About Us
Our philosophy
EcoVillages creates amazing communities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean region for our wonderful home owners to enjoy.
In today’s divisive world, we create non-divisive, freedom and sustainability oriented communities that use EcoSensible (not EcoFanatic) methods to save you money and provide you with a high degree of self sustainability while you live among like-minded people.
With amenities such as community orchards and gardens and lifestyle farms for local food production and processing, clean and natural in-community water sources and alternative energy generation for our homes, we provide you with a great place to live, to invest or to have a “Plan B” landing pad if where you are at now becomes intolerable.
EcoVillages has also created the F.I.R.S.T. Certification for not only our own communities but for other communities to apply for, confirming they will be a community that adheres to values that are important to you.
EcoVillages FIRST Certified Communities
F - Freedom
I - Independence
R - Resilience
S - Self Sustainability/Sufficiency
T - Transparency
EcoVillages FIRST Certified communities are communities that follow all of the following aspects of FIRST to maximize the homeowners personal freedoms.
Freedom
One of the most important factors of FIRST communities is personal freedom. With all aspects of the FIRST certification ultimately working towards the goal of making these communities maximize the personal freedoms of it’s residents. At EcoVillages we believe in a live and let live approach. If what you do in your free time doesn’t harm others, then you should be free to do it without interference or overreach.
Independence
Our communities are designed to give the option of independence, but allow for the individual to be a part of the sustainability of the community if they so please. With homes that support a low cost of living and limit reliance on the outside world, and a community that supports self sufficiency if you so choose to be a part of it.
Resilience
From homes that are physically resilient to a community that is ready to take on the trials of tomorrow, EcoVillages makes sure to design with longevity in mind.
Sustainability
EcoVillages Prides itself in designing eco-sensible homes and communities. We believe that to make a home truly sustainable, features cannot just be “feel good” but must be practical in the long term as well. From grey water recycling and natural water sources on-site, to practical alternative energy sources such as solar, EcoVillages communities are designed to not only be better for the planet, but better for your wallet as well.
Transparency
It is important to us to provide a clear picture of what you are getting when you choose EcoVillages. We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Not only are we transparent when providing you with the best option for your unique situation, but we believe in the homeowners being in control of the HOA and even using a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) to provide complete transparency and fairness to operate the HOA.
Our Team
Patrick Hiebert -
Founder - CEO
Patrick Hiebert is the CEO and a Co-Founder of EcoVillages, a Freedom and Sustainability oriented community development company.
Patrick is a Canadian who has been designing eco-sensible and sustainability oriented communities for several decades. After founding several high tech software companies and selling them, Patrick and his son Spencer, lived on a boat and sailed the ocean. It was here that they honed their craft of self sustainability oriented living, generating their own power and fresh water, and focusing on a life of freedom away from reliance on big government and big corporation control.
Taking what he learned from living on the ocean, and wanting to live in a warmer climate and in a culture with more family centric values, Patrick moved from Canada to Central America and created the first off-grid luxury communities in Nicaragua.
Patrick has chosen to focus his varied skillset on EcoVillages communities. He created the F.I.R.S.T. (Freedom, Independence, Resilience, Sustainability and Transparency) standard for community development and is applying this philosophy to all the up and coming Veritas Village communities.
Through Mr. Hiebert’s guidance, EcoVillages has become the leader in this extremely popular type of forward thinking community development with EcoVillages designed communities in Panamá, Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and growing into Mexico, Costs Rica, Ecuador, Argentina and beyond.
Patrick is passionate about giving back to the local communities that surround the Veritas Villages. He created the Help Them Help Themselves foundation over a decade ago to make a difference by giving people a hand up, not a hand out. Since then HTHT has built schools, a clinic, homes for local less fortunate communities and has led many medical and dental brigades bringing health care and dental care to thousands of people in developing countries. Mr. Hiebert, through Help Them Help Themselves, is also an avid supporter of saving the lives of threatened giant sea turtles and has created several turtle sanctuaries. As of this year Help Them Help Themselves turtle sanctuaries have saved over 15,000 baby giant sea turtles and allowed the population of these amazing endangered species to begin to rebuild.
