Kelly Hoppen joined the British television series Dragons' Den in 2013 as its first female interior designer investor.
Hoppen is a British designer known for a restrained style often described through neutral colours, clean lines and a blend of eastern and western design influences. She built a substantial design business before appearing on television as an investor.
Her Dragons' Den role differed from that of investors whose reputations came mainly from retail, finance or manufacturing. Hoppen could draw on experience in design-led product development, licensing, interiors and premium branding when assessing entrepreneurs.
The date is sometimes mixed up with the arrival dates of other women on the panel. Deborah Meaden joined much earlier, Sara Davies arrived in 2019 and Jenny Campbell joined in 2017. Hoppen's tenure was comparatively brief, but her appointment marked a notable expansion of the backgrounds represented among the Dragons.