Zoe Jackson MBE Speaker | Teen Speakers & Enterprise & Creative & Lifestyle & Women

Zoë Jackson MBE

Award winning social entrepreneur urges young people to Live Their Dreams

Multi-award-winning entrepreneur, Zoe Jackson MBE, set up the Living the Dream Performing Arts Company at the age of 16 in 2006 to inspire young people and to subsidise her own performing arts education.

Living the Dream has grown to include a school of performing arts, a professional dance company, a talent agency and a charity, the Dream Foundation. Zoe is passionate about championing young talent, creating access to the arts, entertaining audiences and inspiring young people to live their dreams.

In June 2015, Zoe was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List with an award of the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to young entrepreneurs and the performing arts. This year Zoe also received the first ‘Queen’s Young Leaders Award’ recognising 60 young people across the Commonwealth who are making a difference in their communities.

Zoe has received numerous other awards including the Women of the Future in the Arts, Media and Culture award with Shell, was listed in Elle Magazine’s “Top 100 Inspiring Women” alongside Michelle Obama and Beyoncé, and she recently won the Creative Industries Entrepreneur of the Year with the Great British Entrepreneurs.

Sir Richard Branson has given Zoe his support and endorsement after she worked with him and Virgin to campaign for the Government’s Start Up Loans scheme.

Living the Dream’s dance company have worked with global brands including Vodafone, British Airways, Virgin, John Lewis and Pret a Manger providing flash mobs, PR stunts and performances at events.

Testimonials from Teachers

"As a former Education Minister I believe that this company has demonstrated more than any I have seen the capacity of young people to demonstrate talent, business acumen and showcase their abilities to a wide audience. Zoe is one of the most talented and level headed young people I have ever known. She has good business strengths, is an inspiration, is hardworking and most importantly has a vision for young people that is first class."

– The Rt Hon Baroness Ashton, Patron, Living the Dream

“Zoe came to visit the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy students as a guest speaker. She shared her experiences about how she set up Living the Dream, her ups and downs and how she is moving the company forward. She was an inspiration to our students, her hard work and determination shone through her honest and heart-warming story. Zoe’s passion to succeed and make a difference is her star quality and she is a true self-made entrepreneur. It was a pleasure to meet Zoe and I look forward to working with her again and hopefully having her back to inspire more students.”

– Kate Angel, Peter Jones Enterprise Academy, Solihull

“Zoe Jackson comes across with her vibrant personality, entrepreneurial spirit and determination to succeed. Zoe has a strong commitment to inspiring and developing young people. She is a tremendous role model and a highly engaging motivational speaker. She gave an extremely well received speech to parents and students at our Sixth Form presentation evening this year. If you have the opportunity to have Zoe speak to any group of young people about her experiences and the attributes needed to be successful in life, I would strongly recommend you take it.”

– Paul de Kort, Head of Sixth Form, Beaumont School

"Zoe delivered a session to over 200 students online and her enthusiasm, passion and sincerity really struck a chord with these young people. The reaction was just fantastic, to see students responding in such a personal way, saying that Zoe was the inspiration they needed, was genuinely moving."

– Rachel Jeffries, Cambridge University Press