How do you expand access to elite universities without relying on charity? Joe Seddon, Founder and CEO of Zero Gravity, shares how he’s building a mission-driven technology company that helps talented students from low-income backgrounds reach top universities and careers—by reimagining how social mobility is funded. What began in his childhood bedroom with the final £200 of his student loan has grown into a scaling organisation supporting over 15,000 students into higher education, including more than 1,000 to Oxbridge.
Zero Gravity now employs 25 colleagues, works with more than 40 enterprise partners, and has distributed £2.3 million in scholarships. Rather than viewing other charities as competitors, Joe sees his competition as the major consumer platforms that capture young people’s attention. Through a mobile app that breaks the journey into small, habitual steps, Zero Gravity redirects time from social media toward opportunity.
In this episode, Joe reflects on leadership and purpose: why strategic focus begins with deciding what not to do, how capturing data early enables future breakthroughs, and why organisational growth is not the same as impact. His story offers a fresh view on how technology, incentives, and entrepreneurial discipline can scale opportunity with precision—showing that when purpose meets innovation, the result can change lives at scale.
Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/
Denise Massey