Our Benefactors
World Housing’s Benefactors not only provide the social impact investment required to support our operations financially, but inspire us and advise us through a broad range of global perspectives and an incredible depth of experience. Some have been with us since the inception of World Housing, others have more recently become involved. All are critical to our ability to transform the lives of families around the world.
Their generous funding and ongoing support allow us to commit 100% of public donations to fund and build homes for families living without safe shelter.
Why We're Here
World Housing believes that homes are the key turning point where the momentum of community begins to have effects that radiate beyond individuals and into entire families, villages, cities, and countries. Our vision includes the work we do building communities in developing countries, with an expanded commitment to also fund safe and sustainable housing projects in our own communities here in North America.
Together with our community of donors and our building partners, World Housing provides housing to the world's most vulnerable people and allows families to thrive. Children who grow up in safe, stable homes have greater freedom to pursue education, and raise the standard of living for themselves, their families, and future generations to come.
World Housing homes cause a ripple effect. And those ripples change lives.
Board of Directors
World Housing’s Board of Directors are actively involved in the ongoing development of our strategies and provide an incredible level of global experience to help guide our scope and direction.
Richard Bell
Chair of Board
Richard Bell has practiced real estate and estate planning law for over 25 years. He is the founder of Bell Alliance LLP based in Vancouver, BC and co-founder of Avesdo, in Toronto, Ontario.
Richard's passions include technology, helping others, his family and his dogs. In addition to World Housing, he supports a number of local charities and currently sits on the Board of the Small Housing B.C. and was past Chair of the Arts Club Theatre Company.
In December 2015, Richard joined World Housing as an Ambassador and since has been instrumental in growing our donor family through his deep connections within the business community. As a Founder and member of the Board, Richard continues to be an inspiring leader of social change for World Housing.
Pete Dupuis
Vice Chair of Board
World Housing Co-Founder Peter Dupuis leads the World Housing Board of Directors, and oversees all aspects of strategic development for the organization he created in 2013. Pete is passionately committed to growing World Housing's social impact by developing a sustainable philanthropic model that becomes an important legacy of change in the world. Pete's incredible energy attracts a powerful network to World Housing, and his leadership style inspires all who are involved.
Tina Tory
Treasurer
With backgrounds in social work and accounting and finance, Tina brings a well-balanced set of skills and passion to World Housing. She heartily shares the Mission and Vision of the Organization, believing strongly that everybody deserves a home, community and access to resources in order to thrive and looks very forward to being a part of the team! As a CPA, CGA with her own firm Merge CPA, Tina brings her financial expertise to the mission of World Housing. “Serving alongside world-class game changers, I play the role of Board Treasurer in an organization that intends to radically impact homelessness in developing nations.”
Ravi Mann
As a second-generation developer, Ravi Mann has spent a lifetime surrounded by real estate. Since graduating from UBC’s Sauder School of Business with a specialization in Finance, Ravi tailored his career path as an investment professional to complement his real estate background and inherent passion for the built environment. Today, Ravi is President and Co-Founder of Propetual Capital Partners—an innovative real estate private equity firm that invests in, and actively manages, institutional-quality real estate development projects on behalf of individual investors.
In seeking out meaningful impact investments to authentically complement Propetual’s ESG strategy, Ravi connected with World Housing Founder, Pete Dupuis, to systematically contribute to various World Housing initiatives across the developing world. In recognition of Ravi and Pete’s direct alignment of personal and professional values, Pete invited Ravi to serve on World Housing’s Board of Directors. Ravi remains honoured and grateful for this opportunity to extend his contribution to World Housing beyond Propetual’s financial commitments.
Ravi also serves as Director of Finance and Investment for Isle of Mann Property Group and is a Board Member of NAIOP’s Developing Leaders Committee.
Peter Lenkov
Peter Lenkov is a television and film writer, producer, and comic book author. He is best known as the showrunner of the reboot series Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver and Magnum PI. In 2005, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the hit TV series 24. In 2011, Hawaii Five-0 was awarded Best New Drama at the People's Choice Awards. As a Los Angeles resident, Peter has worked in his community to assist the unhoused and is now ready to do it on a global scale. Even closer to home, Peter has helped his two teenage sons launch their own charities -- WYATT’S GARAGE supporting Pediatric Cancer Patients and HEARTS & HANGERS for Disaster Relief.
Camila Soares
With 14 years of experience in impact driven business, entrepreneurship and building start-ups from the ground up, Camila is the founder and CEO of IMPACTO a social impact network that promotes connection between people who wish to offer knowledge, time, resources and skills to impact projects in order to strengthen and boost them, promoting a social match. .
Expert in connecting companies and the humanitarian world, Camila has deployed tailor made solutions, products and services using ground research, design thinking and user centered design to refugee empowerment programs in the Middle East, Africa and Brazil to agencies such as: UNICEF, UNHCR, USAID, NRC and Save the children.
Filmmaker by heart with a Marketing, Humanitarian and Social Entrepreneurship background, Camila joins World Housing to help expand the mission to provide homes to the world’s poorest families.
