Model Renovations - Calgary

Mission

To make renovations exciting instead of terrifying.

Everyone has heard horror stories of the “renovations-gone-wrong.” It’s our goal to remove that fear from the process and replace it with the excitement of transforming your home into something new and beautiful.

Vision

To modernize the renovation industry, and allow homeowners to quickly and affordably transform their most valuable asset – their home.

To do this, we are building the world’s first end-to-end platform that will allow users to purchase and plan their home renovations online. We’re starting with bathrooms.

Transparency is one of the most important factors to our success. It’s part of everything we do. From the way we communicate to the software we build, we understand that transparency is critical to transforming this industry.

How we started

Nikolai and Brad, founded Model Reno back in 2018 after about 5 years of learning how to code and operating a renovation business. Contracting is a difficult job, and they found that there was no real innovation in the space to make it easier.

Out of the 100’s of different apps in the app store, none of them work together to solve the full renovation process. That’s why Model Reno was born.

The team

The Model Reno team is made up of engineers, designers, business developers, third-party contractors, and passionate evangelists. Every person on the team is dedicated to the mission of improving transparency, and modernizing the renovation industry.

Brad Doering

Brad is a Co-founder and the CEO of Model Reno.

He’s been an entrepreneur since he was 8 years old – finding any opportunity to add some value where he could.

One summer, a neighbour asked if he would be willing to build a deck. Of course he agreed, and immediately became obsessed with how broken the renovation industry is. He built a small renovation business in Ontario until he realized that fixing the industry would require more thoughtful action. Together with Nikolai, Brad has worked since 2018 to improve renovations for everyone.

Prior to starting Model Reno, he studied Commerce at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He’s also worked some challenging and demanding jobs from oil well technician to butcher.

Brad loves eating good food, learning new things, and surfing.

Nikolai Stakheiko

Nikolai is a Co-founder and the CTO of Model Reno.

He was born near Belarus/Ukraine border and immigrated to Canada when he was 6 years old. From a young age, his parents have instilled in him a strong work ethic.

He’s a fun loving, and eccentric leader with an obsession for continuous improvement. Nik spends his “free” time coding, working out, reading, and thinking up new ways to make himself and others better.

Nik has a background in electrical engineering from Queen’s University, where he helped build an off-grid solar home for the Queen’s Solar Design Team. With an understanding of the impact that software could make, he has made several applications – teaching himself to code using Youtube, Stack Overflow, and good old-fashioned trial and error.

Nik loves discovering new places, hanging out with friends, and pushing his limits.

Kimia Abdo

Kimia is a multi-faceted and ambitious go-getter who always finds a way to get the job done. She joined Model Reno in 2021 as the Lead Interior Designer, and quickly proved her value to the company.

Now, she leads the Operations Team while managing customer design.

Prior to joining Model Reno, Kimia studied architectural engineering and graphic branding and identity in London and accumulated more than 10 years of experience in both the commercial and residential industries as an interior designer. Her experience allows her to express her passion for creating unique and functional spaces.

Kimia speaks 3 languages – English, Spanish and Farsi. She loves trying new things, travelling, and planning surprises.

Justin Taylor

Justin is an empathetic and versatile people-person, which is why he thrives in a sales and management position.

He’s worked at a few startups in the past, and decided to quit his other endeavours and move across the country on his birthday to pursue the mission of modernizing the renovation industry. He’s never looked back.

Prior to joining Model Reno, Justin studied business at UBC and developed a career as a real-estate appraiser. After years of learning about what makes a house valuable, it was easy for him to pick up renovation estimating and make his mark by helping to scale Model Reno to new heights.

Justin loves people, brainstorming new ideas, and playing hockey.