Spent holidays together. Celebrated birthdays like family.
Dylan (raising a toast): "To the wildest ride I never saw coming."
Leah: "To the brothers I didn't know I needed."
Ryan (smiling): "To us. Let's keep making history."
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Phoenix Fund Holdings – November 2013 Snapshot
Employees: 850
Departments Created:
Venture Capital & Startups
Crypto & Blockchain
Real Estate & Infrastructure
Entertainment & Media
Social Media & Brand Development
Legal, Compliance, & Security
Global Outreach & Ignite Expansion
Notable Ventures:
Streaming Partnership (Dylan)
Global Startup Incubator Network (Leah)
International Crypto Infrastructure (Ryan)
Liquid Assets: $2.3 billion
Non-Liquid Assets: $9.8 billion
Estimated Company Valuation: $24.6 billion
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And as Ryan scrolled through one of Marissa's media reports late one evening, a simple image stood out—the three of them, laughing behind a podium, headlines screaming about innovation, youth, and revolution. He couldn't believe how far they had come since they were scrounging through garage sales to find product to flip.
He looked over to Leah on the couch and Dylan sipping whiskey across the room.
Ryan (thinking): We didn't just build a company. We built a legacy.
Leah (thinking): And this time, I'm ready to protect it.
Dylan (thinking): We're just getting started.
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