Always breaking new ground in the community design and Agroforestry areas, Patrick uses his deep understanding of technology to not only design highly efficient homes and communities but also to envision new ways of using technology, such as using blockchain technology (NFTs) for property ownership and has made EcoVillages one of the very few community development companies that accept cryptocurrencies.
Spencer Hiebert -
Founder - CDO
Spencer Hiebert is a Co-Founder and the Chief Design Officer (CDO) of EcoVillages, a freedom and sustainable community development company.
After growing up sailing and living on boats with his father Patrick, Spencer developed a passion for sailing, and the sustainable lifestyles that come with it. Spencer would go on to later living on his own sailboat while working in the Marine Industry in Canada, and between that and assisting his father on his off grid projects in Nicaragua, Spencer gained immense hands on experience working with alternative energy systems and self sustainability concepts. The combination of this experience and actually living the lifestyle created a very effective knowledge base for what was to come.
In 2019 when COVID hit, Spencer found himself in Belize while the initial lockdowns were happening. The lockdowns were really the catalyst for Spencer to begin to design communities of off-grid freedom oriented living and self sustainability oriented homes.
The team was put together and work started on designing the communities that would eventually be known as the Veritas Villages.
Since that time, Spencer and the EcoVillages team have designed many communities with homes that support a large variety of lifestyles. From true off-grid tiny homes, to full sized luxury homes and condos that still put an emphasis on self sustainability oriented living.
Erik Vik -
COO
Mr. Vik is a professional engineer registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, Canada. With over 24 years of experience in engineering, procurement, construction, oil and gas exploration, economic evaluation, and acquisitions/divestitures.
Just as importantly, Erik shares the freedom and self reliance oriented philosophy of EcoVillages and is excited to be part of creating communities that hold these values.
As VP of Engineering for Tamboran Resources Ltd., a private Australian gas explorer and developer, he assisted in the public listing process, assembled and supervised international technical, environmental, regulatory and security teams in Northern Ireland and Australia. He provided oversight for the HSE system, AFE’s, tenders, awards, regulatory & environmental applications, contracting, procurement, and drilling/completions programs. Additionally, he created and maintained development plans, investor presentations and budgets for the corporation.
With all this experience and knowledge, Erik is the perfect person to lead the Operations of EcoVillages and ensure our attention to detail that is required to provide luxury homes and communities for our residents.
Erik is pleased to be a part of the team where there is an emphasis on continual improvement and an objective of being the best at what we do for ourselves and customers.
Don Morrison -
CFO
As CFO, Mr. Morrison brings nearly 40 years of business experience and financial acumen to the company. Together with his expertise in finance, Don lives EcoVillages’ philosophy of freedom and sustainability every day as a resident of one of our newest up and coming communities.
Don is a Canadian who has founded, successfully grown and sold companies in the hospitality space and been very active in public offerings and all the detailed financial reporting that goes along with being a public company.
EcoVillages is lucky to have Don at the helm of the financial department of the company with his rare mix of loving the numbers but also having avid interest in food forests and self sustainability.
Andrea Martinez -
Property Expert
Ms. Martinez is committed to helping people. With that goal she committed 11 years of her life of post-secondary education to become a Pediatrician and went on to further studies to obtain her master’s degree in Clinical Operations Management. With the experience of working for years in a private practice, in a health center and in a children’s hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Andrea has improved the lives of thousands of the most vulnerable people in society, the children.
After a devastating earthquake in 2016, which hit the west coast of Ecuador, Andrea went on a medical mission to one of the most affected areas and became part of an online group to find foundations who might be able to provide medical supplies abroad. Her searched discovered the “Help Them Help Themselves” foundation based in Nicaragua. This foundation was working at the time with the neediest communities in areas around EcoVillages’ communities. Soon Andrea was involved with joint efforts between the foundation and the community, running medical and dental missions, as well as building schools, providing school supplies, and helping build homes for those most in need.
