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 177: Snow Peak
Lisa Yamai is the executive vice-president of Snow Peak, the Japanese outdoor apparel and gear firm, and granddaughter of the company’s founder. Yukio Yamai was an accomplished mountaineer who started the brand in 1958 to create climbing gear that met his standards. In 2014, Lisa joined to lead the design…
Deciem
Nicola Kilner is the co-founder and CEO of Deciem, a skincare firm with 50 shops that is known for its tagline, ‘The abnormal beauty company.’ Kilner co-founded the company with Brandon Truaxe, launching 10 brands in 2013. But it was the firm’s eleventh brand, The Ordinary, which has been its…
Eureka 176: Cossac
Agata Kozak launched Madrid-based Cossac in 2014, a women’s fashion label with a focus on sustainability. Kozak – who grew up in Poland, studied in Barcelona and Istanbul and worked in London – wants people to buy less while investing in quality pieces, which is why she makes wardrobe staples…
Farmacy
Camilla Fayed is the restaurateur behind plant-based Farmacy, which uses vegetables, fruit and herbs from her biodynamic farm in Kent. Launched in London in 2016, Farmacy now has an outpost in New York.
Eureka 175: Ocean Bottle
Will Pearson and Nick Doman are co-founders of Ocean Bottle, the London-based company behind a reusable water bottle that allows consumers to measure their impact on the collection of plastic in our oceans and rivers. Every bottle funds the sweeping up of about 11kg of plastics through partner Plastic Bank,…
Vivobarefoot
Galahad Clark is the co-founder of Vivobarefoot, whose lightweight shoes promote natural movement and help feet grow stronger. Galahad launched the company in 2012 with his cousin Asher Clark, both of whom are relatives of the original founders of Clarks, the English heritage shoe brand.
Eureka 174: Vitruvi
Brother-and-sister duo Sean and Sara Panton founded this Vancouver-based essential-oil brand in 2014. While the pair began by blending their products in their shared kitchen, Vitruvi is now one of North America’s leading players in a fast-growing industry.
Fully
David Kahl is the CEO and founder of Fully, a Portland-based office-furniture brand designing desks and chairs which, it says, encourage a more active and energetic workspace. Kahl started his professional life as an accountant. The job took him to Manhattan, where he lived through the horrors of September 11th,…
Eureka 173: Spinbox
Stephen Ying is the founder of Spinbox, a company making portable turntables with the aim of bringing music on vinyl to new audiences. Ying is a classically trained musician who also tours the world as DJ QuestionMark. By creating Spinbox he was hoping to introduce more people to a DIY…
Huel
Julian Hearn is the founder of nutrition brand Huel, one of the fastest-growing companies in the UK. Hearn sold a previous business for a tidy sum in 2011 before launching Huel in 2015 with input from nutrition expert James Collier. The company has sold more than 40 million meals in…
