the talktank

When Kim Innis started Humble Crumble, she had no clear plan. It was just endless testing, tweaks, and passion. From markets to viral fame, her story shows that success isn't linear. It's a messy, iterative process. What really makes the difference? Listening to customers, experimenting fearlessly, and knowing when to evolve your product and brand. In this episode: - Kim shares the pivotal...

Liquidity, Dubai, and the Real Path to Tokenized Real Estate Guest: Vlad Khrypun, TON Foundation & Founder of Arvo In crypto, volatility often dominates headlines—but what's behind it? Vlad Khrypun (TON Foundation, Arvo) joins us to unpack the real drivers behind crypto's recent swings, explain why Dubai has emerged as the go-to sandbox for real-world asset (RWA) experimentation, and s...

Summary: In 2020, a global crisis became a personal turning point. For Karl Martin Ahrend, it was the signal to leave the prestige of Blackstone and dive headfirst into crypto. He bet on a new, decentralized future by co-founding Areta, an investment bank for the crypto generation. In this episode of Talk Tank, Karl reveals the non-consensus thinking that drives him and what he believes is the rea...

TalkTank Encrypted Episode 1: Clarity Beats Speed Guest: Elias Simos, Former Founder & CEO of Rated Labs Host: TalkTank (LSE Official Podcast) Series: Encrypted - Exploring the most prominent founders and problems in the crypto space. SUMMARY In this inaugural episode of the Encrypted series, we sit down with Elias Simos, the visionary behind Rated Labs. Elias shares his journey from being a p...

In this episode, we speak with Tara Mustapha，Founder & CEO of Code Coven, the pioneering organisation transforming the games industry by empowering marginalised developers and redesigning how inclusive talent pipelines are built. Tara shares the origins of Code Coven, the structural inequities she witnessed in her early career, how her programs help founders reclaim confidence and opportunity, an...

In this special live-recorded episode of FoundHER, we sit down with Connie Nam, the visionary behind global jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu, for an intimate fireside chat hosted at the London School of Economics. What began as a single idea during her time at London Business School has now grown into a community-driven brand with 32 stores across the UK, Europe, and the US, and a cult following...

In this episode of FoundHer, Helen Sampson, founder of Encouple®, shares her journey from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of mindset shifts, overcoming doubt, and the concept of Mesotrauma®. She discusses how stress can be reframed as a superpower and offers valuable advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs, highlighting the significance of authenticity, connecti...

This conversation is a masterclass in building enduring companies that not only succeed financially but also serve a greater purpose. Mark shares his personal playbook on the art of winning trust, the strategy of raising “synthetic capital,” the nuances of negotiating with regulators, and the importance of measuring a company's total impact beyond the balance sheet. From co-founding Europe's #1 in...

Episode #1 FoundHER – Jasmine Tagesson (Hormona) Guest: Jasmine Tagesson, Co-founder & CEO of Hormona Interviewer: Our wonderful collaborators from Women in Entrepreneurs at LSE Guest Introduction Jasmine Tagesson is the co-founder and CEO of Hormona, a femtech startup revolutionizing women's hormone health with AI-driven at-home urine testing. With a unique blend of business, finance, and...

In this episode, Dr. Guohao Li, founder and CEO of Camel.ai, discusses the vision behind his open-source project aimed at developing multi-agent systems. Last year, Camel and Microsoft AutoGen were involved in an academic "conflict" due to AutoGen quoting their early works on Multiagent yet didn't give enough credit to the Camel team. It would be possible to say, that Camel is the ea...

In this engaging conversation, Kevin Jiang, founder of Mangusta Capital, shares his journey from growing up in the Bay Area to becoming a prominent figure in venture capital. He discusses his experiences at SoftBank Vision Fund, insights on Masayoshi Son, and the investment strategies that guide his current work at Mangusta Capital. Kevin emphasizes the importance of relationships in venture capit...

Charles Sekwalor is the founder and CEO of Movemeback, a platform dedicated to connecting global African talent with high-impact opportunities on the African continent. As an experienced entrepreneur, Charles plays a pivotal role in driving economic development in Africa. Through Movemeback, he fosters innovation, entrepreneurship, and business collaboration, building a future full of opportunitie...

Charles Sekwalor is the founder and CEO of Movemeback, a platform dedicated to connecting global African talent with high-impact opportunities on the African continent. As an experienced entrepreneur, Charles plays a pivotal role in driving economic development in Africa. Through Movemeback, he fosters innovation, entrepreneurship, and business collaboration, building a future full of opportunitie...

