Building places ≠ placing buildings.

We’re a small team based in the Upper Valley of Vermont, focused on bringing much-needed housing and thoughtful development to village centers on both sides of the river. We take on projects that others often overlook—not because they’re attention-grabbing or easy, but because they matter.

We’re not chasing scale. We’re focused on the kind of work that actually moves the needle in small towns: turning vacant lots into homes, giving old buildings a second life, and helping Main Streets thrive. We’re in it for the long haul, and we build like it.

We keep things close to home—working with a trusted network of local partners and managing most of our projects through Réal Hazen Construction, our affiliated general contracting company. That means fewer surprises, tighter timelines, and more control over quality from start to finish.

Through small-scale housing and mixed-use projects, we aim to support local businesses, expand housing options, and help our communities grow in ways that reflect their character and needs.

Our Team

Jonah Richard /
Principal

LinkedIn

jonah@villageventuresdev.com

Jonah founded Village Ventures after returning to his hometown of Fairlee in 2020 with a vision to strengthen our Upper Valley village centers—making them even more walkable, livable, and vibrant. He leads both the development side at Village Ventures and construction operations at Réal Hazen Construction. He’s on-site often, knee-deep in permitting, framing schedules, or whatever needs doing that day.

Austin Meehan / Development Manager

LinkedIn

austin@villageventuresdev.com

Austin joined Village Ventures with a background in affordable housing development at Foothills Regional Housing in Colorado. He manages the day-to-day of our development projects—from pre-development through closeout—and plays a critical role in keeping projects on budget, well-designed, and community-aligned. He’s deeply involved in the weeds of each project and helps make sure our big ideas actually get built.