The Entrepreneurs

Finnair CEO Turkka Kuusisto tells us how the flag carrier is weathering geopolitical turbulence and continuing its ascent. Plus: how Finnish innovator Solar Foods created a truly sustainable protein substitute. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of La Marzocco tells us how the 100-year-old company evolved from a small workshop to a global lifestyle brand. Plus: Tim Schroeder on how Hagen leveraged Danish coffee culture to stand out in the industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manila special: Founders of Moment Group Abba Napa and Eliza Antonino have transformed the city’s restaurant scene in less than a decade. Plus: meet the general manager of Mandarin Oriental Makati. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The founder of Envo, Ali Kazemkhani, explains how creating smaller, lighter micro-electric vehicles can reshape urban mobility. Plus: we venture into the workshop at Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle Studio (pictured). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Ervér, the CEO of H&M Group, explains how he’s working to ensure the relevance of its brands for new generations – without compromising the group’s sustainability and long-term responsibility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Hackney is the founder of AnnieCannons, an organisation that prepares vulnerable, overlooked people for sustainable careers in tech. Plus: The Fintech leader swapping payment platforms for a focus on women’s health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Clark runs Cadogan Tate, a world-leading specialist in the movement and care of fine art. Clark tells us how the wealthiest individuals and institutions collect and build across borders – and his plans for the business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the ups and downs of starting a business with serial entrepreneur Mike Grossman, author of Failure Is an Option. Plus: Champagne and Friends founder Dan Roznov on the industry’s climate-related challenges. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Marie-Laure Pollet co-founder of Fruttini, a playful haute-glacerie in Paris serving refreshing ‘fruit givré’. She tells Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco about the frozen-dessert business and breathing new life into a retro French favourite. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Caroline Seton, co-founder of Forest, an e-bike operator in London offering affordable, app-based bike hire across the capital. Plus: Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify senior vice-president of markets and subscriptions, talks about the company’s impressive growth as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are in Toulouse as Qantas unveils the aircraft that it hopes will redefine long-haul travel with 22-hour direct flights from Sydney to London and New York. Plus: we meet the CEO of Aquarius Aerial Firefighting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As more alcohol-free drinks hit the shelves, we meet two founders who carved their own path in the booming market. Lucy Isles talks about Sablière, an alcohol-free sparkling cuvée from Edinburgh. And: we head to Merano to meet Maria-Elisabeth Laimer, co-founder of Italy’s first handcrafted alcohol-free beer, Freedl. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harvard Business School lecturer DJ DiDonna talks about the importance of sabbaticals and why intentionality in time away from work is a win-win for employees and bosses alike. He shares findings from his new book, ‘Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet the founder of Neurospace, the only privately funded German space start-up to have secured contracts with both Nasa and SpaceX. Plus: We visit Slatnar, a Slovenia-based ski-maker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olivier Perdriel stops by Monocle’s Paris bureau to discuss his boutique aviation business, which started with a single aircraft and now operates a fleet of long-range and ultra-long-range jets. He discusses navigating geopolitical uncertainty and why relationships remain his company’s greatest competitive advantage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony and Laura Fletcher, the husband-and-wife co-founders of One Track Club, discuss how they turned a free running club into a fast-growing business and share lessons on what it takes to scale a personalised service. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jean-Marie Mognetti, the CEO and co-founder of CoinShares, talks about how he helped build one of Europe's leading-digital asset managers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Barack Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago, we meet a husband-and-wife team whose brand studio was appointed the prime design partner for the historic civil landmark. Tom Crabtree and Patricia Callaway discuss Manual’s work with the Obama Foundation and the inherent challenges to a presidential commission. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco meets Chloé Bouscatel, co-founder of Sant Roch, Paris’s newest and largest sauna. Plus: Fernando chats champagne and magazines with the CEO of Publicisdrugstore, a Parisian institution on the Champs-Élysées. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Architect and designer Jason Lempieri speaks about Tombino, a project that turns manhole-cover designs from cities around the world into functional art. Plus: we head to Tallinn to meet Andreas Tiik, co-founder of ÖÖD. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Roland Horne, founder and CEO of WatchHouse, a coffee chain with almost 30 global locations and counting. Plus: former private-jet broker Alex Hunter discusses why he left aviation to pursue hospitality and the relocation of his celebrated Chelsea restaurant, The Sea, The Sea, to a bigger site. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Mueller speaks with Hamdullah Mohib, acting CEO of Abu Dhabi-based satellite manufacturer Orbitworks, about the UAE’s rapidly growing space industry, the company’s recent deal with France’s CNES and the journey from his diplomatic role as Afghanistan’s ambassador to the US to the space sector. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colin Chinnery and Purat ‘Chang’ Osathanugrah discuss their respective cultural institutions in Beijing and Bangkok. We explore how they’re making art more accessible, as well as sound culture and the challenges posed by AI. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oribe co-founder Daniel Kaner talks about creating a luxury haircare brand that brings fashion, fragrance and performance together. He shares why the best time to innovate is when you’re gaining momentum. Plus: Dilli House founder Arpit Kaushik on going against the grain and creating an ‘anti-perfume’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder Aaron Benjamin shares how his Tokyo-based luxury fashion brand Ichijiku grew out of a collection of gifted kimonos and has since evolved into what he describes as more of an art gallery than a traditional label. Plus: executive advisor and tea ambassador, Rona Tison, on Ito En’s global expansion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Jarkko Antila, CEO of Kuva Space, a Finnish company using AI-powered satellites with hyperspectral cameras to monitor activity on Earth, from timely intelligence to detecting dark and stealth vessels at sea. He explains the company’s technology and its mission to launch more than 100 satellites by 2030. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former DJ and Music Concierge founder, Rob Wood, explains his approach to designing the sound of luxury brands worldwide, curating music for clients including Rosewood Hotels, Belmond and Cathay Pacific. Plus: Hôtel de l’Arcade’s Laetitia Brandariz-Berrut on managing three Parisian properties and flying the Swiss flag for hospitality in France. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Other co-founders Jack Blumsom and Gleb Petrenko discuss how they started a wine company championing less-explored regions after a fateful holiday in Georgia, one of the oldest wine-producing countries. Plus: how a trip to Kyoto inspired Italy native Silvia Mella to launch New York-based Japanese tea company Sōrate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do brands down under need international approval before making it big at home? Dimitri Weber, founder of Australia’s first luxury fragrance house, Goldfield & Banks, talks about what businesses can learn from Aussie exports such as Kylie Minogue and Nicole Kidman. Plus: why the country is a surprising perfume powerhouse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there a new playbook for great, British brands? Founder Daisy Knatchbull shares the latest from Knatchbull, the first Savile Row shopfront exclusively for women. She discusses the importance of her global trunk shows and the brand’s ready-to-wear collection. Plus: Toby Gauvain on Gaudium, a new private-membership community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luxury décor studio Rokos’s founder Jim Rokos talks about the creative advantages of dyslexia and why he sees it as an edge in designing his sculptural objects. Plus: How new work platform Vizzy caught the eye of job-hunters and clients such as Burberry, Tiffany & Co and Louis Vuitton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mysterious objects spotted over the Nordics have sparked speculation online but they’re not aliens. Kelluu co-founder Jiri Jormakka explains the technology behind the company’s hydrogen-powered autonomous airships and how they operate in GNSS-jammed environments near the Russian border. Plus: travel expert Maggie Draycott discusses her new venture, Club Aviator. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belmond CEO Dan Ruff shares his journey from globetrotting foodie to leading one of the world’s most esteemed luxury travel brands. He explains why LVMH’s acquisition pushed Belmond to focus on desirability over growth. Plus: how childhood travel experiences at Disney’s Epcot and eating pasta in Venice shaped his career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan native Carrie Solomon talks about moving from the Midwest to Paris, her unconventional path into the French culinary scene and how returning to the kitchen led her to open a neighbourhood bistro while rebuilding her life after personal loss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many, smart glasses still carry baggage brought on by early flops in the space and more recent privacy concerns. Can they shed their bad reputation? Even Realities co-founders Will Wang and Nikolaj Schnoor outline their anti-camera, design-led approach and why clarity of vision could help to outmanoeuvre Big Tech. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Harrison, Richard Mille EMEA’s CEO, on the Swiss watchmaker’s growth and navigating the changing needs of luxury consumers. Plus: Strawberry Group’s Emilie Stordalen on taking an active part in shaping customer demands. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Frédéric Robles, CEO of French tech-hospitality platform Namastay. And: the CMO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority joins to discuss a district-transforming project just minutes from downtown Riyadh. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alistair Hughes, managing director for Savoir Beds, talks about the storied history of the century-old bedmaker who has, literally, supported figures including Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe. He discusses craftsmanship and changes in premium markets. Plus: we meet global strategist Farah Ragheb, founder of leadership consultancy The Simplified Model. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump’s threats about taking control of Greenland have thrust the island into the global spotlight, drawing journalists and tourists alike. In Nuuk, Monocle’s Andrew Mueller explores what this attention means for local entrepreneurs, speaking with Casper Frank Møller, CEO and co-founder of adventure travel company Raw Arctic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meadow’s CEO, Victor Ljungberg, shares how smart design can create a practical alternative to single-use packaging. Plus: Lombard Odier Group’s UK CEO, Mark Goddard, talks about Britain’s entrepreneurial environment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We meet Charlotte Staerck, founder and CEO of the UK’s first luxury aftercare and restoration service, The Handbag Clinic, to assess the health of the circular fashion economy. And: former Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs talks about the changing expectations of travellers and his role at Capella Hotel Group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmed Elhawary talks about navigating the ups and downs of launching Mayfair Jets just weeks before the pandemic. Plus: The CEO and president of The Leading Hotels of the World, Shannon Knapp, on 2026 travel trends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We check in with friend of the show Laurent Kleitman, CEO of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, to discuss its Austrian debut. Plus: Retail veteran Rania Masri El Khatib on her sustainable fashion label, The Giving Movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Designer Alexander Neumann talks about the creation of Misfits, a tactile wooden blocks stacking game that started as a student project and is now stocked by more than 35 retailers worldwide. Plus: we catch up with the co-founders of Suri about launching new products ahead of a busy season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nomad founder Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte tells us why he brought his remarkable, roaming design showcase to Abu Dhabi airport’s decommissioned Terminal 1 – a modernist marvel designed by Paul Andreu. Plus: the duo betting Indian food could be the new healthy morning staple. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Klättermusen CEO, Gonz Ferrero, talks about balancing heritage and innovation at the Swedish technical apparel brand. And: Edzard van der Wyck joins us to discuss Sheep Inc’s success at the intersection of sustainability and style. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Brendan Nelson, president of Boeing Global, talks about the company’s turning point as airlines in the Middle East place record orders. Plus: A catch up with Dubai Airports CEO, Paul Griffiths. And: Monocle’s Gulf correspondent, Inzaman Rashid, rounds up the deals and stories that defined the Dubai Airshow 2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synhelion co-founder Dr Gianluca Ambrosetti joins us in Zürich to explain how his team is turning sunlight into usable liquid fuel. He talks about the big name partners backing the technology and why scaling solar-made fuels could transform the aviation and mobility industries without overhauling existing infrastructure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Entrepreneur and Childs Farm founder Joanna Jensen shares how a know-it-all attitude can stall growth and why confidence alone can’t save a struggling enterprise. She discusses lessons from her new book, ‘Making Business Child’s Play: How to Build a Winning Brand’, a practical guide to creating companies that last. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicolas Budzynski, the CEO of globally acclaimed French Mediterranean restaurant La Petite Maison, shares his expansion plans and why he keeps his team focused on long-term vision. Plus: A dispatch from Aalto Founder School. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.