I don't teach from a textbook. I teach what I've built.
I grew up in Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Guatemala, Portugal, Thailand and Pakistan, then the US and Canada — my dad oversaw construction of Canadian embassies overseas. At 15 I went to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida on scholarship. Then I came to Canada and started at the bottom of a job site.
I learned it the hard way: flooring for Richcraft and Tamarack, refrigeration lines on commercial rooftops, clean rooms for Canadian Blood Services and Export Development Canada, plumbing, ductwork, windows, siding at minus thirty. In 2012 I started AIM Project Management — embassy renovations in the capital region and a 2-year heritage reno of the Billy Bishop Building.
I've been teaching on camera for years: webinars, livestreams, my YouTube channel, and Daydream to Reality, a course I co-developed with Dr. Bruce Firestone and taught for a week in Mérida, Mexico. Now my studio lets me teach live anywhere in Canada — and I'm building a 14-module video series for ACCES Employment.
Everything I build, I run. Hammond Hill, Small Living Co., Modulink, Broken Stick Brewing. That's the only way I know to really understand a business — and it's why I can teach it.
I was the newcomer.
I walked onto my first Canadian site with zero trade knowledge. I know the "no Canadian experience" wall from the inside — not from a report.
I've done the work. All of it.
At Hammond Hill I designed the site, put in the water systems, worked beside the electrical crew, and ran a chainsaw every day for four months after the 2022 derecho took down 5,000 trees. I own the tools for every course I teach.
It already works.
Two government-funded cohorts delivered for ACCES Employment. Year two with Collège La Cité. A week-long course taught in Mexico. Real programs, already delivered.
SNC-Lavalin ProFac federal security clearance · Ontario Certificate of Qualification · HRAI Indoor Air Quality · Working at Heights · 14+ safety & trade certifications · English, with some French and Spanish
Don't take my word for it.
"I just wanted to register my profound appreciation once again for your incredible training on Modular Housing and particularly on LinkedIn. You are such an amazing instructor with a golden heart."
"Aaron brought a practical and engaging approach to our construction training at ACCES Employment. He did a great job breaking down tools, safety practices, and construction techniques in a way that was accessible to participants with different levels of experience."
"I have found Aaron to be a person of integrity, creativity, and follow-through. He brings the same operational discipline to his community commitments that he brings to his businesses. I recommend him without reservation."
"Aaron Markel kept our Revolution greywater system on track, moving it from prototype to manufacturing-ready with steady project management. I'd recommend him to any organization tackling similar challenges."
"I have known Aaron for many years and his commitment to the community and his ingenious creation of businesses have improved Clarence-Rockland."
The work is public. Go look.
Hammond Hill
First new campground in Ontario in over a decade. Canada's first tiny home village. Off-grid solar, water and composting — live, year-round. Rebuilt in four months after the 2022 derecho.
hammondhill.ca →Small Living Co.
First mobile tiny home sold through Home Depot Canada. Working with Collège La Cité, where students have built three tiny homes.
smallliving.co →Bourget Train Station
$1.5M public-private redevelopment with the City of Clarence-Rockland. ~$450K in public funding secured.
Council presentation →SCORE Academy
Two-phase racket sports campus in Clarence-Rockland, approved unanimously by City Council.
CBC coverage →Want this for your people?
Tell me who you're training, how many, and where. I'll tell you straight what makes sense: a cohort, a few short courses, a talk, or nothing at all. You'll hear back within one business day.
Within one business day. If it makes sense, we'll set up a call.
Based inRockland, Eastern Ontario. I travel for the right program, and teach live from my studio anywhere.