Unlocking Underused Land: A Tech Founder’s Dynamic Journey to Democratize Real Estate — w/ Laura Fortey

Send a text to Canada Now! 💬What if a major housing unlock is hiding in plain sight?This week, Ashley sits down with Laura Fortey — co-founder & COO of Reitium — to unpack how churches, hospitals, and other nonprofits can raise capital (donations, debt, or equity) to build affordable housing while keeping ownership of their land. No bulldozers-for-condos script. Instead: preserve the community anchor, add the homes, and make the math work with modern crowdfunding infrastructure.They also dive into founder realities — burnout and reset, when to pivot vs. persist, what accelerators actually provide, and why the next era of building in Canada is more human, more in-person, and more collaborative.In this episode:The “sleeping land” opportunity: why church & nonprofit sites matterHow Reitium structures community-owned development (donations / debt / equity)Keeping the land vs. selling out: long-term income for nonprofitsPolicy, mayors, and moving faster by working with (not against) regulationFounder lessons: first-mover advantages, timing markets, and agile pivotsBurnout, boundaries, and the rise of fractional/portfolio careersWhy IRL rooms still beat DMs — and how serendipity changes outcomesTopics: housing innovation · community-owned development · crowdfunding · founder resilience · fractional leadership · Canada’s next-gen buildersFind the full episode show notes — with Laura’s podcast and accelerator program mentions — at Canada Now HERE! 👈👈Also, subscribe to the Canada Now newsletter for updates (and vip perks)!🎧 Timestamps:01:15 — Laura Fortey joins: A founder’s journey from burnout to purpose03:30 — What is Reitium? Crowdfunding affordable housing through community ownership05:45 — The church land model: keeping ownership while creating homes08:20 — How donations, debt, and equity fuel nonprofit-led development10:40 — Tokenization, regulation, and why timing the market matters13:15 — Lessons in agility: pivoting while staying true to your mission15:40 — Accelerators, mentorship, and learning from ecosystems abroad18:20 — Why in-person connection still beats remote networking21:30 — The rise of fractional and portfolio careers for founders24:00 — Building sustainable companies without losing yourself27:10 — Generational shifts: younger builders, new priorities30:05 — Real-world optimism: the future of housing and impact in Canada33:00 — Networking events and building Canada’s tech ecosystem36:00 — Women founders, capital gaps, and fundraising realities39:30 — Advice for new builders and lessons from global accelerators43:00 — The future of work, balance, and purpose-driven leadership46:15 — Outro: hope, community, and where to follow Laura ForteyLove the show? Help it grow! → Subscribe, Review, and Share 🍁 Follow Canada Now for bold ideas and real conversations shaping what’s next in Canada. 🇨🇦 → All Links (including socials)→ YouTube → Canada Now Newsletter (subscriber perks coming soon!) Meet the host, Ashley Smith! 🙋‍♀️→ Ashley's links (social, website, + more)