

The Entrepreneurs
Monocle
Monocle Radio’s weekly tour of the most inspiring people, companies and ideas in global business, from startups to heritage brands, covering the best in hospitality, design, fashion and retail.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 15, 2025 • 8min
Eureka: Archer Aviation’s CEO on bringing flying taxis to the UAE by the end 2025
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.

Aug 14, 2025 • 21min
Pullman Voices: Ole Scheeren
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.

Aug 13, 2025 • 27min
Arksen’s Jasper Smith on building a business for extraordinary adventure, whether across oceans or ice sheets
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.

Aug 8, 2025 • 10min
Eureka: Vania Leles on changing how African gemstones and diamonds are celebrated
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.

Aug 7, 2025 • 20min
Pullman Voices: Roxanne Varza
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.

Aug 6, 2025 • 28min
Happy birthday, Brinkworth! 35 years of championing human connection in design
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.

Aug 1, 2025 • 9min
Eureka: How founder Alex Wilcox got innovative hop-on jet service JSX off the ground
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.

Jul 30, 2025 • 30min
Can Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry be saved?
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.

Jul 25, 2025 • 16min
Eureka: Charging ahead with Ghana’s first e-bike maker
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.

Jul 23, 2025 • 35min
The winner makes it all: Catching up with Swedish brands Pure Effects and Morjas
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.