Joanne Johnson

In this episode of Yarns with Andy, I sit down with Joanne Johnson, the founder of the MahiRise: Women in Construction Grant - a grassroots initiative creating real pathways for young women into the construction sector.

We cover Jo's journey from legal executive to finance to property development, her time on the KiwiBuild team and why she believes it could have worked, and her first-hand experiences that inspired the creation of MahiRise. We also dig into the real cost of building in New Zealand, why developer contributions are killing affordability, and where AI fits into the future of the industry.

Join us for an grounded conversation on housing, opportunity, and what it means to thrive when the system pushes back on you.