Stefan Dupuis
As the son of Co-Founder Pete Dupuis, Stefan Dupuis has been involved with World Housing since it’s inception and shares Pete’s passion for social entrepreneurship, innovation and creating change. Stefan holds a Masters of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, and in 2012 funded a home in the very first World Housing community as part of an entrepreneurship project. He has worked with World Housing over the last 10 years assisting in business development, partnerships and in an advisory role. In 2022 he officially joins the Board of Directors where he aims to contribute further to the growth of the organization with a focus on fundraising and creating sustainable strategic partnership models. As Vice President of S&P Real Estate, Stefan understands the power of the real estate industry and believes that unleashing its philanthropic impact potential can help solve the issues of homelessness around the world.
Jim Dodd
Jim Dodd has been with the Zehr Group since June of 2020 and is currently the President and COO. Jim has over 30 years in the planning, land acquisition and development industries. Jim’s experience in the development industry includes 16 years with Reid Heritage Homes and several years in the real estate department with McDonald’s of Canada. Jim is widely known in the industry for his ability to recognize, negotiate and secure exceptional properties for future development. Jim leads a dynamic team who play an integral role in the overall execution and success of all projects he is associated with. Jim drives Zehr Group’s strategies with a particular emphasis on sustained growth, constant innovation and the full integration of the company’s values into every aspect of its work. He continues to search out strategic land and business acquisition opportunities and fosters partner relations that will enable Zehr Group to fulfil its mission to acquire, develop and build outstanding communities, wherever it does business.
Jim’s understanding and passion for building community now goes above and beyond his role at Zehr Group. He knows that current housing issues stem in large part from a lack of supply not only in North America but around the world. Joining the Board of Directors for World Housing in 2024, Jim brings his wealth of knowledge and incredible energy to help solve this great need. Jim believes it is our combined responsibility as stewards of real estate to do what we can to innovate and develop sustainable solutions along the entire housing continuum. Jim’s personal and professional values align with World Housing’s vision that everyone deserves to live in a safe place they can call home.
"By providing homes to people who live without adequate shelter around the world, we have the opportunity to give back to our global communities and solve the fundamental issues of housing. Whether that means in the slums of Cambodia or to find a home for residents of encampments in Kitchener, Ontario, when good people come together we can make a difference.” — Jim Dodd
ABOUT ZEHR GROUP OF COMPANIES
Zehr Group , based in Waterloo Region, is a vertically integrated real estate investment, development and management firm that has redeveloped numerous properties in its core market of Waterloo Region since 1978. In doing so, Zehr Group has helped to reshape Kitchener-Waterloo’s downtown core and innovation district. Specializing in creating and managing contemporary spaces that respect the history of the property and its surroundings, Zehr has won numerous awards including GVCA’s Building Excellence “Game Changer” Award. The company also does business elsewhere in Canada, while Zehr USA develops projects south of the border.
World Housing Team
World Housing is a hybrid organization of full and part-time workers and volunteers. Every member of our team is socially focused, and driven to make a positive social change in the world believing that everyone deserves a home.
Don McQuaid – He/Him
Don is a serial entrepreneur who brings decades of experience in developing successful business relationships through his creation of several start-ups, including event production, digital broadcasting, and social media companies.
After working with World Housing at its inception helping to launch its social and digital media profile, Don visited Cambodia for a 'home gifting' and met Scott Neeson of the Cambodian Children's Fund in 2013. This inspired Don to join World Housing to work alongside lifetime friend Pete Dupuis as the Managing Director. Don is passionate about building a sustainable social-business model for World Housing.
Sam White – She/Her
Sam joined World Housing in 2017, and brings her passion and a strong belief that a group of dedicated individuals can change the world. Sam leads operations and partnerships, working with our NGO building partners, and with her team to develop co-operative philanthropic programs with businesses and individuals who become World Housing Ambassadors. Her love of travel has exposed her to the despair of poverty, and she truly believes that a home is at the root of transformation for families and communities.
Merge CPA
Finance – Tina Tory & Melissa Warkentin
Merge CPA's vision is enhancing client business by providing professional, efficient and effective assurance, taxation, consulting and book-keeping services in a simple, straight-forward and easily understood manner. As part of the World Housing team, they contribute their expertise to ensuring all our accounting and financial commitments to our donors and building partners are strictly adhered to complying with CRA and IRS standards for a registered charity.
Tina Tory, founder of Merge CPA understands World Housing's needs and is an important part of our team of professionals who share their values and vision. Tina values community involvement on both local and international levels. In the past she has served as Treasurer on various not-for-profit boards. Currently she is actively involved in volunteering with the CPABC Financial Literacy program, leading seminars and learning activities to organizations across BC.
Melissa Warkentin, came to us over a year ago with 5 years of public practice experience. She has a passion for details and meticulously handles our day to day finances. Melissa graduated from the BBA program at the University of the Fraser Valley in 2015 with a major in accounting.
Jessie Keillor – She/Her
Operations & Administration
Jessie Joined World Housing in 2022 and is our newest team member working as our operations assistant. Through Jessie’s extensive travels around the globe she has developed a huge passion for social justice with the desire to foster community growth by listening to, and amplifying the voices of the people that world housing serves. Jessie’s formal background is in marketing, operations and systemization of businesses making this current role a combination of everything she loves.
