It is possible to start or join a Zoom meeting without the host present, as long as the host scheduled the meeting with specific settings configured. When scheduling a meeting, the host must disable the waiting room feature and enable the setting to allow participants to join before the host. 29-Aug-2022
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/8780304262157-Starting-a-meeting-without-the-host-present#:~:text=It%20is%20possible%20to%20start,to%20join%20before%20the%20host.