15 June 2022
Episode 557
30 minutes
Photo: Arden Wray
Tomos Lewis speaks to the founders of three independent businesses in Toronto, all of whom opened their first bricks-and-mortar shops since the onset of the pandemic. Exploring the value of physical retail are Martha Sharpe of Flying Books; Krysta Oben and Nicole Campbell of the Grape Witches natural-wine retailer; and Natasha McDiarmid and Sam Johnstone, founders of the Troublesome design shop and coffee bar.
15 June 2022
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
MZ Skin and Innovation Norway
We meet Maryam Zamani, world-leading oculoplastic surgeon and founder of high-performance skincare line MZ Skin. Plus: we head to Seattle to hear how Norway’s international business delegation is leveraging the country’s…
Eureka 386: Lonestar Data Holdings Inc
We meet Chris Stott, the founder and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings Inc, a groundbreaking initiative working to establish commercial data centres on the moon to store and safeguard information for future generations. The…
Scott Malkin and Value Retail
Tyler Brûlé catches up with Value Retail founder and friend of the show, Scott Malkin, about his latest venture, Belmont Park Village in New York. Malkin discusses the latest addition to The Bicester Collection family of…
Eureka 385: Framery
Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent, Petri Burtsoff, visits the factory of Framery, the world’s leading manufacturer of cutting-edge soundproof pods, to see firsthand how it has become the market leader in the industry. Plus…
Blue Apple Beach
Georgina Godwin heads to the Caribbean coast of Colombia to meet Portia Hart, founder of Blue Apple Beach, a boutique hotel and beach club on the island of Tierra Bomba. Hart discusses her regenerative approach to sustai…
Eureka 384: Maxhosa Africa
We meet Laduma Ngxokolo, founder and creative director of Maxhosa Africa, a knitwear brand that’s making a splash on the global fashion scene. He discusses how the label blends culturally rooted textile styles with high-end…
Druthers
We meet Adam Gianotti, co-founder and designer of Druthers, a New York-based clothing brand born from a desire to bring greater intentionality to the fashion industry. Gianotti talks about the importance of sustainable,…
Eureka 383: Crafty Boys
Actor and Crafty Boys co-founder Charlie Hamblett discusses the origin story of the catering and craft service provider for film and TV sets, which he launched with his brother Louis. Hamblett talks about navigating the…
Montalba Architects
Swiss-American architect David Montalba founded the eponymous award-winning international firm in 2004. Montalba reflects on the company’s upcoming 20th anniversary, the effect of his early experiences working with renowned…
Eureka 382: Arbonics
Petri Burtsoff heads to Tallinn to meet Lisette Luik, co-founder of Arbonics, an Estonian technology company that calculates the carbon removal potential of land and allows landowners to better quantity this data. With…
Blaise Duboux and Destinate
We explore wine destinations around the world. First we head to the picturesque village of Epesses in the Lavaux winegrowing region of Switzerland, home to the largest vineyard area in the country and a Unesco World Heri…
Eureka 381: Oneworld
Gerhard Girkinger, vice-president of customer experience, delivery and membership at Oneworld, talks about the inspiration behind the company’s expansion into branded lounges. It recently opened two locations in Seoul…
Vyn and Namuk
We meet two Swiss founders working to combat overconsumption in style. Co-founder Stefan Mathys breaks down how Vyn trainers marry craftsmanship with a deep understanding of wear patterns to craft durable kicks with added…
Eureka 380: Big Mountain Brewing Company
Founder Jack Geldard has a thirst for adventure. Introduced to craft beer while climbing in California, Geldard was disappointed with the lack of options in Chamonix after relocating to the French Alps. That set him on the…
Gabar and 27 87
We explore the world of perfume with two female entrepreneurs in the fragrance industry. Phway Su Aye discusses the philosophy behind Gabar, a fragrance brand that aims to capture the beauty and complexity of Myanmar cul…
