Now St Albans entrepreneur wins royal approval

She has been listed as one of the world’s Top 100 inspiring women, won a Women of the Future award and has received the backing of Richard Branson - and now St Albans entrepreneur Zoe Jackson is to be presented to the Queen.

The 25 year old who owns the St Albans-based Living the Dream performing arts company is one of the first ever recipients of a Queen’s Young Leaders Award which celebrates the achievements of young people who are taking the lead in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in the communities.

It will be presented to Zoe in June by the Queen herself at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Former Beaumont School pupil Zoe said this week: “I am incredibly honoured to be part of the Queen’s Young Leaders. It’s amazing to be recognised amongst so many other brilliant young people who are making a difference to their communities all over the world.”

Zoe set up the Living the Dream Performing Arts Company when she was 16 to inspire young people and subsidise her own performing arts education.

Over the last nine years, she has grown Living the Dream to include a school of performing arts, a professional dance company and a talent agency.

She also launched a charity, the Dream Foundation, which supports young people at a disadvantage, giving them access to the arts.

Shortly before Christas she was listed among Elle Magazine’s prestigious Top 100 Inspiring Women alongside the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.

She also won Shell’s Women of the Future in the Arts, Media and Culture award and is a regular speaker at schools, colleges, universities and the corporate world.

Living the Dream has performed in front of the Queen at Westminster Abbey and has worked with global brands including Vodafone, British Airways, John Lewis and Virgin.