Zoe Jackson

Zoe Jackson set up the Living the Dream Performing Arts Company, in 2006 at the age of 16 to subsidise her own performing arts training and education.

Over the last six years, throughout her A levels and degree course, Zoe has managed and grown her youth-led company into a performing arts school, a media company, a dance company and a charity, The Dream Foundation. Zoe is also working with Virgin Media and has produced a dance app for their TiVo service.

Zoe is passionate about championing young talent, creating affordable access to the arts and empowering young people to live their dreams. Through the arts, she campaigns to raise awareness and support for the challenges facing young people, to provide a platform for their voices to be heard and promote the positive contribution they can make.

Zoe was selected by Sir Richard Branson to represent his Control Shift campaign and is now working with James Caan, as an ambassador for the £85million Start-Up Loans scheme.

Last year Zoe was awarded Shell’s Woman of the Future in Arts, Media and Culture and Future 100 Young Social Entrepreneurs. This year she was a finalist in the Lloyds TSB Entrepreneur Awards and won the Youth Achievement Award “Celebrating Future Leaders” by the Universal Peace Federation. She has recently been nominated for the MADE Change Makers award for entrepreneurial rising stars.

She has proven that not only is she an exceptional young business woman but an inspiration and role model to young people nationwide.