Monocle 24: The Entrepreneurs

L’Objet founder Elad Yifrach talks about the value of materiality in design, smart collaborations and growing a luxury decor brand celebrated for its commitment to craftsmanship. Plus: we meet the boss of Kachimode, a Japanese firm that investigates whether real estate properties are haunted.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

António Amorim, the CEO of the world's leading producer of cork, talks about the surprising versatility of the material and its many uses in industries from wine to aerospace and construction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

N.Peal’s owner, Adam Holdsworth, discusses his measured approach to the company’s expansion strategy and collaborations. Plus: We meet Tomokuni Tsuji, the CEO of Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment business behind Hello Kitty.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We visit Wandl in Ruhpolding, Bavaria, where a husband-and-wife team host corporate retreats in a historic alpine farmhouse. Teams leave behind dull hotel rooms to breathe fresh mountain air and find new focus for leadership.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rejoice! Rosé season doesn’t have to end. We meet husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Jeany Cronk, the founders of award-winning rosé brand Maison Mirabeau, which is now sold in more than 40 countries. They share how a risky move to Provence paid off and why rosé deserves a place on festive tables.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Ece Gözen, co-founder of Gozen, the biotechnology company behind Lunaform, a biomaterial now catching the attention of major fashion houses such as Balenciaga and offering a new approach to sustainable design.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Italy is positioning itself to become Europe’s next tech hub. Plus: author Mehran Gul on ‘The New Geography of Innovation: The Global Contest for Breakthrough Technologies’. And: Kagi founder Vladimir Prelovac on the search engine’s answer to combating internet AI slop.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Pietro Collina, co-founder of Whitebox Cocktails, a company making full-strength, single-serve classics such as negronis, espresso martinis and cosmopolitans. Collina talks about creating canned cocktails and scaling the brand to international shelves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder Scott Hudson shares the story of Henrybuilt and how the company constructed a business around custom kitchen systems that combine design, craftsmanship and function.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder Natalie Enslöw shares how she launched Fjör, a skincare brand tackling dryness, sensitivity and other skin issues with advanced microbiome technology and a purpose-driven approach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore different ways to build community through entrepreneurship. June O’Sullivan talks about the role of social enterprise in shaping modern business. Then: Alexei Korolyov meets the founder of an independent Viennese cafe chain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CEO of Cata, David Brunier, shares his journey to creating a next-generation SaaS platform that launches fully branded consumer apps with no coding and minimal upfront costs, including the top app in Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aera co-founders Jas Minhas and Olof Larsson join us at Midori House to discuss how things have been ticking along at their watch brand since Minhas’s previous visit. Plus: Monocle’s Brenda Tuohy on Geneva Watch Days trends.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

