ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

Affordable housing is the backbone of better opportunities for all. ChangeMakers with Katie Goar analyzes the issues and challenges being faced in affordable housing today. In each episode, Katie speaks with finance experts, thought leaders, and change-makers to explore innovative solutions that provide more affordable housing options across the country. Whether you want to learn more about economic development, government funding, why affordable housing makes good economic policy, and why the total community benefits from affordable housing, this is the podcast for you.

ChangeMakers with Katie Goar is a business podcast hosted by Katie Goar, with 281 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Katie Goar hosts ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, a business show with 281 episodes published.

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  ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

  Episode 156: Cariño Maldonado, Chief of Staff at ICON Builders & Founding President of the Arizona Chapter of the Women’s Affordable Housing

  Sep 29, 202630 min

  Cariño Maldonado has spent 25 years in construction and over a decade in affordable housing. Today she's Chief of Staff and EOS Integrator at Icon Builders, founder and president of the Arizona chapter of the Women's Affordable Housing Network (AZ WAN), and a board member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). In this episode of Changemakers with Katie Goar, Cariño shares how a part-time college job turned into a 25-year career, why occupied renovations require a different kind of trust than new construction, and how Icon Builders is converting a former motel in Anaheim into transitional housing for young adults aging out of foster care. She also talks about launching AZ WAN from scratch, partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for kids in need, and why exposing girls to construction careers earlier could change the industry's gender gap for good. What You'll Learn: How Cariño's "accidental" start in construction at age 19 turned into a 25-year career What a Chief of Staff actually does inside a construction company Why occupied renovations require a unique level of trust with residents The story behind Icon Builders' motel-to-housing conversion for foster-care youth in Anaheim How the Sleep in Heavenly Peace partnership builds beds for kids in need What it takes to launch a new chapter of the Women's Affordable Housing Network (AZ WAN) from the ground up NAWIC's role in exposing girls and young women to construction careers Why "tribal knowledge" retention matters as veteran industry leaders retire What the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) framework does for a growing company Why prioritization — not multitasking — is Cariño's key to balancing multiple leadership roles Timestamps 00:00 Intro to Changemakers & guest introduction 00:01 Meeting at the Women's Affordable Housing Network summit in San Diego 00:02 Cariño's start in construction at 19, working around college 00:03 Joining Icon Builders in 2013 00:04 Humble beginnings and why affordable housing feels personal 00:05 What a Chief of Staff does day-to-day 00:06 Icon Builders' footprint: Arizona HQ, projects in CA & TX 00:07 Favorite part of the job: occupied renovations & trust 00:08 Partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds 00:09 The industry's shared mission: safe homes for everyone 00:10 Being a "connector" in the industry 00:11 Current project: motel conversion in Anaheim, CA 00:12 Transitional housing for youth aging out of foster care 00:13 Launching the Arizona chapter of Women's Affordable Housing Network 00:14 Connecting local housing authorities, lenders, and contractors 00:15 Bridging the "tribal knowledge" gap across disciplines 00:16 Giving back: bed builds and backpack drives 00:17 Women empowerment within the WAN community 00:18 "Even if we're teachers, we're still students" 00:19 Why WAN connects the entire housing ecosystem, not just one niche 00:20 AZ WAN's growth to 450+ members 00:21 Serving on the NAWIC board of directors 00:22 NAWIC's 40+ year history and exposing kids to construction early 00:23 Bringing her own son into the construction industry 00:24 Why women remain a minority in construction 00:25 Breaking the glass ceiling and career growth 00:26 Reflecting on job opportunities in the industry 00:27 Her role as EOS Integrator at Icon Builders 00:28 Balancing multiple roles — reading Essentialism 00:29 Prioritization over multitasking, retaining company culture 00:30 Closing thoughts & outro

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  ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

