Nobody Stands Nowhere: Opportunity, Inequality and the Stories We Start From - Joe Seddon

Joe Seddon explores how opportunity is never neutral: every journey begins from a particular standpoint shaped by class, culture, confidence and connection.

He reflects on his own starting point and the barriers he encountered, examining how myths of meritocracy obscure the real forces that shape who gets seen, supported and allowed to succeed.Drawing on his work widening access to education, entrepreneurship and leadership, he discusses how acknowledging where people begin - the stories, structures and inequalities that frame their choices - is essential for designing fairer systems.

This session invites audiences to rethink social mobility not as an individual climb but as a collective responsibility to reshape the starting line.