Hot Bread Kitchen is an organization that teaches immigrant women to bake artisanal breads from their home country. HBK provides culinary and management training and English classes to these women who have come to New York City from countries including Bangladesh, Mexico, and Morocco, among others. HBK’s breads are available at select grocery stores including Whole Foods and Dean & Deluca, farmer’s markets in the tri-state area, and at restaurants including Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern, and The Modern at the Museum of Modern Art. Prior to HBK, Jessamyn worked in the bakery of Chef Daniel Boulud’s Michelin three star restaurant Daniel, where she was the first women ever hired.

Jessamyn speaks with Jessica Harris about how she launched HBK, from scratch.

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Sometimes the company you start looks a lot different from the company you end up with; Azim Premji turned his cooking fat company into one of India’s largest technology companies. With over 70,000 employees and $3Bn in sales, Wipro provides software solutions, research and development, and information technology outsourcing to multinational corporations. Azim is the Chairman of Wipro, and one of India’s five wealthiest men.

Azim explains how he turned his father’s company into a technology leader, from scratch.

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Sir Kensington’s is a condiment company that sells ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc. Mark and his partner Scott tried to create a gourmet alternative to Heinz and started tinkering with recipes in their off-campus apartment while they were students at Brown University. Unilever acquired the company in April, 2017.

Mark speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Sir Kensington’s, from scratch.

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Le Labo is a perfume company that launched on Elizabeth Street in New York City in 2006. Le Labo perfumes are prepared on the spot for the client in each store, and the brand is appreciated for its minimalist peeled-back aesthetic. Le Labo was bought by Estee Lauder in 2010.

Fabrice speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Le Labo, from scratch.

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AuthenTec makes fingerprint sensors that could unlock mobile phones and computers. AuthenTec was sold to Apple in 2012 for $356 million, and the fingerprint sensor first appeared on the iPhone 5s in 2013.

Scott speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched AuthenTec, from scratch.

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ConBody is an exercise program that Coss developed while he was in prison for selling drugs. Coss lost 70 pounds in six months by working out in his 9’x6′ cell. Con body is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and also offers classes online for those who want prison-style workouts from the solitary confinement of their own home.

Coss speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched ConBody, from scratch.

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Jo Malone is a fragrance entrepreneur. She launched Jo Malone London in a retail shop in London in 1994. The company was bought by Estee Lauder in 1999.

Jo launched her next company, Jo Loves, in 2011 after a five year hiatus from the fragrance industry. Jo is the author of Jo Malone: My Story.

Jo speaks with Jessica Harris about how she launched her fragrance businesses, from scratch.

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KIND is a food company that produces sweet and savory bars with whole nuts, spices, and fruit, among other products. KIND is sold in a diverse array of locations including Whole Foods, Walmart, convenience stores and newspaper stands. Daniel launched KIND in 2003. Daniel is also the founder of PeaceWorks, which sells Mediterranean spreads. PeaceWorks aims to foster peaceful relationships among neighbors in the Middle East and other groups in conflict through joint business ventures.

Daniel speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched KIND, from scratch.

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Dr. Langer is a chemical engineer who has pioneered the fields of drug delivery and tissue engineering. His lab at MIT receives roughly $10 Million in annual grants and has 100 researchers. Dr. Langer has helped to launch close to 30 start-ups, and his lab’s innovations have been licensed or sublicensed by 250 companies. Dr. Langer is also a father of three children and a magician.

Dr. Langer speaks with Jessica Harris about how he has transformed the bio-materials landscape, from scratch.

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Casper is a company focused on sleep. Casper’s leading product is its mattress, which can be ordered online and delivered in a box, sometimes within hours if you live in New York City. Casper makes one type of mattress for all consumers, believing that more choice does not mean more comfort.

Philip speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Casper, from scratch.

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