  The Audacity to Lead: A Conversation with Katie Goar

  Aug 18, 202659 min

  Katie Goar knows affordable housing from every angle.Today, she is the president of Quadel and one of the leading voices in America’s affordable housing sector. But long before she became a housing CEO, Katie experienced homelessness herself. As a child, she lived in a tent with her family, carried the shame of that experience for years, and later transformed that pain into purpose. Katie joins Joe Pardavila to discuss her new book, The Audacity, and the personal story behind her work in housing, leadership, and community impact. She opens up about the moment her younger brother drew a tent when asked to draw his home, why homelessness is a condition rather than an identity, and how stable housing can change the trajectory of an entire family. Katie also explains why “bootstrapping” can only take people so far, how NIMBYism holds communities back, why local solutions matter, and how leaders can build a “yes plan” when the default answer around them is no.This conversation is about housing, but it’s also about shame, survival, leadership, and the power of turning your story into a tool for helping others. What You’ll Learn How Katie Goar went from housing insecurity to becoming president of Quadel Why homelessness should be seen as a condition, rather than a permanent identity How childhood instability can shape leadership, risk, and resilience Why “bootstrapping” alone can’t solve homelessness or housing insecurity How affordable housing impacts education, health, employment, and local economies Why NIMBYism often blocks the exact workers communities depend on What Katie means by “strategic generosity” How a “yes plan” can help people move from fear to action Why leaders need a hype squad, a win journal, and the audacity to start before they feel ready Watch Katies Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/UMIn8_rA5iU?si=FvUg8WDWICYl8Wys Order Audacity: https://www.amazon.com/Audacity-Go-Wannabe-Leader-Others-ebook/dp/B0GZPV5N3C/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:28 Why Katie Goar decided to tell her story 02:00 Becoming a public voice in affordable housing 03:28 Breaking stereotypes about homelessness 06:06 Why bootstrapping can only go so far 08:16 The moment Katie’s brother drew a tent as his house 10:30 Anger, resentment, and growing up in survival mode 13:38 The “necklace of shame” 15:40 How childhood instability leaves fingerprints later in life 18:15 Homelessness as a condition, not an identity 19:32 Becoming an audacious problem-solver 21:00 From living in a tent to leading Quadel 24:26 Saying yes before you feel ready 25:45 Why people “fall into” affordable housing 27:49 Women leaders in the housing industry 30:00 Strategic generosity and solving housing locally 33:00 Federal funding, local action, and housing complexity 35:18 NIMBYism and the real cost of saying no 39:38 Affordable housing as workforce policy 40:35 Why Katie believes in a “yes plan” 42:02 Quadel’s mission and employee homeownership support 43:27 Wannabe leaders vs. leaders others want to follow 45:10 Why every leader needs a hype squad 46:45 First rodeo, second rodeo, third rodeo 48:36 Why Katie recommends starting a win journal 56:31 The sliding door moment that changed Katie’s family 58:10 Closing

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  ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

  Episode 153: Sean Gilbert, Executive Director of Tennessee Valley Housing Services & President of NAHRO

  Aug 4, 202643 min

  Sean Gilbert, executive director of Tennessee Valley Housing Services and president of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, joins Katie Goar to explain why affordable housing is essential to economic development, workforce growth, and thriving communities. Sean shares how growing up in southern West Virginia shaped his belief that a house becomes a home through community. He discusses his journey into public service, the affordable housing shortage affecting employers across Tennessee and the country, and the work underway to renovate aging housing, build workforce housing, and expand services for residents. The conversation also explores Sean’s national priorities as president of NAHRO, including stronger storytelling, professional development, collaboration between housing authorities, and bringing a new generation of leaders into the affordable housing industry. Sean explains why housing authorities must move beyond traditional boundaries, pursue creative financing, build stronger partnerships, and show the public how housing investments improve education, employment, local business, and quality of life. You’ll also hear how Tennessee Valley Housing Services partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, why childhood literacy can shape a community’s future, and how one conversation with a skeptical business owner changed Sean’s approach to affordable housing advocacy. Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Sean Gilbert 00:56 Growing Up in Appalachia 02:44 Finding a Career in Public Service 04:40 Family, Community and Education 06:47 Leading Tennessee Valley Housing Services 08:21 Renovating Aging Affordable Housing 10:59 The Demand for Workforce Housing 13:17 Housing Is Economic Development 15:30 Partnering With Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library 18:08 Why Childhood Literacy Matters 21:34 Changing the Story of Affordable Housing 22:15 Turning a Housing Critic Into a Supporter 25:47 Taking Residents’ Stories to Washington 28:33 Sean’s Priorities as NAHRO President 32:05 Improving the NAHRO Member Experience 34:05 Training the Next Generation of Housing Leaders 35:12 What to Expect From NAHRO’s Denver Conference 38:38 The Value of Conference Relationships 40:19 Why Housing Authorities Must Think Bigger 41:46 A Career That Changes Communities

