Jo Johnston is the co-founder of Collappor8, focusing on supporting female led businesses.
Jo Johnston grew up in Bankstown LGA attending school at Birrong Girls High School and Bankstown Girls High School. Her degree in Economics from Western Sydney University and her Certificate IV in Small Business Management (2015) began her on the path to creating her own business. She says that opening an office in Bankstown was important because young girls in Bankstown need to see more female-founded businesses to inspire leadership, hope, safety, and the entrepreneurial spirit.
Jo says, “There are many barriers to overcome in Bankstown as a woman, and even more so if you come from the LGBTQIA+ community. Bankstown is diverse, so all parts of the community should be reflected in business.” Collappor8 is a corporate partners of the Canterbury Bankstown Chamber of Commerce (CBCC). Jo said their partnership allows them to “ensure that women and LGBTQIA+ issues are part of the conversation”.
Collappor8 partner Leah Ostermeyer said, “If you really want to make a change, we women need to support other women because we are best positioned to understand women issues in business.” Collappor8 is a management consultancy that supports and mentors businesses. The team has 35 years of experience and has completed 212 projects. The business focuses on supporting female centred programs and urges like-minded women in business to do the same.
Jo welcomed the Canterbury Bankstown Chamber of Commerce Event Women in Leadership 2021. The Women in Leadership event supports women business owners as Bankstown’s female businesses are ever-growing. COVID has seen an increase of homelessness or risk in homelessness along with domestic violence and therefore Collappor8 supports charities that focus on this. Collappor8 supports two local charities: Outloud, helping children at risk, and St Merkorious Charity that provides food security to the homeless, the poor, and the disenfranchised.
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