Across Canada, churches, hospitals, and nonprofits sit on acres of underused land — property that could hold the key to our housing crisis. But turning that potential into real homes requires new tools, new thinking, and founders willing to blend tech, finance, and community purpose.
In this week’s episode, Ashley sits down with Laura Fortey, co-founder and COO of Reitium, to explore how technology can unlock this “sleeping land” — helping mission-driven organizations raise capital without giving up ownership.
It’s a story about reimagining how we build, finance, and share the benefits of development — and about the kind of leadership it takes to keep community at the centre of innovation.
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💬 What We Cover
How Reitium helps nonprofits fund affordable housing through donations, debt, and equity.
Why keeping ownership of land can change the economics of community development.
The realities of founder life — burnout, pivoting, and rediscovering purpose.
What accelerators really teach (and what they don’t).
The rise of fractional careers and why the next generation of builders is doing things differently.
Our heart and soul has always been democratizing real estate — whether it’s for investment, living, or building purposes.
🌱 The Human Side of Building
Beyond innovation and tactical business strategies, this episode dives into the real side of building — the pauses between pivots, the burnout behind big ideas, and the self-awareness that sustains founders through uncertainty. Laura reminds us that growth isn’t just about scaling teams or products — it’s about the internal reset that makes purpose possible.
It’s a timely nudge that the next era of entrepreneurship will be more human, grounded, and collaborative than ever before.
We’re better founders when we take care of ourselves first — when our mind is clear and our body is strong.
🧭 Why Tune In?
Canada’s housing problem isn’t just about supply — it’s about systems. When we empower local organizations to participate in development, we build housing with communities, not over them.
And when founders like Laura lead with authenticity and adaptability, it reminds us that innovation isn’t just code and capital — it’s collaboration.
▶ Full Episode!
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or, listen in browser HERE ↗
🍁 Final Thought
Innovation isn’t just about what we build — it’s about how we build it. When founders lead with purpose and communities keep a stake in the outcome, progress looks less like disruption and more like shared creation.
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🎥 Episode Chapters
(Jump straight to the parts you care about.)
⏰ Timestamps
00:00 — Intro: Democratizing real estate and the “sleeping land” opportunity
01:15 — Laura Fortey joins: A founder’s journey from burnout to purpose
03:30 — What is Reitium? Crowdfunding affordable housing through community ownership
05:45 — The church land model: keeping ownership while creating homes
08:20 — How donations, debt, and equity fuel nonprofit-led development
10:40 — Tokenization, regulation, and why timing the market matters
13:15 — Lessons in agility: pivoting while staying true to your mission
15:40 — Accelerators, mentorship, and learning from ecosystems abroad
18:20 — Why in-person connection still beats remote networking
21:30 — The rise of fractional and portfolio careers for founders
24:00 — Building sustainable companies without losing yourself
27:10 — Generational shifts: younger builders, new priorities
30:05 — Real-world optimism: the future of housing and impact in Canada
33:00 — Networking events and building Canada’s tech ecosystem
36:00 — Women founders, capital gaps, and fundraising realities
39:30 — Advice for new builders and lessons from global accelerators
43:00 — The future of work, balance, and purpose-driven leadership
46:15 — Outro: hope, community, and where to follow Laura Fortey
✏ Show Notes
Referenced Events, Accelerators, and Podcasts:
“Off Topic, On Purpose” — Laura’s Podcast
“From The Blockchain” — Podcast Episode with Laura and Ashley (Sept. 2023)
Y Combinator — Startup Accelerator
REACH Canada — Real Estate Technology / Proptech Accelerator
Web Summit Vancouver — Technology and Innovation Conference
👤 About The Guest
Laura Fortey is a three-time founder, mentor, podcast host, and community builder with two decades in Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through Reitium, she’s lived every side of the growth journey — from pitching investors and scaling teams to leading with purpose in fast-moving environments.
Her approach blends strategy and soul, creating honest, energizing spaces that help founders grow with clarity and confidence.
About Reitium | Find Laura on LinkedIn | Laura’s Podcast
Be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform so you don’t miss the episodes to come. And if you like what you hear, sharing the show with a friend goes a long way in helping us grow.
We’re writing the next chapter in Canada — and it starts now. 🍁
If you’re a fan of Canadian innovation and curated Canadian content, check out some of my other favourite newsletters on Beehiiv! 🐝👇
— Ashley Smith (@ashleysmithnow)