Jimmy La is a founding partner at SDG Canada and one of the driving forces behind Canada’s new wave of sustainable infill development. With over 15 years of experience as a real estate investor and community builder, Jimmy has personally owned and operated a diverse portfolio of cash-flowing rental properties, now valued at over $50M. He is actively developing more than 85 purpose-built rental units, with another 1,000 in the pipeline.

Jimmy’s focus is simple but powerful: build affordable, long-term housing that actually works for residents, for cities, and for the planet. Through his work at SDG, he brings that vision to life every day, leading operations across multi-site projects that blend practical construction with climate-conscious design and meaningful community impact.

Before co-founding SDG, Jimmy spent over a decade as General Manager for one of Canada’s Top 50 Best Managed Companies. There, he oversaw teams of over 700 employees and led seven major locations to record-breaking performance. That leadership backbone now fuels SDG’s ability to scale, manage complexity, and deliver on bold housing targets. All this, while nurturing a strong, values-driven company culture.

At the Missing Middle Conference, Jimmy shares the Mission and Vision of SDG Canada to build sustainable, community-focused housing that turns policy into real impact. He offers grounded insights on how SDG navigates infill development, financing, and partnerships to deliver purpose-built rentals across Canada. His work shows how the Missing Middle can be a scalable and collaborative solution to Canada’s housing crisis.