New Story (charity)

New Story

Company type	Non-profit organization
Industry	Construction technology, Housing
Founded	2014
Founder	Bret Hagler, Alexandria Lafci, Matthew Marshall, Mike Arrietta
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia and Mexico City , United States and Mexico
Area served	Haiti, Bolivia, Mexico, El Salvador
Key people	Bret Hagler (CEO)
Products	3D printed homes

New Story is a non-profit entity established in 2014 dedicated to providing housing for individuals living in inadequate conditions throughout Haiti, Bolivia, Mexico, and El Salvador. Collaborating with ICON, a construction technology firm based in Austin, New Story pioneered the creation of the world’s inaugural community composed of 3D printed homes located in Nacajuca, Mexico.

History

In 2013, Bret Hagler, co-founder and CEO, traveled to Haiti and observed families residing in fragile tents years after the 2010 earthquake. Identifying a critical demand for durable housing solutions, he sought out innovative nonprofits leveraging technology with full transparency to combat global homelessness. Finding none that met these criteria, he established New Story in 2014 alongside social entrepreneurs Alexandria Lafci, Matthew Marshall, and Mike Arrietta.

Within half a year, New Story raised funds to build 16 houses through donations. After being accepted into Y Combinator, a premier startup accelerator, the organization was tasked with constructing 100 homes within 100 days—a target they exceeded by completing 113 houses.

From there, New Story broadened its reach beyond Haiti to include El Salvador, Bolivia, and Mexico, ultimately developing 37 communities worldwide by early 2022.

Operations

New Story maintains offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and Mexico City, Mexico. It operates under a model prioritizing transparency by channeling 100% of donor funds directly to beneficiaries, while operational expenses are covered by a private donor collective known as the Builders.

The organization has established collaborations with prominent companies such as Architectural Digest, Goldman SachseXp Realty, Glassdoor, Sotheby's International Realty, Data Blue, Redin, TikTok, and G2 Crowd.

3D Printing

Utilizing the Vulcan II—a concrete-extruding 3D printer developed in partnership with ICON—New Story constructs single-level homes measuring approximately 650 square feet. Each residence is completed within a 24-hour timeframe at a cost of $4,000, drastically lowering traditional building expenses. This 3D printing technique offers design adaptability and streamlines construction by removing the need for drywall, insulation, and wooden framing.

The first home printed using the Vulcan I in Austin, Texas required roughly 48 hours to complete and cost $10,000.

Reception

In 2016, founders Brett Hagler, Matthew Marshall, and Alexandria Lafci were honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. The groundbreaking 3D-printed community in Nacajuca attracted over one billion media impressions with coverage from major outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, and CNN. Additionally, Apple TV+ produced a documentary highlighting the initiative. By 2022, Fast Company had recognized New Story four times as one of the World’s Most Innovative nonprofits.

In 2018, nonprofit evaluator Guidestar awarded New Story its silver seal for exceptional transparency with donors.

Atif Rafiq from MGM Resorts International commended New Story’s approach to donor engagement in a 2015 article, emphasizing exclusive video updates that connect contributors directly with the families they assist and illustrate measurable outcomes.