Following a few years leading cultural tours around the World, Penelope has set up and grown two businesses since she left University, where she read Politics and French. Born to Spend designed and made costume jewellery which was sold through a number of specialist retailers in London. With Chelsea Enamels, Penelope produced hand-painted bespoke enamel boxes specially commissioned by private and corporate clients.
In 2006, Penelope joined forces with Mallett of Bond Street, leading designers and world-renowned ateliers to bring to life the ground-breaking Made by Meta contemporary art-furniture collection which was unveiled in Milan, New York and London in 2008.
Penelope is a Trustee of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, the Wisbech & Fenland Museum and the Swaffham Prior Community Land Trust. She is a Member of the Peterborough Keys Academies Trust in Peterborough, the Council of the Order of St Etheldreda at Ely Cathedral and the Marlay Group, which supports the work of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. She sits on the Board of the Fenland & East Cambridgeshire Opportunity Area for Department of Education. She has also set up and runs a small access-to-work and diversity programme at Jack Hunt School in Peterborough.
Penelope was the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire for 2012/13, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire in 2013.