Sarah Willingham

Sarah Willingham is founder and CEO of Nightcap Group, the award-winning hospitality company behind The Cocktail Club, Dirty Martini, and Brighton i360, which achieved the most successful AIM float of 2021. A former Dragons' Den investor and the entrepreneur who transformed Bombay Bicycle Club into the UK's largest Indian restaurant chain, she has also led international expansion for Pizza Express and Planet Hollywood.

Growing a business, securing investment, and building brands that last requires more than ambition. It demands sharp commercial instincts, resilience, and the ability to spot opportunities others miss. Sarah Willingham is a British entrepreneur, investor, and television personality who has built a career doing exactly that. From transforming restaurant chains into market leaders to founding one of the UK's most successful hospitality groups, she has established herself as a formidable force in business. Best known for her role as an investor on BBC's Dragons' Den and as founder and CEO of Nightcap Group, Sarah combines hands-on operational expertise with strategic vision, making her one of the most respected voices in entrepreneurship and hospitality.

Sarah's career began with rapid progression through the corporate ranks, leading international expansion for PizzaExpress and Planet Hollywood after completing three business degrees, including an MBA from Cranfield School of Management. In 2004, she acquired The Bombay Bicycle Club and transformed it into the UK's largest chain of Indian restaurants before exiting in 2007. Her entrepreneurial portfolio expanded further when she co-founded Neutrahealth plc, demonstrating her ability to identify and scale high-potential businesses across sectors. In 2015, Sarah joined Dragons' Den, where her approachable style and sharp commercial judgment made her one of the show's most popular investors. Her achievements continued to accelerate when she founded Nightcap Group in 2021, delivering the most successful AIM float that year. Today, Nightcap is an award-winning collection of innovative bar brands including The Cocktail Club, Tonight Josephine, Dirty Martini, and most recently, Brighton i360, which the company acquired and reopened in 2025. Sarah also serves as Chair and investor in Tonkotsu and Rockwater, and her leadership has earned recognition including Business Leader of the Year at the Publican Awards in 2023 and a place among The Times' most successful women in business.

Sarah's keynote presentations equip audiences with practical tools to grow businesses, secure investment, and navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. She shares candid insights on scaling operations, making bold decisions, and balancing ambition with purpose-driven leadership. Her experience spans corporate expansion, brand building, turnarounds, and public markets, giving her a rare breadth of knowledge that resonates with founders, investors, and corporate leaders alike. As a passionate advocate for women in business and financial empowerment, Sarah inspires audiences to take calculated risks, back themselves, and build ventures with lasting impact. Her talks leave audiences energised, informed, and ready to apply proven strategies to their own entrepreneurial journeys.