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  ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

  Episode 152: Laura Foote, Founder and Executive Director, YIMBY Action

  Jul 21, 202629 min

  Why is housing so expensive, and why does it take years to build new homes in communities that desperately need them? In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar speaks with Laura Foote, founder and executive director of YIMBY Action, about America’s housing shortage and the political choices that continue to limit housing production. Laura explains how restrictive zoning, lengthy permitting processes, local opposition, fees, and political pressure make it harder and more expensive to build. She also shares how the YIMBY movement is organizing residents to support new housing, influence local officials, advocate for policy changes, and hold cities accountable. The conversation explores how housing shortages affect teachers, nurses, small businesses, older adults, young families, and anyone who can’t afford to live near their job or community. Laura also discusses the growing bipartisan support for housing reform, the expansion of YIMBY Action’s 87 local chapters, and the organization’s work to unblock tens of thousands of new homes across the country. You’ll learn: • Why America is millions of homes behind • How zoning and permitting increase housing costs • Why local opposition carries so much political power • How housing shortages hurt businesses and essential workers • Why housing reform has support across the political spectrum • How ordinary residents can influence housing decisions • What YIMBY Action means by “units unblocked” Learn more about YIMBY Action and how you can get involved in supporting housing production in your community. ChangeMakers with Katie Goar explores the people, policies, and ideas shaping the future of affordable housing. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:41 Laura Foote’s personal housing story 02:09 Why high housing costs feel like personal failure 02:28 How the YIMBY movement began 04:34 Why new housing is so difficult to build 06:52 The community-wide effects of housing shortages 07:46 How residents can change the political math 08:33 Addressing common objections to new housing 10:49 How communities move from NIMBY to YIMBY 12:59 Why older adults and employers are joining the fight 14:00 Yes in God’s Backyard and other policy reforms 16:11 Why the housing shortage affects everyone 17:01 America’s self-imposed housing crisis 18:21 Bipartisan momentum for housing reform 21:20 Inside YIMBY Action’s 87 local chapters 22:31 When YIMBY Action takes cities to court 24:15 How YIMBY Action measures its impact 25:00 What “units unblocked” means 26:21 Why YIMBY Action focuses on new construction 27:00 Turning housing expertise into political action

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  ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

  Episode 151: Sarah Buchanan, Executive Vice President, San Diego Housing Federation

  Jul 7, 202627 min

  In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Sarah Buchanan, Executive Vice President of the San Diego Housing Federation, to talk about the real challenges facing affordable housing in one of the country’s most expensive regions. Sarah shares how she entered the housing field, what makes San Diego’s housing market so difficult, and why residents now need to earn around $50 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment. She also explains the difference between naturally occurring affordable housing and tax-credit affordable housing, the need for roughly 100,000 more units in San Diego, and the role coalition-building plays in creating real change. The conversation also explores homelessness, healthcare, hunger, childcare, workforce development, lived experience advocacy, and why self-care matters for people doing mission-driven housing work. If you care about affordable housing, homelessness prevention, community development, or the future of thriving cities, this conversation offers a grounded look at what it takes to move from crisis to solutions. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to ChangeMakers 00:13 Meet Sarah Buchanan 00:50 Connecting Through the Women’s Affordable Housing Network 02:32 Compassion Fatigue and Self-Care in Housing Work 03:06 Sarah’s Path Into Affordable Housing 05:04 The Reality of San Diego’s Housing Market 05:56 Why Residents Need $50 an Hour for a Two-Bedroom Apartment 06:22 San Diego’s 100,000-Unit Housing Gap 07:31 What the San Diego Housing Federation Does 08:29 Training the Affordable Housing Workforce 10:35 Building Coalitions Around Basic Needs 11:06 Housing, Homelessness, Hunger, Healthcare, and Childcare 12:20 Centering Lived Experience in Advocacy 13:05 Signs of Progress in San Diego 14:40 What People Misunderstand About Affordable Housing 16:44 Why Affordable Housing Projects Are So Complex 18:18 Sarah’s Leadership Approach 19:58 The Big Idea: A One-Stop Housing Database 21:43 How Technology Could Improve Housing Access 22:51 What Drives People in Affordable Housing 24:26 Self-Care, Boundaries, and Compassion Fatigue 26:19 Closing Thoughts

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