Who Are We?
Who Are We?

Our mission is to solve the long standing problem of egregiously substandard housing in Native American communities. We work closely with respected Native leaders, leveraging our novel building technology to deliver extremely energy efficient, long lasting, eminently livable homes for individual families at a price point low enough to credibly address the scale of the need.
Our work is guided by 3 core principles:
Radical Innovation
Solving big problems requires big ideas. When challenged, we collaborate and innovate to create viable solutions to problems unique to communities we serve.
Radical Sustainability
Charity at its best means no need for future charity — we will always strive to work ourselves out of a job, and our participation in any community should leave no need for our help in the future.
Radical Transformation
We appreciate that lasting transformation must come from the heart of the community -- its members. We believe the best way to ensure positive change is to listen to the heartbeat of the community to understand its needs.
What Makes
100% Spent on Projects
We take every bit of every dollar you donate and use it to provide housing in marginalized communities.
100% Local Benefit
Our projects involve training and utilizing local labor, which creates local revenue and provides a unique skillset.
100% Regenerative
Our goal is to ensure our homes are powered by clean, renewable energy and are built to be the most efficient homes on the market.
100% Community Owned
We leverage foundational and government grants and contributions from people like you to ensure even the most needy families' needs are met.
100% Revolutionary
The Lakota Oyate will be the first communities in the world trained in this novel building technique, and we will use this opportunity to provide economic benefit and relief and support the creation of Lakota-owned businesses.
Our Team
Our Team

Christopher P. (Crispy) Ellis
Founding Partner and Director of Installations and Education
Crispy is a journeyman electrician, NABCEP certified solar installer, former professor of renewable energy, chief judge in the United States for freestyle skiing, and has experience as general manager of solar installations up-to-and-including MegaWatt scale systems. He's passionate about creating opportunities to train students of all ages on the ins-and-outs of solar installations, and using that medium to make STEM education exciting and fun.

Aaron Resnick
Co-founder & Executive Director
Aaron graduated Cum Laude from Amherst College with degrees in both Bio-Chemistry/Bio-Physics and Planetary Science and comes from a background of community service as a paramedic. He is a published co-author in the journal Nature, and has worked with NASA and SwRI in support of the New Horizons mission. He is an experienced blacksmith and carpenter. He's passionate about egalitarianism and unleashing the tools of the 21st century to solve some of our most pressing problems, and to do it in a way that connects people, builds communities, and empowers us all to live the change we seek.

Jason Mackie
Co-founder & President
Jason graduated Cum Laude from Amherst College with degrees in both Environmental Studies and Geology. He has worked with NASA and SwRI in support of the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the Lucy mission set to explore Jupiter's trojan asteroids, as well as in support of the Mars Curiosity mission, and has more than a decade of experience in the construction industry. Passionate about planetary science, sustainable development, social justice, economics, and all things living, he strives to find innovative solutions to some of our world’s most pressing systemic problems.
Our Partners
The Future is InOurHands