Puerto Rico had a roof problem long before the storms hit. Decades of deferred maintenance, economic hardship, and inadequate construction had left thousands of families in homes that were one hurricane away from collapse. When Hurricane María made landfall in September 2017, it didn't just damage roofs — it exposed how fragile the foundation already was.

In the weeks that followed, Francisco Gutierrez, a professor at UPR's School of Architecture, couldn't return to teaching as if nothing had happened. He began organizing roof-rebuilding workshops with his students — a learn-and-earn model that paid apprentices as they trained. Fellow architect Jonathan Marvel joined him.

Emily Roisman was in Puerto Rico when María hit. A lawyer who had already helped build a successful mentoring nonprofit stateside, she saw the same gap: the island needed a long-term housing solution, not just emergency relief. A mutual friend introduced her to Jonathan and Francisco. Through that connection she also met Joanna Cartagena — who gave the organization its name.

Together, they founded PRoTechos: a nonprofit built on the idea that rebuilding a community means building its people too. Not just replacing tarps, but training residents to do the work themselves — creating skilled jobs in the communities that needed them most.

They got to work.

2018 — First roofs completed. Ten community members trained.

2019 — 18 roofs completed. Program begins to grow.

2020 — 55 roofs completed. Over 100 people trained — through a pandemic.

2024 — 200+ roofs completed. 150+ people trained and employed.

Today — The work continues.