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In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Joe Seddon, Founder and CEO of Zero Gravity — a mission-driven technology company helping talented students from low-income backgrounds reach elite universities and careers. What began with the last £200 of Joe’s student loan has become a fast-scaling organisation of 25 colleagues, more than 40 enterprise partners, and over 15,000 students supported into higher education.
Joe explains how Zero Gravity has reimagined a sector traditionally dominated by charities by building a new commercial model. Through a mobile-first platform that turns university preparation into a habit, the company partners with institutions to identify exceptional talent, while generating data that shows where ability is being overlooked. Joe reflects on how entrepreneurial discipline and knowing what not to do have enabled the organisation to scale impact without scaling its team.
In their conversation, they explore:
· How a for-profit model can unlock new incentives for social change.
· What it means to compete for young people’s attention against major consumer platforms.
· Why collecting data early enables future breakthroughs.
· How impact and organisational growth are not the same thing.
· How technology can scale opportunity with precision — and change lives at scale.
Zero Gravity: https://www.zerogravity.co.uk/
MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/
Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/
Belden Menkus, Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, works with CEOs and senior leaders to align their strategy and purpose. Working with organisations where leadership is shared rather than centralised, Belden's work is defined by intellectual clarity, collaboration, and a commitment to practical results. Drawing on his experience at McKinsey & Company and decades spent advising complex organisations, he supports mid-sized institutions—particularly law firms and membership bodies—as they navigate strategic inflexion points and build enduring value during periods of uncertainty.
He is a public speaker and strategic thinker with a wide intellectual range, bringing together business insight, historical perspective, and cultural curiosity—combining the instincts of a consultant with those of a historian and an explorer of ideas. In addition to consulting, he hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast discussing how business leaders themselves bring purpose into real strategic action.
