Elizabeth Colleran

Duvalay, Co founder & Sales and Marketing Director

Elizabeth Colleran

Unlike many stories you hear, my entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin early on in my career. Sitting at my kitchen table in 2003 with a basic computer, my phone, and an enormous amount of passion, I set about turning my dream of building a successful business into a reality at the age of 42. Starting with the idea of an innovative, comfort-enhancing mattress topper that would not only dramatically enhance my lifestyle but also fill an all too apparent gap in the market, my sleep brand, Duvalay, was born. 

The Duvalay story rocketed to fame in 2011, when myself and my husband embarked upon a nerve-wracking journey to the Dragons’ Den. Our appearance on the hit BBC show –along with our much-loved, heroic flagship product, the Duvalay memory foam sleeping bag –led to national brand awareness, as well as a business-boosting investment by late ‘Dragon’ and Pall-Ex empire founder, Hilary Devey CBE. 

Since then, the business has continued to flourish and grow, and my passion has never once waned. We now have a never-growing team, two out of three of my sons are on-board, and we have upscaled our premises multiple times. 

Throughout the (almost) 20 years of Duvalay, we have proudly received many awards as a business for our expertise and innovation in the sector, and I have been lucky enough to have my own personal achievements recognised –scooping up the title of Yorkshire Forward Business Woman of the Year in 2012. Innovation has been the key factor to our success and our position as market leaders. Every day I continue to search for new ways to make it easier to sleep better. I believe that with the right product, anywhere can be a comfy, luxurious place to sleep.