Summer White – She/Her
Social Media
Summer joined World Housing in 2022 as a university intern taking on the role of Social Media Manager. She is currently studying at McGill University with a major in Political Science and minors in Communication and Psychology. Summer’s interest in social/human rights activism and international development solutions, along with her passion to experience new cultures inspires her involvement with World Housing. She looks to expand her education and experience and learn more about global philanthropic impact as part of the team.
Elizabeth Williams – She/Her
Communications and Public Relations
Elizabeth joined World Housing in 2024 and has worked in the communications and public relations industry for over 20 years. Her previous experience with luxury automotive manufacturers Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Mercedes-Benz has helped her develop widespread connections with the media and journalists across the globe. She loves to travel and feels this glimpse of the world has helped her to appreciate how a home can offer the safety and security each person deserves. Elizabeth loves the Pacific Northwest and currently calls Portland, Oregon home.
Dave Hamilton – He/Him
Creative Director
Dave Hamilton has been with World Housing from the beginning in Cambodia 10 years ago. There, he documented the brutal living conditions of the Stung Meanchey landfill in Phnom Penh. Ground was broken, and the beginning of World Housing was born.
Founder Pete Depius found Dave by noticing his style of photography through a local company in Vancouver. Pete cold called Dave as he was walking to the gym on a cold Autumn morning. Dave and Pete became fast friends, and he was asked by Pete to head the visual storytelling for World Housing. Dave jumped at that opportunity and in the first couple of years used his visual storytelling to bring light to the needs and eventually the charge to the people of Cambodia and the Philippines. Seeing what these homes could do for the families changed him. A simple door that locks and space to cook seems so simple to us, but for these people, it is the difference to help in the journey to change their lives and the lives of their children.
Dave now calls Halifax, Nova Scotia home, where he runs HAMILTON EAST, a winning Content creation Agency. Providing content for clients from Car companies, National unions, developers, and some of Canada's best musicians. Recently, Dave was approached by World Housing to come back on board as the Creative Director for World Housing. He will document the 10th anniversary of World Housing in October, completing a full circle for him and the World Housing team. Dave will be bringing his storytelling narrative through photography and video to spread the word and work of World Housing and all its ambassadors to the rest of the world. We are excited to have him back on the team and excited for what the future holds.
His first project involves flying to Zambia in May 2024 to tell the story of the Tilling House, a school where 30 girls have the opportunity to learn, grow, and become the best versions of themselves. Stay tuned for all this and more. You can follow Dave on Instagram at HamiltonEastinc. As founder Pete Depuis would say, "looking forward".
World Housing Co-Founders
In the early years of our development, two individuals invented and invested in World Housing. Thanks to their generosity and belief in the mission World Housing launched as a global organization combatting homelessness around the world.
World Housing co-founder Peter Dupuis had already earned a worldwide reputation as a real estate entrepreneur and marketer when a chance meeting in 2009 with TOMS Shoes’ founder Blake Mycoskie took his life in a radically different direction. Inspired by Blake’s example and business model,
Peter spent three years in a graduate program studying social entrepreneurship, modern philanthropy, slum housing and landfill communities. His work culminated in a successfully defended Masters thesis: “World Housing: A Blueprint for Creating Third World Bottom of the Pyramid Housing Supply Through a First World One-for-One Real Estate Gifting Model.” In 2013, Peter and his business partner of 32 years, Sid Landolt, co-founded World Housing.
Pete continues to inspire and lead the World Housing Vision: A Home for Everyone.
About Sid Landolt, President, New Generation Properties
Since joining the real estate industry at 19 years old, Sid has been actively leading real estate brokerage companies for over forty years. In 2013, in partnership with Pete Dupuis in S&P Real Estate, Sid was instrumental in launching World Housing, investing both his time and providing financial support.
Recently Sid started a new chapter in his career with the launch of New Generation Properties Inc., a new kind of company in the real estate development industry, bringing co-investment capital and market expertise to form unique real estate partnerships.
Sid continues to be passionate about using his extensive knowledge and experience in the real estate industry to teach and mentor and create donor opportunities for World Housing.
Photo: House Party 2020 - Pete Dupuis (left); Sid Landolt (right)
In 2013 when World Housing began, these were the original World Housing social impact investors who came on board to support the genesis of our work. At that time, their contributions were instrumental in launching our vision and we are forever thankful for their belief in World Housing.
Jeffrey Stone
CEO, The Resort Group
Rob Ford
President, Kal Tire
Harry Wang
Philanthropist
Hal Divine
Entrepreneur, whose mentorship has played a guiding role in World Housing since the very inception of the idea. To honour Hal, Founder Pete Dupuis dedicated his Master’s thesis, where the idea for World Housing was born and cultivated, in his honour.
Tony Allard
President, Hearthstone and Sentient Investments
Hunter Milborne
CEO, Milborne Real Estate
Laura Rowse
President, Cheeky’s Cannabis