About Us

Justin Spearing

President and Construction Manager

As the construction manager, Justin is the main boots on the ground for Risen. Having been in the construction Industry for two decades, he started as a concrete placer and finisher, becoming a foreman at the young age of twenty-five. Looking to grow his knowledge base to pursue a career in construction management the switched became a carpenter in 2010 going on to achieve his Red Seal. He also Risen’s drywall finish specialist having started working as a drywall finisher when he was 19 years old. Aside from the trades, Justin also achieved a high level of musicianship on the guitar, recording with world class musicians before setting that life aside to pursue one dedicated to Christ. Beware if he finds out you speak French or Spanish, while not to the level of his wife, he will try, you have been warned! Learning is Justin’s true passion, arming himself over the years with an over 5000 volume library in his home. The last decade he has dedicated that hunger for knowledge towards the best building processes and execution. With a focus on quality over quantity, Justin is Richard’s right hand man to accomplish whatever task may come their way.

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Nidia Spearing

Treasurer and Office Manager

Born in Colombia, Nidia Ruiz spent her last 9 years in her country studying Political Sciences, Anthropology and Audiovisual Production at the University of Cauca. She loves to combine art and design with her work, making films and videos which accompany her research. She continued to do this in Canada from 2007 to 2018, finishing her Masters degree in Visual Anthropology at the University of Montréal. She worked as a research assistant and assistant professor until she discovered, in 2017, another profession that stole her heart; being a mom! Nidia married Justin in 2016 after moving to Calgary to immerse herself in the English language. Nidia was accepted for her doctorate at the University of Montreal in visual anthropology shortly after, and they decided to move to Montreal so she could continue her studies. It was here that Nidia became a mon. Nidia and Justin decided to prioritize their family over her studies, and they moved back to Calgary in 2018. At Risen Builders Nidia brings a lot to the table, fluent in English, Spanish and French, extremely thoughtful, with PhD level research ability, not to mention a cross-cultural knowledge which provides a unique and useful anthropological perspective to design and customer service, she is the office manager and treasurer of Risen Builders and we couldn’t do this without her.

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Our Story

Risen Builders may be a relatively new company, but the story of Risen began in 2010, when Richard started to apprentice Justin at the Calgary Airport Expansion. It was here that a friendship set upon the foundation of the Christian faith, education and humility, started to take shape.
Bonding through the mentor/mentee relationship a journeyman has with his apprentice, Richard began to attend Justin’s church, which culminated in Richard being baptized in the chilly Bow River surrounded by friends and family.
This brotherhood would grow over the next five years, however, even the biggest projects have an end, and it was time for Justin to leave Richard’s guidance for other projects within the company. Richard split his time between the airport and rebuilding a school for the Calgary Board of Education, a job that was almost prophetic when one considers the events that happened next.
Richard is a builder, but Richard is also a teacher at heart. A traumatic injury and an impending surgery from old wounds spurned Richard on to pursue his passion for teaching, leaving behind the fast-paced world of commercial construction for the fast-paced world of education. Typical of Richard, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in education in just two and a half years and went on to teach construction for the CBE.
Justin not only left the world of commercial construction behind, but Calgary altogether after meeting his beautiful wife Nidia, the office manager and treasurer for Risen Builders. They were off to Montreal where Nidia was pursuing her PhD in Visual Anthropology at U de M. The language barrier made finding work difficult for Justin, and with the birth of his daughter Sarai and few options on the table, he started what went on to be a successful general contracting company.
When complex projects with short timelines and great challenges required the help of a gifted carpenter and project manager, Richard flew out to give the few weeks he had in the summer to help Justin navigate everything. The success of these projects naturally led to them flirting with the idea of continuing to build together once Justin and Nidia returned to Calgary.
In 2019, Risen was created, when Hubert, Nidia’s brother, brought her family up from Colombia for the birth of the fourth member of the Spearing clan, Judah. Hubert, who is a cardiologist and successful businessman in Colombia, added the final piece as the investor behind Risen. Originally named RSN for the last names Ruiz, Spearing and Norwood, all wanted to honor the God responsible for bringing them together, and so Risen, as in He is risen, was born.
This is our story, and as the real work has started, it’s still being told. We want you to be a part of our happily ever after.
If you think we can serve to make what you envision come to fruition, contact us and let’s bring your home, or community space to life.