The Entrepreneurs
A weekly deep dive into global business. Inspiring stories from startups to legacy brands in hospitality, design, fashion, and retail.
Latest Episodes
Labrum London
Foday Dumbuya is the founder and creative director of Labrum London, a British-African menswear brand he launched in 2015 to bridge the gap between London and the culture of West Africa. Originally from Sierra Leone, he moved to the UK as a young man. After college, he started his career…
Airbnb
Last year was very nearly the end for home-sharing platform Airbnb, which lost around 80 per cent of its business following lockdown announcements. But co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky says the turbulence of 2020 has allowed the California-based company to get back to its roots. Following a hugely successful IPO…
Asket
Jakob Dworsky and August Bard Bringéus are the co-founders of Swedish menswear label Asket. Launched in 2015, the brand’s aim is to create well-made wardrobe staples to inspire customers to buy less. More recently, Asket created an impact receipt for its staple pieces and overhauled its packaging. It’s an incredible…
Lindsay Jang
Hailing from Alberta, Canada, restaurateur and entrepreneur Lindsay Jang moved to Hong Kong 12 years ago with business partner Matt Abergel. She is the co-founder of three of Hong Kong’s best Japanese-inspired restaurants (and Monocle favourites) Yardbird HK, Ronin and Roti Tori, as well as Sunday’s Grocery and Japanese beverage…
Clearbanc
Canadian serial entrepreneur Michele Romanow is the co-founder and president of e-commerce investor Clearbanc. Since launching in 2015, the company has invested more than US$1.5bn in more than 4,000 companies in five countries. Romanow, also a co-host on CBC television show ‘Dragons’ Den’, says that though e-commerce is booming, retail…
Kimai and Hotel Starlino
We meet Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus, childhood friends who grew up in family jewellery businesses and are now co-founders of Kimai, a brand built around lab-grown diamonds in Antwerp, which is appealing to more socially aware buyers. Plus: spirits-branding expert Elwyn Gladstone joins to discuss Hotel Starlino, an all-natural…
Zoku
Hans Meyer is co-founder of Amsterdam-based hotel company Zoku, which launched in 2016. Zoku’s apartments are designed to act as hybrid work and living spaces that allow us to relax, sleep, entertain or simply focus. The company will open properties in Vienna and Copenhagen later this year. Meyer was co-founder…
Equiano
Equiano is a rum made between Africa and the Caribbean, which is using its name to tell the story of Olaudah Equiano. The Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist was able to buy his freedom from slavery in the 18th century in part by selling rum, before settling in London. Two of…
Pentatonic
Johann Bödecker and Jamie Hall are the co-founders of Pentatonic, a design firm that creates products that promote a more sustainable way of living. Run between London and Berlin, they’ve worked with a host of top brands, such as Microsoft, Red Bull and Starbucks, and recently collaborated with Otherware, the…
Article One
Wes Stoody is founder and CEO of Article One, an eyewear brand born in Flint, Michigan. Article One has made a name for itself in terms of both style and craftsmanship, with all of its frames made by just a few small factories in northern Italy. Article One has collaborated…
