Jo McIntosh
Summer 26 Event
The Journey of Jo & Starfish Health & Wellbeing Centre
Jo, the founder of Starfish Health & Wellbeing Centre traced her journey from a promise made at age 15 to help others, through diverse experiences in local government, science, and dairy farming, to frontline addiction support and community leadership.
Key Milestones:
Jo's upbringing and early awareness of social and gender imbalances shaped her commitment to helping others. She gained skills in governance, science, and leadership, transitioning from local government to water testing, and later to dairy farming and motherhood.
Jo became an addiction practitioner, identifying gaps in youth services and advocating for community-led solutions.
In response to a youth suicide crisis in Matamata, Jo established the Starfish Trust, inspired by the Starfish Poem, emphasising individual impact and hope.
The Centre grew through challenges such as funding loss, relocation, and regulatory hurdles, always focusing on community needs and resilience.
Jo shared reflections on purpose, resilience, and the ongoing mission to support mental health and wellbeing in the community. Her presentation was a testament to perseverance, community empowerment, and the impact of social enterprise in addressing mental health and social challenges.
Final Insights:
One our biggest takeaways from Jo’s presentation was to have the courage to take a risk. She shared how many times she didn’t fully know what she was doing, but tried anyway. More often than not, that willingness to step forward led to success. A great reminder that life (and business) is full of ups and downs, and growth lives in the trying.
