13 December 2017
Episode 322
30 minutes
Jack Bensimon is the founder and president of Canada’s largest independent advertising agency, Bensimon Byrne. Founded in 1993 by Bensimon and longtime friend Peter Byrne, the agency has been responsible for some of the most memorable ads in Canadian history. The Toronto-based agency is one of few in the world to ever buy itself back from a multinational holding company. Here Bensimon tells us the story of the company, the ideas behind some of its major campaigns and why independence is so important to them.
13 December 2017
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle's email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
The Entrepreneurs - latest episodes
Eureka 135: Beaumont Nathan
Beaumont Nathan is an independent art-advisory firm that’s breathing new life into the global market by using experience and data to make sales more transparent. The firm was founded in 2013 by Hugo Nathan and Wentworth…
Instrmnt
Pete Sunderland and Ross Baynham are co-founders of Glasgow design studio Instrmnt. The studio launched in 2014 with the release of the industrial-inspired Instrmnt 01, a crowdfunded steel watch.
Eureka 134: Burdifilek
Diego Burdi and Paul Filek founded Toronto-based interior-design firm Burdifilek in 1993 – in the midst of a recession. They’ve since designed iconic interiors for many of North America’s top retailers and, while the ind…
Ennismore
Sharan Pasricha knows every detail counts in the world of hospitality. And it’s why the founder and CEO of Ennismore pushes his team to constantly think outside the box in designing inspiring and creative social hubs. The…
Eureka 133: Maapilim
Looking to the seafaring roots of his family – and the traditional ingredients used on the spice route connecting Asia, Africa and Europe for thousands of years – Jonathan Keren and his husband Doron Baduach launched a line…
Plumen
Nicolas Roope and Michael-George Hemus are the co-founders of London-based designer lighting company Plumen. While coming from very different backgrounds, the two shared a vision for what a design-first brand could become…
Eureka 132: Airtasker
Airtasker is an online platform that helps users outsource everyday tasks. It was created by Tim Fung in 2012 and today there are more than 1.5 million people in Australia and the UK using it, with more than €13m worth of…
Mrs Wordsmith
Sofia Fenichell is founder and CEO of Mrs Wordsmith, an illustrated children’s book series focusing on words that, according to data scientists, will help children succeed academically. ‘The Storyteller’s Illustrated Dic…
Eureka 131: Dark Horses
Simon Dent launched Dark Horses with London ad agency Lucky Generals two years ago. The aim was to build a network of entrepreneurial companies to meet the ever-demanding needs of top clients in the world of sport.
CDLP
Andreas Palm and Christian Larson are the co-founders of premium Swedish underwear brand CDLP, which is stocked by top hotels and retailers around the world. Larson is a filmmaker who has created music videos for artists…
Eureka 130: Frank Green
When a corporate career in business strategy led Benjamin Young into Australia’s waste-management sector, he quickly learned that disposable cups were a huge problem for landfill sites and oceans. Young spent four years…
Epic Foundation
French serial entrepreneur Alexandre Mars has always seen business as an opportunity to drive positive social change in the world. Mars is a celebrated philanthropist and founder and CEO of the global nonprofit Epic. The…
Athletic Propulsion Labs
Adam and Ryan Goldston were student athletes at the University of Southern California when they started Athletic Propulsion Labs and created a basketball shoe proven to make players jump higher. Launched direct to consumer…
The best of The Entrepreneurs
For our final episode of the year, we look back at some of the most inspiring conversations we’ve had this year, unpacking everything from branding, growing a company, building a strong team, attracting investment and…
Eureka 129: Grenade
Grenade is one of the fastest growing brands in the massive sports-nutrition market. The brand was started by Alan and Juliet Barratt, who created their first product in their home kitchen in 2009, later launching the…