The Entrepreneurs
A weekly deep dive into global business. Inspiring stories from startups to legacy brands in hospitality, design, fashion, and retail.
Latest Episodes
Byborre and Nike ACG
We meet Borre Akkersdijk, co-founder of Byborre, a textile studio based in the Netherlands that specialises in sustainable and innovative fabric design. Plus, Bob Sheard, friend of the show and co-founder of brand agency Fresh Britain, stops by to discuss the power of logos and how Nike’s iconic swoosh almost…
Rails
Jeff Abrams, founder and creative director of fashion brand Rails, explains his approach to expanding into new markets, the importance of understanding international customers and how making decisions quickly helped him grow the brand… and avoid catastrophe after a truck robbery. Plus: Monocle’s fashion editor, Natalie Theodosi, discusses sustainable style…
Heat and Arthur Sleep
How did Heat secure major investment from industry heavyweights such as LVMH Luxury Ventures and tap into the all-important Gen Z audience, growing an engaged community of conscious shoppers with a season-less mindset? Founders Joe Wilkinson and Mario Maher tell us about their runaway commercial success and future-proofing luxury fashion.…
Fresh Fitness Food and Sips Berlin
This week we’re pairing two leading entrepreneurs in the world of food and wine. Our starter is Caspar Rose, co-founder and CEO of the Wellness Food Group, which owns and operates two leading UK brands in the ready-to-eat meal space. Then it’s over to Germany to meet Clara Higham-Stoianova, the…
Airtasker and Neometro
Tim Fung, CEO and co-founder of community marketplace Airtasker, tells us how the business has amassed a global following and expanded markets as demand for flexible work soars. Plus: we head to Melbourne to meet entrepreneur James Tutton, director of a purpose-driven developer that is changing the face of the…
Brand Britain special
What does ‘Brand Britain’ mean today and what comes next? An audience of students, brand leaders, investors and other stakeholders gathered in London to hear from writer Ekow Eshun, Belstaff CEO Fran Millar, Rapha founder Simon Mottram, the academic dean of Central Saint Martins, Rebecca Wright, Nc’nean founder Annabel Thomas…
AKQA & L-Acoustics
Ajaz Ahmed, leader of the world’s most decorated design agency, AKQA, returns to Monocle to tell us how the business has grown in the five years since his last visit. Plus: We head to Los Angeles to meet the CEO of L-Acoustics. He tells Monocle’s US editor about the company’s…
Bower and Aucart
Meet Suwar and Berfin Mert, the brother-and-sister team behind a Swedish app that rewards its users whenever they recycle everyday waste items. They tell us about fund-raising for global expansion and why the UK is next. Plus: five years since her last visit, we speak to Natasha Arselan, founder and…
Childs Farm and Lhamour
How did Childs Farm become the UK’s leading baby and child personal-care brand in less than a decade? Its founder, Joanna Jensen, explains how caring for her daughters’ sensitive skin inspired the development of products that worked for all of the family. Plus: the creator of another innovative and disruptive…
John Hitchcox
Kick off the new year with some entrepreneurial inspiration courtesy of the brilliant chairman and founder of Yoo Group and the driving force behind the €1.5bn regeneration of London Olympia. John Hitchcox has more than 40 years of experience shaping and reshaping neighbourhoods, and delivering a groundbreaking vision for our…
