The Entrepreneurs

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.