
The Entrepreneurs
A weekly deep dive into global business. Inspiring stories from startups to legacy brands in hospitality, design, fashion, and retail.
Latest Episodes

Coffee culture
It’s sold in more than 140 countries, served in more than 100,000 outlets and almost seven million cups of its product are consumed everyday. But with an evolving coffee scene, a rise in Asian demand and the threat of climate change, how is Italian brand Illy preparing for the future?…

Road ready
Cousins Robert Nightingale and Jonathan Cazzola grew up in the British countryside, where they developed a passion for vintage motorcycles. Amid careers in branding and design, they realised that the motorcycle world lacked a handsome and robust luggage and accessories brand and so decided to create one. The pair share…

Music to your ears
What does a brand sound like? This week we meet an entrepreneur and DJ who believes that every brand should have a strategy for sound. Brian d’Souza of Open Ear explains how to curate a brand’s musical identity.

Making a mark
Which luxury companies are doing their part to protect the planet and how can consumers know which brands to trust? Diana Verde Nieto’s solution is something called the Butterfly Mark. Here she explains the power of trust and the twists and turns of her career in sustainability. Meanwhile, we meet…

Attention to detail
Acclaimed social scientist Dr Robert Cialdini knows all about persuasion and influence. He talks about his new bestseller ‘Pre-Suasion’, which reveals how the world’s best persuaders succeed based on what they do before they deliver their message. Plus: boot-makers in Norway, an Australian dog-walking company with a difference and the…

Like a local
The global travel industry is a juggernaut influenced by world events, hi-tech disruption, the rise of the middle class and long-term trends, one of which is the increasing desire for a genuine local experience when overseas. We meet the CEOs of two travel companies that aim to fulfil that need:…

Do the Kind thing
Daniel Lubetzky is the founder and CEO of Kind, the fastest-growing snack company in the US, and author of the ‘New York Times’ bestseller ‘Do the Kind Thing’. Lubetzky and his team have built a billion-dollar company based on healthy ingredients and a devotion to the philosophy and practice of…

High velocity
Velocity is an app that offers a curated selection of the world’s best dining experiences, picked by local insiders. The all-in-one platform is aimed at the jet-set crowd and lets users discover, reserve and pay for meals around the world. Co-founder Alex Macdonald shares the company’s story and vision. Meanwhile,…

Craftwork
Hirofumi Kurino from United Arrows and Simone Cipriani from the Ethical Fashion Initiative discuss the creative partnership that led them to hitch a ride to Ethiopia. Then the CEO of Oliver Peoples explains why the US eyewear brand is making moves in Europe. And Palida Boonyarungsrit reveals how she’s leveraging…

Designing the simple life
In an age of digital distraction and constant interruption one company is taking a stand for minimalism through good design. Punkt. is a Swiss brand that creates products to simplify our frenetic lives. Their latest creation is a mobile phone that does just two things: make calls and send texts.…