My story started in Barking and Dagenham, where I lived for over 25 years. One of the top 10 most deprived boroughs in London, yet one of the most diverse. It shaped me. And I still call it home.

Growing up there made me resourceful and resilient but it also came with limitations. It was isolating at times. I had big ambitions such as going to a top university, securing a high paying job and one day ease the pressure on my mum after everything she had invested in me.

But wanting something and knowing how to get there are two different things.

I did not have a clear path. I did not have strong encouragement or access to people who had done it before. I had friends at school, but I did not have a community of driven young people who were daring to dream big.

I knew what I wanted.

I just did not have the networks, the information or the exposure to make it feel possible.

Everything began to change when I joined the Aspiring Professionals Programme by the Social Mobility Foundation. For the first time, I stepped into corporate banks in wealthy boroughs. I attended multi-day residentials at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. I finally made friends with like-minded people who were striving for similar goals and refusing to shrink their ambition.

Through career workshops and skills sessions, I began to grow in my confidence, mindset and ultimately realise my value. My mindset shifted. I started to see myself differently.

Later, I received a full tuition social mobility scholarship to study Economics at the University of Warwick. That was a satisfying moment for me and my family. From there, I secured internships at Credit Suisse and went on to work as an Equity Trader at the investment bank.

But the biggest shift was internal.

Travelling beyond my neighbourhood, meeting people from different backgrounds and being exposed to new ways of thinking changed how I saw myself and my future.

I broke through the glass ceiling my upbringing had quietly placed above me. It pushed me to study Entrepreneurship at Cambridge Judge Business School. It is also what led me to found the Valuable Community.

I created what I once needed.

Today, through transformative retreats, career defining workshops, inspiring talks and social spaces, I create life changing opportunities for young adults from lower socio-economic backgrounds. I want them to be equipped, connected and capable.

Under my leadership, Valuable Community has delivered multiple annual retreats, supported over 300 young adults and built a growing community rooted in belonging, ambition and excellence.

This work is personal. Because I know what it feels like to have ambition but not the right community around you.

And I know what can happen when you finally find your people.