The Entrepreneurs
A weekly deep dive into global business. Inspiring stories from startups to legacy brands in hospitality, design, fashion, and retail.
Latest Episodes
Eureka 245: Jacaranda
Valerie Brandes is founder and CEO of Jacaranda, an independent UK-based publisher she launched in 2012. With the aim of bringing more diverse voices to market, Jacaranda and its writers have won multiple awards and the publisher recently secured several partnerships, including with Hachette and Audible, which will help to…
Tequila
Tequila is a booming business globally. This week we hear from two of the most exciting brands on the market, which are making waves with their award-winning spirits. Max Davies-Gilbert and Robin Clough walk us through the story of their brand Enemigo, which is stocked by the UK’s top hotels…
Eureka 244: Kankan
Eliza Flanagan and Mary McLeod are co-founders of Kankan, a soap and personal-care brand they launched in 2019 to promote the circular economy. Their soaps and body wash come in aluminum cans, a great way to curb the use of single use plastic soap bottles. McLeod previously worked in retail…
Patagonia and &Open
Patagonia has been known for decades as a leader in climate activism. This week, we catch up with Beth Thoren, the outerwear brand’s environmental action director, to hear about the initiatives she is spearheading in Europe. Plus: Monocle’s Josh Fehnert speaks with Irish entrepreneur Jonathan Legge to hear about &Open,…
Eureka 243: Nature Squared
Lay Koon Tan is the founder of Nature Squared, which uses natural materials in its luxury products such as car interiors, pens, homeware and furniture. Utilising manufacturing byproducts that would otherwise go to waste – including bamboo, egg shells, mango skins, feathers and tobacco leaves – Nature Squared has collaborated…
Blackrock
Frank Cooper III is the senior managing director and global chief marketing officer at Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager. Cooper started his career as a lawyer for iconic music labels Def Jam and Motown, before moving into marketing with Pepsico and later Buzzfeed. Today he helps brands decode the…
Eureka 242: The New Craftsmen
In the second part of our feature on supporting artisans and makers, we meet Catherine Lock, who is co-founder and creative director of The New Craftsmen. The brand works with a range of top makers from across the British Isles, curating and supporting their work which is sold online and…
Supporting artisans
In the first part of our look at how best to support artisans and makers and to celebrate their craft, we meet Suzie de Rohan Willner, CEO of UK womenswear and homeware label Toast, to learn about its mentorship platform, The New Makers. Plus: we meet Martin Johnston and Lise…
Eureka 241: Kids O’Clock
Laura Roso Vidrequin is the founder of Kids O’Clock, a London-based platform for recycling and reselling children’s clothing. Laura is a former buyer for Net-a-Porter, Moda Operandi and Harvey Nichols, who has created a circular-economy solution for parents looking to buy or pass along clothing that their kids have outgrown.
Fashion: Second Life
The market for the resale and rental of clothing, accessories and luxury items is booming. This week, we meet Eshita Kabra-Davies, CEO and founder of UK rental platform By Rotation on why sharing is a great option to buying new and head to Hong Kong to meet Sarah Fung, CEO…
