Dragon Army Joins Alloy

At Purpose Group, we buy, grow, and hold purpose-driven businesses. We believe business should be a profitable force for good in the world, and we're inspired to help prove that notion one portfolio business at a time.

Today I get to share news that is deeply personal to me: Dragon Army, the digital studio I founded in 2013, has officially joined our portfolio company, Alloy!

Where it started

When we started Dragon Army, the goal was never just to build a successful agency. We wanted to lead by example, and to prove that a business could be both profitable and purposeful, using its success to do good in the world. That belief shaped everything, from the clients we chose to the culture we built to becoming a Certified B Corporation.

Over the years, that team created award-winning work for brands like The Coca-Cola Company, Chick-fil-A, Delta Air Lines, Great Clips, The Home Depot, and TKE. In 2022, when I left to start Purpose Group, I handed the keys to Jenn Leahy as CEO. I'm incredibly proud of what the Dragon Army team has built, and especially of what they've accomplished under Jenn's leadership.

The Dragon Army name will now be retired as the team integrates under Alloy. I'll admit that's a bittersweet sentence to write. But the people, the relationships, and the way they do the work are what made Dragon Army special, and all of that continues.

A reunion of kindred spirits

Raj Choudhury and I have been building culture together for a long time. We poured so much of ourselves into building a great culture at Spunlogic (the company we founded in our dorm room in 1998), and then again together with Jenn at Engauge (2008-2013). So bringing the Dragon Army team into the incredible people and culture Raj is building at Alloy feels less like an acquisition and more like a reunion of kindred spirits.

Both companies have always cared as much about why we do the work as what the work is. That shared foundation is why I couldn't imagine a better home for this team.

What Dragon Army brings to Alloy

Dragon Army brings deep product, digital, creative, and development talent that expands what Alloy can design and build for its clients. As Raj put it in today's announcement, the team deepens Alloy's UX and technology expertise at exactly the right moment, as client demand has grown significantly this year and brands face the complex challenges that AI and shifting buyer behavior are creating.

Bringing on an established team, rather than scaling one hire at a time, positions Alloy to meet that demand while keeping its momentum going.

How this fits the Purpose Group model

This deal is also a good example of how Purpose Group works. In fact, Purpose Group was founded largely because of the success we had building Dragon Army. The entire Dragon Army team will join Alloy on its journey.

It's the kind of structure a holding company built to hold for the long term makes possible: the team gets a strong new home, the business plugs into Alloy's platform, and the people who supported Dragon Army get to keep sharing in what comes next. I'm thrilled to welcome them.

Onward, with purpose

This caps a transformational year for Alloy, which earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 and on the Atlanta Business Chronicle's list of the Fastest-Growing Companies in Metro Atlanta, along with additional industry recognition for its growth, innovation, and client impact.

Congratulations to Jenn, Raj, and both crews. The Dragon Army chapter closes, but the journey continues, and I can't wait to see what this team does next.

Read the official announcement: https://alloycrew.com/resources/alloy-acquires-dragon-army

Jeff