Kelly Hoppen joined the Dragon's Den panel in 2013 after building a career in interior design.
Hoppen is a British designer known for a style often described as combining clean lines, neutral colours and an East-meets-West influence. She developed her design business internationally and worked on residential, commercial and transport-related interiors.
Her appointment added a specialist design and branding perspective to the investor panel. In pitches, her expertise could be relevant to product appearance, customer experience, hospitality and premium positioning, although her decisions were based on the wider commercial proposition as well.
The year 2013 identifies her arrival on the British programme, rather than the launch of her design career. She is also associated with books, homeware and television work. Sara Davies, Deborah Meaden and Jenny Campbell are other female Dragons, but they joined the programme in different periods.