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Rachel Lowe

Rachel Tanya Lowe MBE (born August 1977) is a serial entrepreneur, board game developer, and former best known for creating the bestselling Destination series of s. After studying Music and Law at South Downs College and earning a BSc (Hons) in Law with Business (2:1) from the University of Portsmouth in the early 2000s, Lowe balanced her studies with raising two young children and working as a London taxi driver, an experience that directly inspired the gameplay mechanics of her first major creation, Destination London, launched in 2004. Pitched on BBC's Dragon's Den without securing investment, the game nonetheless became a commercial success, topping sales at Hamleys toy store in London and outselling classics like Monopoly and Twister. Lowe founded RTL Games Ltd in 2003, which entered administration in 2009; she later founded Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles in 2017 and has since developed over 50 games and puzzles, including more than 30 editions of the Destination series featuring licensed collaborations with brands such as (Destination Hogwarts), Downton Abbey, and BBC's The Repair Shop (released for Christmas 2025). Her achievements include winning the NatWest Everywoman Award in 2006 and receiving the MBE in 2009 from II at for services to . As the first female Entrepreneur in Residence at the —her —Lowe mentors students and collaborates on projects, emphasizing her commitment to fostering and .

Background

Early life

Rachel Tanya Lowe was born in August 1977 in , . Raised in the seaside city of , Lowe became a mother at the age of 18 to daughters Hannah and Lauren, an experience that fostered her determination and strong work ethic from an early age. Her childhood in sparked an early interest in creativity and games; she enjoyed playing board games with her family and even invented her first game at the age of 10, laying the foundation for her later innovations. Lowe attended Catholic School in and St Edmund's Catholic School in during her early education. In her late teens and early twenties, while balancing early parenthood, she began university studies in Law with Business at the in the early 2000s. To support herself during this period, she worked as a taxi driver, where conversations with passengers about their travels and destinations directly inspired the concept for her first , involving taxis as playing pieces and a with various locales.

Education

Rachel Lowe attended Corpus Christi and St Edmund's Roman Catholic Schools in during her early education. Following , she studied and at South Downs College (formerly Havant and South Downs College). In the early 2000s, Lowe enrolled as a mature student at the , where she pursued a BSc (Hons) in Law with , graduating with a 2:1 in 2006. While balancing her studies, she worked part-time as , which offered practical insights into operations and customer interactions that complemented her academic learning. The coursework in her degree program fostered her entrepreneurial mindset, emphasizing product development strategies and enterprise principles that later informed her approach to innovation. As a young mother raising two children during this period, Lowe demonstrated perseverance in completing her degree amid personal responsibilities.

Career

RTL Games and Destination series

In 2003, Rachel Lowe founded Games Ltd as a serial entrepreneurial venture, utilizing prize money from The Enterprise Challenge competition at the to establish the company focused on design and publishing. The company's flagship product, Destination London, was created by Lowe drawing from her experiences as a taxi driver, where passenger stories inspired a travel-themed game centered on navigating 's landmarks. Launched in 2004 at Toy Store in for the season, the game featured map-based where players act as drivers, using taxi-shaped pieces to traverse a city board, answer trivia questions about destinations, and collect fares to accumulate the highest score within a timed shift. Initial sales reached 2,500 copies, making it Hamleys' top-selling game of the year both in-store and online. The success prompted rapid expansion of the Destination series, with editions released for other cities such as , , and , alongside themed variants like sports and holiday destinations, all retaining the core mechanics of trivia-driven travel and strategic route-planning on illustrated maps. The series eventually expanded to over 30 editions, consistently topping UK best-seller charts and demonstrating strong . RTL Games achieved notable growth milestones, including the 2006 NatWest Everywoman Award for Lowe's contributions, as the Destination series outsold established titles from major publishers like , such as and , particularly during its debut holiday season at . This positioned RTL as a competitive player in the industry, emphasizing innovative, location-specific trivia to appeal to family audiences and tourists.

Dragons' Den appearance and challenges

In 2005, Rachel Lowe appeared on the inaugural series of the BBC's , pitching her Destination London board game for £75,000 in investment in exchange for a 30% stake in RTL Games. Drawing from her experience as a taxi driver, Lowe presented the game as a fast-paced family alternative to traditional board games like , emphasizing its London-themed routes and trivia elements. However, the pitch faced intense scrutiny from the investors, who questioned her grasp of the company's finances, including distinctions between gross and net profits, and the overall market potential. Overwhelmed, Lowe was reduced to tears during the interrogation, and all five Dragons ultimately rejected the deal, with one likening her unpreparedness to "a ." Despite the public rejection and the emotional toll of the televised mauling, the exposure proved beneficial for RTL Games' visibility. Lowe secured retail deals with major outlets like and Toys R Us, leading to strong initial sales: £30,000 in the first year post-pitch, rising to £180,000 the next, and £300,000 by the third year. The company expanded the Destination series to over 20 editions, including licensed versions with brands like , outselling in its debut year and generating millions in revenue. This trajectory highlighted the double-edged nature of the Dragons' Den publicity, which amplified her brand while exposing vulnerabilities in her as a self-taught entrepreneur and . RTL Games' fortunes reversed amid broader economic pressures, culminating in administration in May 2009. The 2008 financial recession strained cash flow, exacerbated by banks refusing further funding despite a major licensing deal with for a -themed edition. The delay in the release of and the Half-Blood Prince film disrupted production timelines and creditor payments, leaving the company with significant debts and forcing Lowe to relinquish control. The collapse resulted in personal hardship, including the loss of her home and a period of , underscoring the risks of over-reliance on licensed tie-ins in a volatile market. Reflecting on these setbacks, Lowe emphasized as a entrepreneurial lesson, stating that "giving up completely is where you'd be failing" and advocating for realistic amid adversity. The Dragons' Den experience taught her the pitfalls of inadequate preparation and the amplified scrutiny of public failure, yet it also fueled her determination to pivot toward more sustainable ventures, rebuilding her career through renewed focus on and work-life balance.

