About us
Enriching lives,
one relationship at a time
LIONSCOVE began the way our best loans do: with people who knew each other, trusted each other, and saw work worth doing together.
Our story
From DML Capital to LIONSCOVE
The firm was founded as DML Capital by Ronnie da Motta, Liam Leonard, and Aidan Leonard, born from friends and family who wanted to participate in the private lending being offered to real estate investors. Deal flow came from opportunities that made sense but didn't fit traditional lending criteria — the deals banks couldn't do and shouldn't have passed on.
What began as deal-by-deal syndication grew into an evergreen private debt fund. In December 2022, the company took the name LIONSCOVE — the strength of a lion, the safety of a cove — and today the firm focuses where it can matter most: financing the ground-up builders creating housing across the West Coast, and giving accredited investors a secured, tangible way to share in that work.
"I wanted to have a bigger impact in the community where I worked. Family needed to come first — and that's exactly the culture we established at LIONSCOVE." — Liam Leonard, Founder
Vision & values
Everyone deserves a place to call home
We believe the absence of home — physical and emotional — is an existential crisis, and we take action to eliminate it: contributing our time and money to enrich lives, one home at a time. Four values guide that work. We call them our B.E.A.T.
Be fearless
We challenge the status quo as we endeavor to make a positive impact — thinking through obstacles, generating solutions, and putting them into action without waiting to be told.
Enrich the community
We seek to leave the world a better place for future generations. We have been blessed with much, so we volunteer and give — one life, one family, one home at a time.
Act with integrity
We make moral choices even when no one is looking, and we are transparent with both our successes and failures. We are good, faithful stewards.
Treat all people with respect
Everyone has worth and value, regardless of social status. Relationships are paramount, and they're built on a foundation of trust and belonging.
Leadership
The people behind the fund
Liam Leonard — Founder
Liam has originated hundreds of loans and leads LIONSCOVE's vision and lending strategy. He is an active real estate investor with a portfolio spanning ground-up development, rentals, and adult family homes. Before LIONSCOVE, he held executive positions at T-Mobile. He holds a BA in Economics from Yale and an MBA from UCLA Anderson, and dedicates much of his family's time to providing housing and services for women and children in transition.
Social good
At least 10%, every month
Our vision — everyone deserves a place to call home — isn't a slogan; it's a line in our monthly financials. LIONSCOVE commits a minimum of 10% of profits each month to charitable causes in our communities, with a focus on housing.
We are proud long-term supporters of Acres of Diamonds, which has provided transitional housing for homeless mothers and children in the Seattle area since 1995 — through sponsorship and hands-on volunteering. We also support A Soldier's Journey Home, which builds a home for a deserving veteran each year; in 2022, six LIONSCOVE team members traveled to Paducah, Kentucky to help build a home for a veteran who lost his to a tornado.
When you build with LIONSCOVE or invest with LIONSCOVE, this is part of what your work funds.