The Entrepreneurs

Monocle 24’s weekly tour of the most inspiring people, companies and ideas in global business, whether they are starting from scratch, reinvigorating the family firm or developing new technology.

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Tessa Clarke is CEO and co-founder of Olio. It was the first app to allow neighbours to share food, which might otherwise go to waste. Since launch in 2015, more than 3.6 million portions of food have been shared by almost 2 million people in 49 countries. The company also has a dedicated network of volunteers who pick up food from local businesses to share with the community.

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Austrian company Wohnwagon’s award-winning caravan features sheep’s wool insulation, triple-glazed windows and a solar water heater. The design has won a prestigious Austrian business prize and could prove to be a green alternative to owning property.

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The global pandemic has created a challenging environment for many businesses. But at the same time, there is plenty of opportunity to start delivering solutions for clients and customers. This week, Monocle’s editor in chief, Tyler Brûlé, offers a moment of clarity, while Pip Jamieson answers questions from listeners. In our feature interview, Nils Leonard advises on how to kick things into gear, to stop asking “what next” and to refocus on purpose.

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Tobias Taupitz is the CEO and co-founder of Laka, a London-based insurance company aimed at cyclists, which has found great success is upending the traditional insurance model. Members contribute to a collective fund and only have to pay if claims are made in the community.

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We hear from two small businesses that have shifted priorities during the pandemic: Judy, a US company making emergency preparedness kits is using its expertise to help people dealing with coronavirus; while Canada's Pearl Morissette Estate Winery, which usually supplies restaurants, is now selling to the public.

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Brother-and-sister duo Sean and Sara Panton founded this Vancouver-based essential-oil brand in 2014. While the pair began by blending their products in their shared kitchen, Vitruvi is now one of North America’s leading players in a fast-growing industry.

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Around the world and across all businesses, we are living in difficult times. Business leaders are trying to answer a long list of pressing questions. How will our firm secure revenue to keep the lights on? How can we be nimble and reactive to the needs of our customers and clients, while also finding opportunities for growth? And will some of this uncertainty just become our new reality? We asked a few founders for advice.

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Tom Molnar is CEO and co-founder of Gail’s Bakery, which has more than 50 UK outposts. Tom started it after meeting Gail Mejia, founder of The Bread Factory, a wholesaler serving London’s top chefs. For 2020, Gail’s launched the “Waste-Not” campaign to champion reduction of food waste.

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Every year more than one billion tonnes of food produced for human consumption is estimated to be wasted. We meet two women leading the fight against such waste: Mette Lykke from Copenhagen-based Too Good To Go and Elsa Bernadotte from Stockholm company Karma.

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