Changing the lives of his fellow community members is all in a day’s work for Jonathan Asmis. Whether in the business world or serving in his local government, he has a passion for helping those around him thrive. “Jonathan sees the big picture and lives in the details,” says Alex Lofton, MBA ’15. In addition to earning his MBA and working in management consulting, Jonathan has always found time to support his community, working on local and urban policy in his spare time. He even founded Friends of the Pan Am Path to create a multi-use path that connects Toronto’s trails and creates an active-living legacy for the 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games in Toronto.
In 2015, he was finally able to combine his business skills and his passion for local communities. With a mission to “uphold those who uphold us,” Jonathan, Alex, and Jesse Vaughan co-founded Landed, making it possible for essential community workers to purchase a home and put down roots in the very communities they are serving. Landed started by targeting expensive housing markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California, where potential homebuyers struggled with home prices and down payments that exceeded what they could afford, given their salaries. Fast forward to today, Landed has expanded its reach by helping organizations develop programs that increase access to homeownership.
As a homebuying partner, Landed has collaborated with employers, governments, and investors to equip educators, healthcare workers, and public sector employees with the tools and financial support they needed to purchase $1B worth of residential real estate. “Jonathan is the brains, drive, and workhorse behind real-world outcomes for real people,” says Alex. “He’s unafraid of the thorniest things and able to show up as a steady hand when the people around him need it the most.” Through his dedication to serving others, Jonathan is changing lives both in his local community and in countless communities around the country.
