Throughout my career, I’ve taken advantage of opportunities to build and invest in high-potential companies. When we launched Phoenix3 Holdings, the intent was clear: identify innovative, underleveraged business opportunities where our leadership team has expertise, and add value as a strategic growth partner. But something unexpected happened along the way.

We didn’t just invest.

We built.

We created.

We transformed.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that Phoenix3 Holdings is now Phoenix3 Collective. This name reflects what we have become: a collection of boutique culinary and hospitality companies that design culinary programs and business solutions tailored to the unique needs of clients based on their industry sectors and preferred operating model. Each of our teams works collaboratively with our clients to define their goals and build programs that exceed expectations.

Why the Shift?

The term “Collective” is intentional. We’ve evolved from a strategic growth partner model providing investment and resources into a dynamic ecosystem of synergistic operating companies. Each company in the Collective has vertical segment expertise and shares a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, and operational excellence.

In just the past 18 months, we’ve:

• Launched Restaura, a purpose-built dining management services company filling a void in the senior living and active aging market by embedding technology into every facet of dining services to optimize client success and deliver unapologetically delicious, scratch-made culinary experiences.
• Acquired Innovative Hospitality Solutions (IHS) to provide strategic advisory services to organizations that outsource hospitality services across healthcare, education and corporate sectors. From vendor transitions to ongoing performance oversight, IHS helps clients get more from their vendor relationships.
• Acquired CrossCheck Quality Assurance, an industry-leading third-party, data-driven quality assurance and regulatory compliance platform that provides both customized QA assessments and prescriptive action planning across senior living, healthcare, corporate, and higher education. CrossCheck utilizes proprietary technology and coaching to help clients identify risks, ensure accountability, and drive continuous improvement.
• Created Centicor Procurement Services as a client-focused group purchasing organization mindful of and responsive to each client’s culture and business strategy in corporate services, education, healthcare, seniors, hospitality, and leisure and recreation.
• Acquired Infuse Hospitality, a workplace dining and hospitality company that brings restaurant-quality experiences to forward-thinking employers and workplace settings to elevate corporate dining into a culture-aligned amenity.
• Created Culinour to transform healthcare dining management services by combining technology-driven innovation with culinary excellence to accelerate healing.
• Most recently, our Collective acquired Quality Culinary Solutions, a consulting practice focused on improving the financial health and culinary experiences at self-operated senior living communities.

Each brand operates independently while contributing to something bigger. Together, Phoenix3 Collective delivers both full-service management solutions and à la carte services for active aging and senior living communities, corporate dining, higher education, and healthcare.

Our solutions support the business needs of clients who outsource their dining and those who self-operate or “insource.” No one else in our space is doing this because no one else can.

Speed Over Scale

This Phoenix3 transformation didn’t come from endless corporate planning cycles. It came from thinking and acting like a founder. There’s a reason entrepreneurs win in moments of disruption: we move fast. We’re not afraid to take risks. We don’t wait for permission. And we’re always looking around corners.

Think of it this way: the difference between an entrepreneur’s mindset and corporate operating model is like a speedboat compared to a battleship. Same ocean, very different ability to change course.

Our growth has been possible because we weren’t bogged down by bureaucracy. We seized opportunities as soon as they surfaced. And we surrounded ourselves with talented people who share our entrepreneurial spirit.

Lessons from the Journey

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that success doesn’t come from sticking to the original playbook. It comes from staying close to the market, spotting gaps others don’t see, and having the courage to pivot. That’s exactly what we did:

• When we saw senior living and active aging communities struggling with legacy dining models, we launched Restaura to fill the gap.
• When we heard about frustrations with inward-focused sourcing solutions that provide limited customer transparency, we created Centicor Procurement Services to put the focus back on the client.
• As companies reassessed their workplace hospitality needs and addressed the amenities required for a hybrid work environment, we acquired a controlling interest in Infuse Hospitality and brought in a seasoned industry executive, CEO Paul Fairhead, to evolve the brand and expand workplace dining solutions into new markets.

What truly binds our Collective together is more than our strategic alignment — it’s our shared ownership culture. Every Phoenix3 company is grounded in the same entrepreneurial DNA because our leaders and teams are all owners. I’ve set aside over 30 percent of each company’s ownership shares for employees, regardless of their title, because I know that an ownership mindset fuels collaboration, drives accountability, and unlocks a level of passion that can’t be manufactured in a traditional corporate structure.

When this type of culture is blended with cutting-edge technology solutions and a commitment to culinary excellence, it becomes a model that’s not just rare in our industry, it’s transformative.

Looking Ahead

Phoenix3 Collective isn’t just a rebrand. It’s a reflection of what we believe in: start-up energy, fast action, and focused execution. We’re not afraid to disrupt legacy models or build something that has never existed before. We’ve assembled a team of visionaries, operators, and change-makers who know the industry inside and out and aren’t afraid to reimagine it.

And we’re just getting started.

Thanks for following along the journey.

We’ll keep moving fast and building what’s next.

Richard B. Schenkel, Founder, CEO & Managing Director, Phoenix3 Collective