Karim Rizkallah and Valery Navarrete on Founding Community

“I think that going in with something imperfect and running with it is what made the following five years possible, and the following five years had so many great things.” — Karim Rizkallah

Like most founders, Valery and Karim didn’t know what they didn’t know. In the last episode of Season 2 of Life Without Us, they celebrate the five year anniversary of kickstarting the Clarens Commons community through a look back on their experience as founders.  

In this episode:

* Valery and Karim’s reflections on what they’re grateful for, most proud of, and how they failed, as founders

* The perfect timing of their connection as co-founders . . . at a moment when both had a high degree of of readiness to hit 'go' on founding a community

* The accelerated timelines they had to navigate because of their choice to offer on a home first, and find additional co-founders later

* The optimism that left them less prepared than they wish they had of been for community member 'exits' (and new 'entries') 

* The call for ownership models that keep the 'financialization of housing' and 'living in community' further apart

* Valery’s regret around not having a vision statement, and a shared regret around wishing there had been more time for celebration 

* The everyday, week, and month recurring events (from house dinners to movie nights to home improvement days) that stand out as highlights because of their regularity

* Resource recommendations and a Karim and Valery.

Find Karim Rizkallah and Clarens Commons in the Media: 

The Toronto Star

CBC Tapestry

VICE

CBC Now or Never

Supernuclear Case Study 

Find Other Episode References:

The Radish FriendLLC Model Explained

The Heart of Intimacy, The Root of Conflict

Finding Co-Founders and Creating Cooperative Culture with Yana Ludwig 

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