Sho Isogai (MAppSW, BA) is a Japanese consultant, social innovator, impact entrepreneur/coach, researcher and practitioner in New Zealand. He is also an interdisciplinary practitioner with a focus on system, complexity and design thinking across service, project and community development initiatives to tackle complex and wicked challenges with consumers, private organisations, social entrepreneurs/Startups, NGOs and/or government organisations.
Sho has several years’ experience in innovative, multi-agency, co-design and community development project initiatives and delivery in Auckland and Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. He is passionate about co-designing and co-producing new and innovative, community/social development and age/culturally-responsive health, mental health, addiction, climate action and homelessness project initiatives, and the service development of such initiatives. He is also passionate about cross-sectoral, collaborative and glocal (global-local) service and system design, development and practices. He has co-created several startups/social enterprises in the field of mental health, homelessness and climate action and supported a range of ‘start-ups’.
Sho’s focus is on social change projects, particularly in housing/homelessness, mental health, addiction, climate action and social/impact enterprises. He is keen to be invited to work with other researchers, designers, community development practitioners, councillors, architects, entrepreneurs/coaches and/or others who prefer to work in more collaborative, interdisciplinary and participatory approaches in projects.
Email address: Shomatters0202@gmail.com


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- Key Publications: Isogai, S. (2012). ’Where is my home?’ Exploring perspectives of mental health social workers about homelessness among tangata whaiora in urban Auckland. Research Report, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. Isogai, S., & Nakhid, C. (2015). The resettlement experiences of eight female Japanese settlers living in the Auckland community in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In S. Wilson. (2015). Identify, culture and the politics of community development. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, United Kingdom, p. 182 – 212. Isogai, S. & Okamura, J. (2015). Community development with Japanese settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand: the story of a Japanese interdisciplinary network group in Auckland. Whanake: The Pacific Journal of Community Development, 1(1), 47-57. Isogai, S. (2016). In search of ‘home’ for wellness: Mental health social workers’ views on homelessness in mental health. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 28(3), 67 – 78. Isogai, S., & Stanley-Clarke, N. (2017). Measuring iterative homelessness in mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Parity, 30(8), 54 – 57. Isogai, S. (2018). The way forward / Te Ara I Mua: An overview of current homelessness and social housing workforce development in Aotearoa New Zealand, Parity. 31(5), 30 – 31. Isogai, S. (2019). Housing first in Aotearoa New Zealand: Challenges and future directions. Parity. 32(2), 59 – 61.
- Website: Click here
- Professional Memberships: Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW), International Association for Community Development (IACD), Australasian Housing Institute (AHI), Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ), the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), and Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association (ANZEA), New Zealand Wellness Association (NZWA).
- Email: Shoichi.Isogai.2@uni.massey.ac.nz