The Steps Foundation

The Steps Foundation is a student-led social mobility organisation in England, registered as a community interest company, that runs free events, school workshops and mentoring to help students from any background into university and professional careers. Its motto is "Virtus non origo", and it says it exists to make academic and professional attainment independent of social background, so that students' prospects depend on ability and character rather than origin.

Work

The foundation describes three strands of work: summits that bring hundreds of students together with near-peer speakers; visits inside companies and universities; and workshops on exam technique run by students who have recently sat the papers. Its events have included Starting Point, a day for Year 12 and 13 students on routes into finance, law, consulting and Oxbridge, held at Euston in central London in September 2025 for more than 170 students, as well as Oxbridge interview workshops and A-level office hours. Everything is free to students, and it offers workshops in schools at no cost. For employers it arranges insight days and mentoring, and it runs an online student hub. The foundation reports having supported more than 3,500 students at its events.

People

The foundation's team page lists God'sFavour Oluwanusin and Jin Samson as co-founders, alongside a core team and regional leads for the North, the Midlands and the South who are students and recent graduates. Daniyaal Anawar says he founded the organisation and has since left; he co-founded and co-hosted Starting Point under its banner.