Justin MacDonald, an Icon of Change from Australia

Icons of Change

Icons of Change International Awards 2026 International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development  Justin MacDonald Managing Director, Just SDA Management Pty Ltd Managing Director, Just Advisory Services Professional Impact Network Member, Social Impact Hub Adjunct Industry Fellow, Griffith University (Menzies Health Institute QLD) Industry Advisory Board Member – Reimagine Disability, Griffith University  SDG Focus: Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities & Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities  Changemaker for Inclusive Disability Housing and Social Impact Systems (Australia)  Justin MacDonald is a purpose-driven social impact leader, strategist, and disability sector innovator whose work is reshaping the landscape of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and inclusive development across Australia. With a multidisciplinary career spanning social enterprise, property development, advisory, and academia, he has demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing equitable systems that empower people with disabilities to live with dignity, independence, and opportunity.  As Managing Director of Just SDA Management and Just Advisory Services, Justin provides end-to-end strategic guidance on SDA projects and social impact initiatives—supporting organisations, investors, and communities from concept through to delivery and long-term management. His expertise bridges technical, financial, and human-centered dimensions, enabling scalable, sustainable, and impact-driven outcomes aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Justin’s leadership extends across governance, education, and ecosystem-building. As a Professional Impact Network Member with the Social Impact Hub and Adjunct Industry Fellow at Griffith University, he contributes to advancing best practices in research, policy, and implementation within the disability and social impact sectors. His role on the Industry Advisory Board for Reimagine Disability further reflects his commitment to collaborative, future-focused solutions addressing real-world challenges in disability inclusion and rehabilitation.  A former Board Director of Enactus Australia and founding board member of the Research for Development Impact Network (RDI), Justin has played a pivotal role in strengthening cross-sector partnerships, supporting youth-led innovation, and fostering evidence-based approaches to sustainable development. His earlier leadership in Disability Housing Solutions helped drive the delivery of high-quality SDA homes, directly improving the lives of individuals with complex needs.  Through his integrated approach to advisory, infrastructure development, education, and systems leadership, Justin MacDonald is advancing inclusive communities, strengthening social enterprise ecosystems, and enabling transformative impact within the disability sector.

Transcript

00:03Hi, I'm Justin MacDonald. I'm proudly the founder and managing director of both Just

00:07SDA Management and Just Advisory Services. Now, I am blown away that we've been nominated and

00:12recognised with this award, which is the Archives and Change Award for 2026. And for those that

00:17don't know this award, this award recognises those working under the United Nations Sustainable

00:21Development Goals. And as a proud social enterprise, we've been able to, I guess,

00:26demonstrate our impact and changes that we've sort of delivered over this time as a proud

00:30social enterprise. So the work we do at Just Advisory Services is around supporting people

00:34with organisations to support people with disabilities, justice, those connected to homelessness, and

00:41those even experiencing domestic violence. These are the consulting works that we do there.

00:45And we've been proud to be around our help over 50 organisations since founding in 2021.

00:50Just SDA Management, the impact there has been incredible. We are a disability housing

00:56provider. So for those that aren't familiar with specialist disability accommodation,

01:00we supply housing for people with extreme functional impairment or higher care support needs, basically

01:04people that can't live in mainstream housing. We proudly support over 200 residents across

01:08the country and they're now the ninth largest provider in Australia, which is no mean feat within

01:13three years. So the environment we've been able to create as a social enterprise and building

01:17and growing other social enterprises through the supplier partners that we have, through creating

01:21job opportunities for people with disability in our team, which now make up almost 50% of our team,

01:27which is incredible. And even the voices and their lives have been able to change through the

01:30education, the awareness and the events that we run as well, including our flagship event, the national

01:35conference coming up in September, 2026. These are all contributed to, I guess, improving and shifting

01:42the dial, I guess, and improving the environment for people with disability, or those facing barriers to

01:46employment, or accessing communities, such as those experiencing some of those many things. So again,

01:52thank you so much for considering me. Thank you so much for the recognition. And this is only going

01:56to fuel our fire to be considered and honored for a 2027 and beyond. Thank you so much for the

02:02opportunity.

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