Ryan Elsey

About Ryan Elsey

For 24 years I served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration, where I led multinational teams building high-stakes international drug trafficking investigations stretching into Central and South America. Two of these investigations were featured in articles in Forbes and The New York Times. This work demanded discipline, judgment, and clarity of purpose, skills which still serve me to this day.As my career in law enforcement drew to a close, it was time to build again, and Guardian Wealth was born. Today I leverage those skills, derived from 24 years of high-pressure decision making, to help discerning investors access private placement opportunities in venture capital and private equity. Investor capital moves on trust, and I value relationships over transactions.If you are a serious investor interested in participation in private markets, let’s have a conversation.

Experience

1. Founder and Executive Director

   Guardian Foundation

   Feb 2026 — Present

   Our mission is to promote kindness, ignite hope, and create opportunity for all. Founded and led by active and former law enforcement and military members, we are driven by a deep sense of service to others. We believe everyone deserves an opportunity to achieve their own unique version of success, and together we can foster a bright future, built on possibility and promise.