On Mar. 3, Leonid Capital Partners announced the creation of the Leonid Sentinel Foundation, a philanthropic initiative in keeping with the co-founders’ original promise that 50% of after-tax profits at Leonid will be devoted to charitable organizations that honor the military community.
Through the Leonid Sentinel Foundation, Leonid will channel donations to three scholarship and nonprofit programs supporting the causes of service members, veterans, and Gold Star families: the Children of Fallen Patriots, the Emily Marie Barbero Xavier Scholarship, and the Special Operations Association of America (SOAA).
Leonid Co-Founder and SOAA treasurer Christopher Lay said that the “deeply personal” initiative is about “carrying that responsibility forward and creating real, lasting impact for families who have given so much.”
SOAA is grateful for the opportunity to be included in the Leonid Sentinel Foundation, which will equip SOAA to expand our mission of keeping America safe, elevating the voices of the special operations community, and advocating for the interests of our warfighters .
We are honored, alongside the Children of Fallen Patriots and the Emily Marie Barbero Xavier Scholarship, to be considered trusted Leonid allies.
Children of Fallen Patriots
A national nonprofit, the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation has provided over $84 million to more than 4,100 children of fallen service members as they pursue their higher educational aspirations. The organization identifies Gold Star children before they enter the collegiate atmosphere, allowing them to receive support while in high school, throughout college, and into their post-graduate experience as they apply for internships and professional programming.
Given the economic hardship that Gold Star Families can experience, the Children of Fallen Patriots seeks to bring about long-term economic improvement by giving children access to fulfilling and stable career paths.
Leonid Capital Partners was able to support 12 students through charitable giving in 2025, including Gavin Runner, a Grand Valley State University student whose father, U.S. Army Capt. Rodney Runner, passed away from a service-connected illness in 2011. Runner told the Children of Fallen Patriots that their support allows him “to focus on bettering [himself]” as he studies computer engineering in hopes of pursuing a career in the defense industry.
The Emily Marie Barbero Xavier Scholarship
Emily Marie Barbero, daughter of retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mike Barbero, was an alumna of Xavier University whose career in public service with the Department of Homeland Security was complimented by her commitment to supporting veterans and helping others. As an enduring tribute to his daughter’s legacy, Barbero helped to create the Emily Marie Barbero Xavier Scholarship, which supports veteran military-affiliated students at Xavier University enrolled in Honors Programs in the fields of Philosophy, Data Science, and Politics.
Philanthropy ‘Baked into’ the Business Model
As Leonid Capital Partners’ (LCP) Co-Founders Chris Lay and James Parker created their organization, they consciously chose to have philanthropy “baked into the business model,” as Parker told LinkedIn followers in September 2020.
Parker argued that making the commitment from the outset both “helps define the business relationships we are going to have in the future” and “double[s] the motivation” to be successful.
That ambitious business model has already borne fruit. While LCP has helped new defense-oriented companies gain term loans, lines of credit, and financing required to scale ventures and add to our national security, it has also supported the loved ones of service members who died while bearing the battle, furthers veteran education, and helps to advocate on behalf of those who are at the tip of the spear.
