Being recognised by Cranfield feels deeply meaningful to Rachel. “It honestly feels very surreal,” she says. “Cranfield was such a pivotal chapter in my life, and to be recognised by the university that helped shape my confidence as both a business owner and a leader means a huge amount. It feels like a full-circle moment, and a reminder that taking an unconventional route into higher education doesn’t limit you; it can actually make your story more powerful.”
From loving maths to leading movements
Rachel has always loved numbers. “I was that little girl who loved maths,” she says. “While lots of people found numbers intimidating, I found them exciting. They made sense to me.”
From an early age, she knew she wanted to be an accountant. Over time, that passion evolved into something deeper — an understanding that finance is not just about spreadsheets and compliance, but about people. “Accounting is about confidence and clarity,” she reflects. “It’s about helping people understand their options, make informed decisions and build businesses that genuinely change lives.”
Rachel is the founder of the striveX® group, a portfolio that includes striveX Accountants, striveX Audit, Strively and Accountant She®, businesses designed to work together to modernise accounting and make financial knowledge accessible.
striveX® is a values-led accounting firm helping founders scale profitably, while Accountant She® has grown into a global educational platform with more than 300,000 followers. Across social media, podcasts and speaking engagements, Rachel has become known for her ability to translate complex financial ideas into language that feels human, empowering and achievable.
“What I love most is the impact,” she says. “Helping a client feel confident about their numbers. Mentoring another accountant to grow their firm. Making finance feel less intimidating — that’s what drives me.”
A life-changing moment and a new mission
In 2021, Rachel’s life changed overnight. Following a routine NHS operation, she suddenly lost 85% of her hearing and became profoundly deaf.
She was sent home with hearing aids, a leaflet on deafness, and little practical support.
Her home had been built for hearing people. Her workplace, a business she had built herself, relied on phone calls, video meetings and face-to-face conversations. Her relationships felt altered, unfamiliar.
What followed was a period of intense adjustment: hundreds of hours of hearing therapy, speech therapy, British Sign Language lessons, specialist treatment for PTSD, cochlear implant assessments — all while continuing to lead and grow a demanding business. “There was a fear that if I showed how hard it was, people would only see my deafness, not who I am despite it.”
Instead of stepping back, Rachel chose to step forward — differently.
Over the past two years, Rachel has become a powerful advocate for accessibility and deaf awareness, particularly within business, media and events. She now acts as an ambassador to conferences and brands, helping them understand accessibility and inclusion — often volunteering her time. She has pledged to bring British Sign Language interpreters to every speaking event she appears at, personally covering the cost if organisers cannot. “You don’t have to be deaf to appreciate seeing sign language in person,” she says. “Representation matters. Accessibility benefits everyone.”
Her advocacy is not framed as charity, but as leadership — a belief that inclusion should be designed in, not added on.
Milestones that matter
Since graduating from Cranfield, Rachel’s career has gathered remarkable momentum. She has grown striveX® into a multiple seven-figure business while keeping it entirely UK-based, been named Accounting Personality of the Year, and taken to the TEDx stage to challenge traditional ideas of success in the profession. Alongside this, she has launched a podcast that has become a practical blueprint for accountants looking to scale their own firms, and become a familiar voice across national media, appearing on ITV, BBC Radio, LBC and Times Radio. More recently, she has been invited to Downing Street to represent small business owners and the accounting community at a national level — a reflection of the influence she now holds beyond her own organisations.
Yet when asked what she is most proud of, her answer is grounded and unshowy. “Building a business that creates real opportunities for others and a culture I’m genuinely proud of.”
The Cranfield effect
Rachel credits Cranfield with giving her the confidence and frameworks to articulate what she already sensed as a business owner. “My Masters helped me bridge the gap between intuition and strategy. It strengthened what I’d built through experience with academic insight.”
Equally powerful was the environment itself — a cohort of people unafraid to challenge convention, and mentors who encouraged her to embrace her unconventional path. “That shift, from feeling like an outsider to owning it as my strength, changed everything.”
Today, Rachel defines success as alignment. “Running a profitable, scalable business while having the freedom, energy and wellbeing to enjoy it.” It’s about building things that last whether it's teams, systems or impact, and helping others find their own version of success along the way.
Rachel’s ambitions remain bold and purposeful. She is focused on creating passive impact through digital education, CPD programmes and scalable systems that allow her to help thousands, not just hundreds.
She is equally committed to continuing her advocacy by challenging outdated stereotypes around both accounting and disability and making professional spaces more accessible for the next generation. “I want people to see what’s possible, whether you’re a woman in finance, disabled, or taking a path that doesn’t look traditional.”
Advice for the next generation
For students just beginning their Cranfield journey, Rachel’s advice is both practical and empowering. “Be open to being surprised by yourself. Stay curious. Ask great questions. Make the most of every opportunity to connect. Collect no’s.”
And finally, “Don’t underestimate the power of your story. The parts that feel unconventional now might be exactly what sets you apart later.”
Rachel Harris’s career is proof that success doesn’t come from fitting a mould, but from reshaping it — combining expertise with empathy, ambition with purpose, and personal experience with public impact. In doing so, she has not only redefined what modern accounting can look like but widened the space for others to see themselves within it.
