Julie Deane CBE graduated from Cambridge University in 1987. She joined Deloitte and qualified as a Chartered Accountant before returning to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she became the first woman appointed as Fellow for Development and the Registrary in the college's 650-year history. In 2008, Julie founded The Cambridge Satchel Company with a modest fund of £600. The company has grown into a global brand, employing over 140 people and selling products in more than 120 countries. In January 2014, it secured $21 million in funding from Index Ventures. Julie is dedicated to supporting British manufacturing, establishing a production base in Leicester that produces 10,000 bags monthly. The operation has received several awards, including The Insider's British Manufacturer of the Year in 2014. She is an Ambassador for the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), which supports British craftsmanship. In December 2014, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Services to Entrepreneurship and is currently the Entrepreneur in Residence at The British Library. The Cambridge Satchel Company has collaborated with renowned designers and retailers such as Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garçons. The brand's bags have appeared on catwalks from London to New York and have been carried by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Emma Stone, and Lady Gaga. The bags have also been featured in TV shows, including Girls, The Good Wife, and Gossip Girl, and were the official end-of-filming gift for the cast of Mad Men. Julie was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021 for services to Entrepreneurship and Manufacturing.