BBC Dragons’ Den star bravely recalls ‘very violent’ sexual assault: ‘Lucky to be alive!’
Louise Truman, the 25-year-old entrepreneur behind group travel company Plotpackers, made a powerful impression on Thursday evening’s series opener of Dragons’ Den on BBC One.
The young businesswoman, whose company organises backpacking trips for young travellers, shared a deeply personal and harrowing experience during her pitch.
She told the Dragons she had been “sexually assaulted very violently” during her travels and considers herself “very lucky to be alive”.
The traumatic ordeal ultimately became the driving force behind her business venture, and she walked away from the Den having secured a £60,000 investment for a 5 per cent stake from Deborah Meaden and Stephen Bartlett.
The Plotpackers founder told the Dragons she considers herself ‘very lucky to be alive’ as she opened up about the traumatic attack
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BBC / DRAGONS DEN
During her pitch, Ms Truman spoke about her lifelong desire to explore the world, describing it as something she had wanted to do for as long as she could remember.
“And as much as that’s a cliche, I’m now 25 and my most treasured memories are from my adventures around the world and all of the incredible people I have met along the way,” she told the panel.
However, she was candid about the darker side of her experiences abroad.
“But I am also no stranger to the dangers of travel, from the environmental toll to the personal safety risks that I’ve faced,” she added.
The young entrepreneur secured backing from Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett
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BBC / DRAGONS DEN
Dragon Peter Jones then pressed Ms Truman to elaborate on the personal risks she had alluded to.
She acknowledged the difficulty of discussing such a painful subject but was willing to open up.
“I’m happy to address it. It is obviously a very traumatic thing,” she said.
“I was sexually assaulted very violently and consider myself very lucky to be alive. As much as I don’t enjoy talking about it, it is a big reason why I did this.”
Three Dragons battled to invest in the 25-year-old’s travel company after her emotional pitch left a powerful impression
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BBC / DRAGONS DEN
Rather than letting the experience deter her from seeing the world, Ms Truman channelled it into building Plotpackers.
“It could have made me never travel again, but I’m glad it led to this,” she explained.
The business owner noted women make up 70 per cent of her customer base and that research consistently identifies safety as the foremost concern for female travellers.
Three Dragons made offers to Ms Truman following her pitch: Ms Meaden, Mr Bartlett and Susie Ma.
Before reaching her final decision, the Plotpackers founder sought guidance from fellow entrepreneur Jenna Meek.
The entrepreneur accepted a £60,000 investment for a five per cent stake
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BBC / DRAGONS DEN
Ultimately, Ms Truman opted to bring two Dragons on board rather than one.
She accepted a combined investment of £60,000 in exchange for a 5 per cent equity stake in her company, choosing to partner with Ms Meaden and Mr Bartlett.
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