Nora El-Khouri Spencer, MSW is the founder and CEO of Hope Renovations in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. After 15 years in corporate human resources and recruiting, Nora, a self-taught remodeler and contractor, decided to switch directions to pursue a Master of Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill with a focus on social entrepreneurship. In Summer 2020, in the middle of the Covid pandemic, Nora combined her workforce development expertise, her experience in the construction industry, and her passion for women’s empowerment to launch Hope Renovations, a 501c3 nonprofit that empowers women and gender minorities into living-wage jobs via hands-on training and on-the-job experience carrying out repairs and renovations that help older adults live safely in their homes as they age.

Nora is an NC Licensed Limited Building Contractor and holds a Certified Aging in Place Specialist designation. She has received multiple honors for her work, including the 2023 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Woman of the Year Award, the 2022 UNC School of Social Work’s Distinguished Alumni award, the 2022 NAHB Young Professionals Award, and the 2021 Triangle Business Journal’s Women in Business Award. Nora was recently recognized by CNN as a 2022 Top Ten CNN Hero, and has had multiple guest appearances on the Drew Barrymore Show.

Nora is an avid Tar Heels and LA Dodgers fan, a Master Gardener and a beach addict. She lives in Chapel Hill with her husband Brian and several spoiled pets.