Sophie Pender was born on one of the biggest council estates in North London, raised by a single parent after losing her father to alcoholism and drug addiction. She worked two jobs — at McDonald's and John Lewis — while studying, and in 2014 became the first student in her school's history to achieve straight A*s at A-level, in a year when the school's GCSE pass rate stood at just 32%.

At 19, having left North London for the University of Bristol, Sophie discovered the invisible infrastructure that has long propelled the privately educated into positions of power: the Old Boys' Club. Rather than accept its existence, she dismantled its exclusivity — founding The 93% Club, a members' club for state-educated people built on exactly the same model. Today, it is the UK's largest network for state schoolers with over 50,000 members. Dubbed "the alternative old boys' network," the Club exists to give state schoolers what private schoolers have always had: connections, opportunity, and insider knowledge.

She is now widely regarded as one of the most influential voices on class and social mobility in Britain. She is a recipient of the Forbes 30 Under 30 for social entrepreneurship and the Diana Legacy Award — the most prestigious accolade available to young people for humanitarian and social action. Sophie is a regular presence across government, media, and public life — advising on Government policy, contributing to national debate, and reaching millions of people through broadcast, print, and social media.