Case Study: How Scott Strode of The Phoenix is Rethinking Addiction Recovery

Scott Strode knows all about addiction.

For years, he used both drugs and alcohol, until he hit rock bottom. After one especially dark night, he vowed to get sober. On a whim, he joined a boxing gym, where he met a community that believed in him and helped him start his addiction recovery journey.

Scott’s experience led him to found The Phoenix — an innovative program that combines the power of a peer community and group fitness with free classes for anyone 48-hours sober. 87% of participants report staying sober after three months, and the relapse rate is half that of the best treatment centers in the country.

This success gave Scott a burning desire to help even more of the 23 million Americans struggling with addiction. He knew his model worked, but he didn’t know how to refine and replicate it across America. So Stand Together Foundation came alongside him.

Scott shares our deep belief in people. He knows that people struggling with addiction have incredible potential — potential that society almost always overlooks. Instead of treating them like problems to be solved, and writing them off to a lifetime of addiction, he empowers them to solve the problems they face and even become trainers who help others overcome addiction.

It’s the definition of a bottom-up approach. And not only does it explain The Phoenix’s incredible success; it’s what America desperately needs to overcome this worsening crisis.

Scott asked us to help scale the nonprofit, and we quickly agreed. Through our partnership, he’s been able to get The Phoenix soaring:

• He needed funding to reach more people. Our community of more than 700 business leaders and philanthropists have invested more than $22 million since 2017, and we’re helping him raise $50 million by 2025.
• He wanted to expand into new cities and states. We’ve helped him go from seven locations in three states in 2017 to 73 locations in 30 states in 2021. We also helped him launch virtual programming in the COVID-19 pandemic, dramatically expanding The Phoenix’s reach.
• He wanted to spread the word. We helped him create inspiring videos with more than 2.7 million views and counting. We introduced him to the NFL Players’ Coalition and the Boston Red Sox. The Phoenix is now an official Red Sox nonprofit partner.

The mythical phoenix was reborn from the ashes. People struggling with addiction can come back, too.

The Phoenix is scheduled to launch in at least 26 more cities by 2025. In each city, they have the potential to reach tens of thousands of people. Even better: The Phoenix is showing society a better way to fight addiction. We’re committed to help Scott Strode inspire a national rethink, so America can finally put the addiction crisis behind us.

What You Can Do

Learn More: Explore how we’re working with a diverse group of partners to tackle addiction and other tough issues in communities.

Partner With Us: Tell us about your project and vision – and how we can help you accomplish even more.

Get Involved: Find out how you can support The Phoenix – and build the community of people running the race of sobriety together.