She Who Dares initiative

Following the business challenges faced with RTL Games, Rachel Lowe co-founded She Who Dares UK Ltd in July 2010, drawing inspiration from her personal journey of resilience as a female entrepreneur to create a platform supporting women in business. The company focused on key activities such as developing and producing board games under the Destination series, including licensed editions like Destination Olympics, while launching a lifestyle brand featuring fragrances, jewelry, and handbags targeted at empowering women. These initiatives provided resources and motivational examples for female startups, notably Lowe's earlier achievement of outselling Hasbro's Monopoly at Hamleys with Destination London, which underscored the potential for women-led innovation in competitive markets. As Managing Director, Lowe oversaw product development, brand strategy, and community-building efforts to foster a supportive environment for aspiring . She was appointed director in June 2011, briefly resigned in April 2013, and was reappointed shortly thereafter to continue leading the company's growth. Lowe resigned as director of She Who Dares UK Ltd on 31 2017, transitioning her focus to new entrepreneurial ventures.

Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles

In 2017, Rachel Lowe established Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles as an independent studio specializing in the design and publication of licensed board games, puzzles, and games. The venture allowed her to pursue creative licensing opportunities directly, building on her prior experience with branded entertainment products. One of the studio's inaugural releases was the official remake of the , tied to the 2017 film reboot, which quickly became a on and earned the Product of the Year accolade at the 2019 Toy Industry Awards. This success was followed by other prominent licensed titles, including the : Road to in 2019, which immerses players in the event's narrative; the Call the , also released in 2019, simulating the challenges of in 1950s ; and the in 2020, a festive title encouraging family play during the holiday season. These products exemplify the studio's focus on accessible, thematic gameplay that appeals to fans of popular media franchises. Additional licensed Destination series editions include Destination and Destination , featuring trivia and navigation based on the respective TV series and universe. Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles operates on a centered on developing games and puzzles designed to foster shared experiences and lasting memories, achieved through strategic partnerships with major intellectual properties from , television, and entertainment. Complementing this, Lowe collaborated on reviving and expanding the Destination brand through licensing partnerships—originally developed during her earlier career—for a modern audience, culminating in the release of 17 jigsaw puzzle editions in 2025 that highlight iconic landmarks from global cities and regions such as , , , and , as well as the 2024 launch of the Destination board game and 1000-piece , where players deliver heirlooms to a barn for restoration in a show-inspired format.

Other professional activities

Rachel Lowe has actively participated in industry events as a , delivering speeches and workshops on , , , and overcoming adversity at conferences, corporate events, and networking gatherings. Her presentations draw from personal experiences in to inspire audiences, including a talk at the Women’s Network event where she emphasized the importance of intuition and networking for female business leaders. In media interviews, Lowe has shared insights into her entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how board games foster family memories and emotional connections. For instance, in a 2022 Forbes profile, she discussed the value of in , stating, “It’s important to acknowledge when someone is better at something than you – and surround yourself with them.” She has also contributed to discussions on work-life balance, particularly as a mother of two, describing in a 2015 Huffington Post interview how she structures her day around school runs, family activities, and business responsibilities while prioritizing personal goals to prevent burnout. Beyond speaking, Lowe provides advisory guidance to startups and emerging entrepreneurs through informal consultations and shared expertise on navigating the board game sector. In interviews, she offers practical startup advice, such as leveraging resilience after setbacks like the 2008 recession and focusing on market research for product viability. Her broader influence includes promoting intellectual property integration in games, as seen in her work adapting major brands into playable formats, which has helped elevate licensed products' role in the industry.

Recognition

Awards and honors

In 2006, Rachel Lowe received the everywoman Award for her innovative business contributions, particularly during the rapid growth of her Destination series, which highlighted her success as a female entrepreneur in the gaming industry. Lowe was appointed a Member of the () in the 2009 for services to business. In 2019, she was jointly awarded the Game of the Year by the Toy Retailers Association for her development and distribution of the , recognizing its commercial success and appeal in the licensed games market.

Academic and public roles

Rachel Lowe serves as the first female at the , where she mentors students, alumni, and staff on launching and scaling businesses, drawing from her own experiences developing board games during her studies there. In this role, she facilitates creative business workshops and collaborates with student groups on practical projects, such as business consultancy initiatives that emphasize hands-on learning over theoretical approaches. Lowe contributes to public discourse on through speaking engagements and featured insights, highlighting creative strategies for aspiring innovators, including leveraging personal strengths and protecting . Her presentations often reflect on her journey from taxi driving to game development, offering guidance on and collaborative opportunities in the creative sector. Through her work, Lowe continues to advocate for board games as tools that foster family bonding, problem-solving, and , positioning them as valuable for intergenerational learning and memory-making. This influence aligns with her 2009 MBE award for services to , underscoring her ongoing commitment to educational and public initiatives in .

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