Andrew Knott, our newest Founder

Supporting World Housing stems from his belief that we are all responsible, in part, for the well-being of others.

Written by Sam White on April 28, 2020

“We are so excited to invite Andrew Knott as the newest member of the World Housing Founder Group. 

Andrew Knott is a venture capitalist with over 15 years of experience in land assembly and residential land development. His decision to join the World Housing ‘Founder Group’ stems from his core belief that we are all responsible, in part, for the well-being of others. Andrew, who recognizes the importance of equality, dignity, and respect for all people aligns deeply around World Housing’s core value that ‘everyone deserves a home’.  His background in land development along with an innovative approach to building communities will be instrumental in helping World Housing achieve its goal of housing 10,000 people by 2022.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

In early years Andrew was deeply influenced by one of his closest relatives, Russell ‘Doc’ Nicoll.  “Doc” was a long-time resident of BC, graduating from UBC in 1939 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. The historical albums are filled with the many accomplishments that shaped the world around Doc, including athletic, philanthropic and academic achievements. As an honorary citizen to Nova Scotia, honorary cowboy to Wyoming, honorary realtor to Rhode Island, honorary chemist to America, and a ‘Venerable Patriarch of Humanities from The Yahwah Yoga Center of Honolulu, you get a sense of the seeds of human qualities he sowed in his family. It was Doc’s altruistic heart that so greatly impacted people around him, and now this compassion for others continues on through Andrew.

Doc Nicoll Created the Waikiki Aekai Uniona (or WAU). The organization grew throughout North America and into over fifty countries with hundreds of members globally.  As Founder, he personally covered all costs of the organization, no money being accepted from the members.

 

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY

Andrew’s family have always been long-time local influencers in Vancouver, and communities in British Columbia and Alberta. The family-run Dueck-Nicoll Motors was located on Broadway and remains an iconic part of the Vancouver landscape. With his own personal and professional style, Andrew passionately continues shaping our local communities and now through World Housing will be part of our goal to shape global communities.

An entrepreneurial spirit sparked his successes, and throughout the years of business growth, Andrew has been committed to giving back to others. With his approach of ‘how can I help today’, Andrew has stepped up in a variety of ways in the last ten years as the benefactor for several university scholarships. Andrew also helped develop and continues to provide funding to ‘Project Chef’ a not-for-profit society that offers experiential programs to teach children and families about healthy cooking and eating.

WORLD HOUSING PARTNERSHIP ROOTED IN COMMON VALUES

When Andrew first met World Housing’s Co-Founders Sid Landolt and Pete Dupuis through business associates and a love of sports, there was an instant connection.  This quickly evolved through a common passion for creating a better world through the conscientious development of real estate. They share the belief that by shaping communities we can collectively transform lives for the better, and that the good fortune we receive should be shared with those that have not been as fortunate.

“We are excited to invite Andrew as the newest member of the World Housing Founder Group.  We share a great vision and look forward to growing this legacy with you as a World Housing stakeholder. Together we can change the world to be a better place.”   — Sid & Pete, Co-Founders World Housing

WHAT IS THE WORLD HOUSING FOUNDERS GROUP?

The Founders are a group of visionary individuals, families, and foundations who support the growth, innovation, and future of World Housing. Led by Sid Landolt & Pete Dupuis, these real estate aficionados provide guidance for World Housing’s mission through their unprecedented experience in global real estate development.

Sid Landolt & Pete Dupuis; Co-founders – S&P Real Estate & World Housing

Tony Allard; President, Hearthstone Investments

Rob Foord; President, Kal Tire

Hunter Milborne: CEO, Milborne Real Estate

Harry Wang; CEO, Creator Real Estate, Taipei

Jeff Stone;  CEO, Resort Group, Hawaii

Laura Rowse;  Former Director; Lululemon

Hal Divine; Divine Family Foundation

The ‘Founders Fund’ is the engine that allows social impact housing to expand globally through innovative, scalable, and sustainable ways. These funds are essential to providing the exponential impact needed to combat global homelessness. Founders Funds enable World Housing to operate and ensures that 100% of all public donations can be put toward providing homes for the world’s most vulnerable people.  Andrew Knott’s participation in the Founder’s Group will be instrumental in World Housing achieving the goal of housing 10,000 people by 2022.

We are so grateful to Andrew for his generous partnership with World Housing. Thank you for building this vision with us.  – Don McQuaid, Managing Director of World Housing

“Help someone today, and give of yourself to others without expectation of return” — Andrew Knott, World Housing Founder