French-Togolese architect and co-founder of Studio Neida, Jeanne Autran-Edorh, talks about the future of design in Togo and how her work is making an impact internationally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonny Lake and Isa Bal, co-founders and masterminds behind the two Michelin-starred Trivet in London, discuss their latest venture. Plus: Simon Kim chats about shaking up the traditional American steakhouse with the acclaimed Cote. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roberts Treize shares the story of Sporonex, a Latvian startup developing sustainable acoustic solutions using mycelium and circular-waste materials.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laurent Kleitman stops by Monocle’s Paris studio to reflect on the state of luxury hospitality, Mandarin Oriental’s takeover of the Lutetia hotel and the group’s starring role in season three of The White Lotus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Didrik Dimmen is the co-founder and CEO of Auk, an award-winning indoor smart-gardening system that makes it easy to grow fresh herbs, salad plants and even vegetables, no matter the season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We mark two centuries of passenger rail with a look at what’s down the line. Björn Bender, CEO of Rail Europe, discusses the direction of travel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to share something that’s rooted in place with the world? Naoki Mita discusses Le Furo’s “craft onsen” – concentrated hot spring solutions that capture the therapeutic benefits of Japan’s mineral-rich waters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feng Chen Wang is a Chinese, London-based fashion designer who embodies what it means to update tradition. Her eponymous brand creates pieces that are deeply personal yet globally resonant, merging traditional Chinese references with modern tailoring, sportswear influences and futuristic silhouettes. As her brand marks a decade of boundary-pushing design, Wang reflects on her upbringing in Fujian, collaborations with major brands such as Converse and why straddling cultures is her superpower in both design and business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Maas, co-founder of Papa Salt, talks about testing 59 distilled recipes before settling on their gin, which uses native Australian botanicals. Plus: a florist’s mission to elevate the status of the country’s wildflowers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Archer Aviation’s founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein, joins to discuss the UAE launch of the ‘Midnight’ eVTOL. Is a 20-minute Dubai-Abu Dhabi commute in the offing?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ole Scheeren is the award-winning German architect behind some of the world’s most ambitious and unconventional buildings. From tech campuses in Asian megacities to residential apartment blocks in Vancouver, Scheeren’s designs seamlessly bridge opposing aesthetics and functionalities. In this episode he tells us about the power of cross-cultural collaboration and how this can enrich the lives of those who live, work and gather in his spaces.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet the founder of outdoor-adventure emporium Arksen to hear how the lifelong thrill-seeker built a business to share his love of exploration and bring a new approach to the industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder and creative director Vania Leles shares the story of how she became a gemologist and launched her brand, Vanleles, an African high-jewellery brand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to grow ambitious start-ups into impactful businesses and foster diverse, inclusive leadership from the start? Roxanne Varza is director of Paris’s Station F, the world’s largest start-up campus. Previously head of Microsoft’s French start-up activity and named by Business Insider as one of tech’s 30 most influential women under 30, she tells Monocle’s Tom Edwards what it takes to be a Station F company and how to champion progressive change in the workplace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Brinkworth, founder and CEO, and strategy lead Nick Roberts return to Midori House to discuss the company’s 35th birthday and why human connection remains at the heart of the agency’s vision.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Wilcox is the founder and CEO of Dallas-based US regional air carrier JSX, which has won customers and plaudits thanks to its distinctive hop-on/hop-off service. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Balineum founder Sarah Watson discusses the challenges facing Stoke-on-Trent, aka “The Potteries”, the historic heart of the UK’s ceramics industry. Plus: how she’s investing in its revival by supporting future talent and local manufacturing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The co-founder and CEO of Wahu Mobility, Valerie Labi, talks about launching Ghana’s first electric-bike manufacturer, scaling the business despite early doubts and her plans to expand into new markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pure Effect co-founder Linda Rosendahl Nordin explains how the Swedish biotech company uses beneficial microbes to clean fabrics without washing. Plus: Morjas founder, Henrik Berg, talks brand growth, footwear and launching a women’s line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder Stavros Kois shares how he grew a small optical shop in Syros into a globally recognised brand offering distinctive eyewear and silk scarves inspired by the style and story of the Greek island.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max De Lucia, co-founder of sonic branding studio DLMDD, discusses bringing his creative approach to the world of fragrance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roxana Saidi, founder of Táche, shares how a lightbulb moment in a Parisian café led to the creation of her pistachio-milk brand. She discusses international expansion, new collaborations and sustainability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could the circular economy be the answer to climate change? Monocle’s correspondent in New Delhi, Lyndee Prickitt, meets India’s foremost expert on the circular economy, Shalini Goyal Bhalla. She is the managing director of think-tank International Council for Circular Economy and has written books on the subject. She tells us about the opportunities that moving towards a circular model would provide for business and innovation, as well as the planet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We get summer skincare tips from world-renowned aesthetician Sophie Carbonari. Plus: we head to the southwest coast of France to meet two surfers-turned entrepreneurs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle’s Gregory Scruggs reports from Los Angeles, where wildfires devastated communities earlier this year. He meets the brothers behind Crest Real Estate, a property firm taking a thoughtful approach to help the city recover.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former chef Amelia Christie-Miller has long been obsessed with brands that have the power to shape consumer behaviour. In 2021 she created Bold Bean Co to change the perception of beans, encouraging people to see them as more than a mere pantry ingredient. In this conversation with Monocle’s Tom Edwards, Christie-Miller discusses how she disrupted the food industry by shifting age-old narratives – through everything from her product and marketing strategy to workplace culture – and converted fatigued consumers into loyal customers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Vowles, Atlassian Williams Racing team principal, stops by Midori House ahead of the British Grand Prix to discuss the F1 team’s progress, decision-making under pressure and long-term thinking on and off track.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Sally Boddington, co-founder of British fashion brand White Coco. Since launching in 2012, she has opened three shops and expanded her range. Boddington discusses growing the business and the value of collaborations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles Landry is an international adviser on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change. He has written many books on the subject, including ‘The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators’. His work seeks to help cities unlock their potential and become resilient, self-sustaining places. In this episode he speaks to Tom Edwards about how intentional design can nurture culture in a city.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.