New Story: Being Different and Daring with Brett Hagler

Visionaries

Join Whiteboard founder Eric Brown in conversation with Brett Hagler, CEO and co-founder of New Story, for an inspiring deep dive into visionary leadership, social entrepreneurship, and pioneering solutions to the global housing crisis. In this episode, Brett shares his remarkable journey from a 23-year-old college graduate on his first mission trip to Haiti, to building one of the world's most innovative housing nonprofits that's revolutionizing how we think about affordable housing through technology, land ownership, and market-based solutions.

Meet Brett

Brett Hagler is the CEO and co-founder of New Story, a nonprofit dedicated to pioneering solutions to the global housing crisis. Under his leadership, New Story has built thousands of homes across Haiti, El Salvador, Mexico, and Guatemala, and created the world's first 3D printed neighborhood. A Y Combinator alum and recognized thought leader in social innovation, Brett is passionate about creating market-based solutions that serve underserved families while building sustainable, scalable models for lasting impact.

Key Highlights

The Origin Story (00:00-05:11)

• How a life-changing trip to Haiti sparked the vision for New Story
• The intersection of faith, entrepreneurship, and social impact
• Early lessons from a failed e-commerce startup that led to breakthrough insights

Y Combinator & Early Growth (05:11-10:28)

• Becoming one of the first nonprofits accepted into Y Combinator (Summer 2015)
• The "100 houses in 100 days" campaign that outpaced the Red Cross
• Building transparency and trust in international charitable giving

Innovation in Action (10:28-16:54)

• Creating the world's first 3D printed neighborhood in partnership with Icon
• Taking calculated risks with R&D funding for breakthrough technology
• Lessons learned about the true complexity of the housing puzzle

The Evolution to Market-Based Solutions (16:54-22:09)

• Shifting from charitable beneficiaries to customers
• The importance of land ownership and building credit profiles
• Creating sustainable, scalable solutions that attract other market players

Advice for Emerging Entrepreneurs (22:09-26:53)

• "Dream big, but start small" - beginning with just one $6,000 house
• Why courage is in shorter supply than genius
• The power of being different and attracting the right resources

Key Takeaways

1. Start Small, Dream Big: Every massive vision begins with a single, achievable step
2. Challenge the Status Quo: Innovation happens when you question why things aren't working
3. Customers vs. Beneficiaries: Market-based solutions create more sustainable impact than charity alone
4. Courage Over Genius: Taking calculated risks attracts opportunities that wouldn't otherwise exist
5. Systems Thinking: True impact requires understanding all pieces of complex problems

Resources Mentioned

• New Story - Learn more about their housing innovation work
• Icon - 3D printing construction technology partner
• Y Combinator - Startup accelerator program
• Charity: Water - Clean water nonprofit
• Mission of Hope Haiti - International development organization

Connect with Brett Hagler

• LinkedIn
• Twitter