Sophie Pender

Founder @ The 93% Club

About

Hey, I'm Sophie - the Founder and CEO of the UK's first and largest members' network for state-educated individuals. In 2014, I became the first in my family to go to university. Having grown up on a council estate and worked part-time in McDonald's alongside my studies, the opportunity to study at a degree-level felt a golden ticket to a better life. After an optimistic start, I quickly realised that access to opportunities was about more than just the brains in your head - it relied on the networks you had. Age 19, I started The 93% Club as a Facebook page at the University of Bristol for undergraduates from state schools. ❤️ Today, The 93% Club is a social enterprise + membership network designed for state-educated students, undergraduates and professionals that is changing the face of influence in the UK and working with top employers to ensure that access to top careers and powerful networks is not reliant on your educational background. 🤝 Members of the Club are able to find grad jobs and internships in our exclusive careers supermarket, receive employability training, hear from expert speakers, network with members from our 30+ clubs across the country, and book tickets to our (un)exclusive member-only events in cities across the UK. 👋 I love to talk [all things education, social mobility, and careers] and help others to problem solve. I'm sometimes cr*p on LinkedIn, so you can find me here: 🚀 To join The 93% Club: https://www.93percent.club/join 👉🏻💼 If you're an employer looking to hire more state educated individuals: employers@93percent.club 👩🏼‍🏫 For speaking enquiries: victoria@celebritysauceco.com 📰 For press: press@93percent.club ⭐️ Forbes 30 under 30 | Diana Award Recipient | TEDx speaker | Vice-Chancellor's Award - Bristol University | Finalist at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards | Barclays Future 100 Women to Watch | Rising Star at the UK Social Mobility Awards 🗞️ 🎥 The Economist documentary, "Why it's harder to earn more than your parents", The BBC, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, ITV News, and The FT

Country

United Kingdom

City

London Area

Industry

Law Practice

Skill

Experience

Founder

The 93% Club

2016-3 - Present · 10 yrs 7 mos

The 93% Club is transforming what it means to be state educated in Britain. What does this mean? We’re taking the centuries-old concept of exclusive and elusive old boys' networks and creating the alternative: the UK’s least exclusive members’ club, a community proud of its educational background and built on the principle that state-educated people should have the same unrestricted access to the networks of support, knowledge and influence that have historically benefitted their privately-educated peers.

Corporate Lawyer

Bates Wells

2023-2 - 2024-4 · 1 yr 3 mos

London, England, United Kingdom

Advising individuals and organisations across their business lifecycle on cross-border and domestic M&A, fundraises, corporate reorganisations, and general corporate matters. My clients included commercial businesses, impact investors, charities, social entrepreneurs, B Corps, and other purpose-driven organisations. Bates Wells is the UK’s first B Corp law firm, committed to driving positive impact and supporting a diverse client base – from global brands and public bodies to start-ups, charities, and social enterprises.

Corporate Lawyer

Herbert Smith Freehills

2021-9 - 2023-1 · 1 yr 5 mos

London, England, United Kingdom

Associate in the Corporate team at Herbert Smith Freehills, working on high-value private and public M&A, joint ventures, restructurings, and commercial contracts across fintech, real estate, and financial services clients.

Trainee Lawyer

Herbert Smith Freehills

2019-9 - 2021-9 · 2 yrs 1 mo

Trained across Finance (Energy, Natural Resources, Infrastructure & Projects), Corporate (public and private M&A, restructuring, and general advisory), and Disputes (corporate crime and investigations, financial services regulation, banking litigation, arbitration, and High Court litigation). Spent 6 months in the United Arab Emirates focusing on arbitration and employment law matters.