:User:Tinododge/sandbox

Tobias Hafenecker-Dodge is an American architectural designer, hotelier, entrepreneur, and sustainability advocate. He is the founder of the VidaSoul Hotel, a sustainable arts and hospitality venue on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, and creator of the Civic Wealth Model, a public policy framework focused on urban livability and intergenerational infrastructure. He is also the founder of Humboldt Growers Network, a California-based cannabis distribution and legacy farming platform that is celebrating 50 years of operation. His work spans regenerative agriculture, sustainable design, civic planning, and long-term systems advocacy.

Hafenecker-Dodge was born in San Francisco, California, to a family of Sicilian-American descent. His parents, Steve Dodge and Joan Hafenecker, were part of the 1970s “back to the land” movement and relocated to Humboldt County, where Tobias was raised off-grid on remote farmland.

He graduated near the top of his class at South Fork High School and went on to earn his degree in architecture from the University of Oregon, finishing at the top of his class. His design and creative work integrate natural systems, spatial innovation, and strong cultural narrative.

In the early 2000s, Hafenecker-Dodge designed and developed the VidaSoul Hotel in Vinorama, Baja California Sur. Initially envisioned as a small-scale beachside venue, the project evolved into a 20-room hotel known for its bold architecture, sustainability principles, and integration of art and music. When it was completed, VidaSoul became the first fully off-the-grid hospitality project in Central America. The hotel later achieved Green Globe Certification for its sustainability practices.

The hotel functions as both a hospitality destination and an active cultural hub—hosting live performances, rotating art exhibitions, and artisan collaborations. Its architectural form draws on Mediterranean influences, desert modernism, and coastal durability, reflecting a thoughtful design process shaped by the region’s climate and context. VidaSoul has been featured in publications such as Fodor's Travel, Travel Weekly, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and Expedia, and has appeared in books and media by Monster Children and Flaunt Magazine.

Hafenecker-Dodge has published the bulk of his urban advocacy and civic planning work on Medium, where he shares essays on sustainable city development, infrastructure reform, civic wealth, and intergenerational housing policy. His writings explore practical models for making urban life more affordable, resilient, and family-friendly.

As a father of four, Hafenecker-Dodge is a vocal advocate for raising families in cities. His writing and policy work emphasize the importance of walkable, affordable, and resilient urban environments that support multigenerational life.

He is the originator of the Civic Wealth Model, which proposes a long-term investment strategy for transit, housing, education, and social services. The model challenges fragmented public systems and calls for integrated, generational solutions to climate, infrastructure, and economic inequality.

In 2022 and 2023, Hafenecker-Dodge played a key role in New York’s adult-use cannabis rollout. He was officially credited by the State of New York for helping craft a pivotal policy reform known as co-location, which allows multiple cannabis licenses per parcel. This structural change made it legally and economically viable for cultivators and manufacturers, particularly in upstate New York and Long Island, to operate more efficiently on shared sites. The co-location model has since become a cornerstone of the state’s cannabis market design.

During this time, he also launched Animal House, a jungle-themed cannabis brand rooted in New York’s cultural identity. The brand fuses legacy cannabis values with bold design and storytelling, and operates under the domain animalhouseny.com.

A lifelong farmer, Hafenecker-Dodge began growing cannabis in his youth under the guidance of his parents in Humboldt County. He cultivated through multiple phases of the industry, from underground economies to legal markets, and became an early adopter of sustainable greenhouse practices, including light-deprivation methods.

He founded Humboldt Growers Network to unify and support legacy cultivators. The platform offers distribution, branding, compliance, and consulting services, positioning Humboldt as a globally respected origin for high-quality, small-batch cannabis. Humboldt Growers Network is currently celebrating 50 years of operation, marking its legacy as one of the oldest cannabis organizations in the United States.

In 2025, Hafenecker-Dodge filed a lawsuit against the State of California and Humboldt County, alleging that state cannabis policies had caused economic harm, regulatory obstruction, and denial of due process to small-scale operators. The case draws on years of documentation and experience as a pioneer in the post-legalization landscape.

Tobias Hafenecker-Dodge lives in San Francisco and continues to work across farming, design, advocacy, and writing. His current projects include completing his autobiography and expanding both the VidaSoul Hotel’s cultural impact and Humboldt Growers Network’s national and international reach.

Although he identifies foremost as an architectural designer, he also considers himself an artist and a farmer—committed to creativity, cultivation, and place-based legacy.

• VidaSoul Hotel
• Civic Wealth Model
• Humboldt Growers Network
• Cannabis in California
• East Cape, Baja California Sur

• https://www.humboldtgrowersnetwork.live
• https://www.vidasoul.com
• https://www.animalhouseny.com
• https://medium.com/@tobiasdodge