Jenna Meek, who attended St John’s Catholic School and Sixth Form in Bishop Auckland, took her place in the Den as a new Dragon and is now inspiring students from her old school.
She is the co-founder of beauty brand Refy, which is stocked in Selfridges, Brown Thomas and Sephora across the UK, Ireland, US, Canada, and the Middle East.
St John’s now has the rare honour of counting two Dragons among its alumni, with fellow County Durham entrepreneur Sara Davies also attending the school
The school described Ms Meek as an “incredible role model” in a post on social media.
It said: “A passionate, dedicated and ambitious student, she has transferred all of these qualities into her career as an entrepreneur, starting with a International Fashion Marketing degree and leading to making it onto the Sunday Times Beauty Rich List in 2025.
“Jenna is a fantastic example of what hard work and commitment can achieve, and we could not be prouder to hold her among our alumni.
“A true inspiration for what can be achieved by following your dreams.”
At the time of her casting in the Den, Ms Meek said: “I am so excited to be joining Dragons’ Den, this has been a lifelong goal of mine.
“Dragons’ Den is the reason I became an entrepreneur, from watching it with my dad from such a young age, so it is incredible to be able to meet so many amazing entrepreneurs building businesses and pushing the boundaries.
“It is such an empowering environment and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
Ms Meek was ranked 13th on the 2025 Sunday Times Beauty Rich List, with an estimated net worth of £52 million.