The Elevate Network

We started Elevate because we had to. Running a business is hard enough, but if you're someone the system forgot it's nearly impossible. In 2023, our co-founder Richard Hyman began building his first venture, and quickly discovered how locked out he was, as a visually impaired entrepreneur. Software for businesses had never been written with blind people in mind, and Companies House was unable to send him anything in braille, even on request. It was as if accessibility laws didn’t exist.

After spending thousands on software that claimed to be accessible and wasn't, receiving warning letters from Companies House in print which he obviously couldn't read, he began talking over his concerns with Freya Shaw, CEO of HODR. Both having visual impairments, they quickly noticed similarities in the issues they were facing, and decided to keep track of each other's progress.

It wasn't long before other founders began asking if they could also join Freya and Richard's calls. By August 2025, Elevate was meeting once a month; it had become a forum for solutions, a sounding board for ideas, and an area where ambitious entrepreneurs with disabilities felt heard, respected and challenged to step outside the status quo. Disabled people were finally on their way to getting the equity they deserved.