After spending time in Nicaragua, Belize and other Central American countries, Andrea fell in love with the countries and their people. Inspired by the kindness and great attitude of the volunteers and patients who were part of the missions, as well as those who lived and worked in EcoVillages’ designed communities, Andrea moved to Nicaragua and became the Medical Director of the foundation.
The transition to working with EcoVillages as a property specialist may seem unusual, but Andrea says “Meeting so many amazing people through the foundation naturally led to me talking with them about what I love about the communities we are part of. I have always been extremely passionate about being a doctor, but now I have two passions! Both are helping people. Helping people find exactly what they are looking for in a new country makes them have a better quality of life and I find that extremely rewarding!”
Sara Martinez -
Property Expert
Sarita, one of our property experts at Ecovillages, is a dedicated mother of three wonderful sons who knows how to balance work and family life with finesse.
With a degree in tourism and hotel management, Sarita brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Previously, she enjoyed a rewarding career as a history teacher, helping children foster a love for learning.
Transitioning into real estate in Ecuador, Sarita discovered her passion for helping people find their dream homes. With warmth, professionalism, and a genuine desire to make dreams come true, she approaches every client as a new friend.
A true people person, Sarita thrives on connecting with individuals from all walks of life, believing in the power of human connection to create positive change.
Outside of work, Sarita enjoys exploring the outdoors, staying active with crossfit, and cherishing quality time with her family.
Vianney Castillo -
Administrative Assistant
Vianney (Vee-an-nay) Castillo brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as the Administrative Assistant at EcoVillages. With a degree in Bilingual Executive Communication from the Technological University of Panama, Vianney has honed her skills in administrative roles across various sectors. Her professional journey includes serving as a Training Coordinator at Superintendency of Banks of Panama, where she showcased her organizational prowess and attention to detail.
When you find your dream community with EcoVillages you’ll undoubtedly get to know Vianney and her always helpful personality!
Herman Gallegos -
Lead Architect
Herman Gallegos started his professional practice in 2005 gaining experience in residential and commercial design as well as in hospitality and cultural spaces.
Initially Mr. Gallegos’ work was dedicated to creating standard architectural concepts. But given his immense creativity he began to hone in on his more forward thinking design skills to complement his projects.
"A best of class design has to have great functionality, no wasted spaces, superb interiors, which includes the furniture and great exterior curb appeal and landscaping. All of these elements combined is what makes for a great work of art in design."
Herman’s passion in design tends to lean to the contemporary and modern style, but he has also designed many projects with Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial influence.
In recent years Herman has also developed an interest for maximizing the best use of space, focusing his attention on the tiny home movement. He has since led the team of EcoVillages architects who have taken the conceptual designs and created multiple tiny home communities and home models throughout the region.
Currently as a team member at EcoVillages, Herman and our team’s work has expanded throughout many countries such as El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama where EcoVillages has designed projects from tiny homes, full community masterplan designs, luxury condominium buildings, full sized eco-homes, and even over the water bungalows.
Our Partners
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MANA MLS
MANA is a MLS service for the Central American region. Focusing on providing our customers with their dream home in the tropics, MANA’s team is comprised of experts that live in the region that originated from all over the Americas.
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Vida Verde AgroForestry
Vida Verde AgroForestry not only provides the opportunity for a solid steady return on your investment but also has options that qualify you for investor residency for the country of Nicaragua. A perfect opportunity to set yourself up for having a future with options.
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Help Them Help Themselves
The Help Them Help Themselves Foundation is a non-profit charity that focuses on providing shelter, healthcare and education for the children of Central America. Just as our name suggests, we believe in helping to provide an environment in which kids can be safe, healthy and obtain a proper education so they can help themselves attain a better future.