Introducing our new, limited, mini-series founded by alumni talktank member Ksenia Kutuzova... Founder Friday - Samuel Poirier Hosted by Ksenia Kutuzova The guest is Sam Poirier, Forbes 30 Under 30, serial entrepreneur (founding his first business at 14!) and founder of Mercantile, a credit card startup that offers rewards to small medical practitioners. 💳 Mercantile recently raised Series A fund...

The Bits & Bytes Series - Michael Muthukrishna Hosted by Danilo Dukanovic Today, we get up close with someone who not only teaches us here at LSE but also shapes the way we think about culture, innovation, and the power of shared knowledge. We talk to Professor Michael Muthukrishna, a thought leader who's got his finger on the pulse of cultural evolution. 🫀 Michael is no ordinary academic...

The Bits & Bytes Series - Tunde Adekeye Hosted by Danilo Dukanovic Starting with a background in law, Tunde took a leap into the world of investment banking at Credit Suisse, where he navigated the intricacies of Telecom media mergers and acquisitions on the media and tech side. 💼📡 But here's where it gets interesting – Tunde then ventured into the startup realm, cold emailing his way in...

The Artistpreneurs Series - Marion Carré 🖼 Hosted by Ksenia Kutuzova 🎙 Today we speak to the extraordinary Marion Carré - AI entrepreneur, teacher, speaker, author, and artist! Marion co-founded Ask Mona, a company that uses AI to develop experiences for more than 80 cultural institutions across the world. 🏛️🗿 Why don't you Ask Mona? https://www.askmona.fr/en/home/ Marion also works as an exp...

The Bits & Bytes Series - Ahana Banerjee Hosted by Ksenia Kutuzova Today we are speaking to the extraordinary Ahana Banerjee - the founder of the Clear skin social app, which assists you with your skincare routine. Clear was featured under Best Apps in App Store. 📈🌟 Join the skincare social scene! Check out Clear At just 21, Ahana embarked on her entrepreneurial journey while studying at Imp...

The Bits & Bytes Series - Sam Marchant Hosted by Ksenia Kutuzova ❤️ Today we are speaking to Sam Marchant. From founder to investor, Sam thrives as an Investment Associate at the global investment firm, Hambro Perks where he helps companies build products that matter. 👷‍♂️💰 Before his journey as an investor, Sam graduated with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science and became the Youngest N...

The Beyond Profit Series Hosted by Udbela Escanero In this episode, we speak to Johannes Weber. Johannes is a passionate entrepreneur, pioneering impact investor and a father of three children. After a successful IPO in his mid-twenties, Johannes followed his dream to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges by harnessing the power of entrepreneurship. Johannes co-founded Ananda Impact Ventur...

The Bits & Bytes Series - Simona Xu Hosted by Sia Sha The Oh Collective is a sexual wellness startup launched in 2021. It has been featured in several media outlets, including the Economist and Elle magazine. Simona Xu, one of four co-founders, has previously worked for companies such as Zalando and Nike across cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, and Shanghai. Tune in now to hear all about it! C...

The Artistpreneurs Series - Mirijam Trunk Hosted by Udbela Escanero Today, we are speaking to Mirijam Trunk: after working as a journalist for Bayerischer Rundfunk and reporter for ARD, Mirijam decided to make her journey from the writer’s room to top-level business management. In 2019, she became CEO of the Bertelsmann Audio Alliance and built the company's podcast business. She has grown the...

The Bits & Bytes Series - Joe Cross Hosted by Olivia Coletti Today we have the pleasure of talking with the insightful Joe Cross. Joe is now an angel investor who invests and advises in early-big stage ideas. As previous VP of brand marketing and communication and member of the senior leadership team at Wise money services, he has lots of experience and expertise on marketing and startups. Joe...

The Unwrapped Series - Virginia Stagni Hosted by Anastasia Baklushina ⭐ Ever wondered how you can bring your ideas to life within the already established corporations? 🤔 Our today’s guest, Virginia Stagni, Head of Business Development at the Financial Times, proves by her own example that it is indeed possible to become an intrapreneur at the one of the world’s leading global business newspapers...

The Artistpreneurs Series - Antoni and Alison Hosted by Olivia Coletti Today we have the pleasure of talking with the wonderful Antoni Burakowski. Antoni, with his best friend Alison Roberts co-created the fashionable “Yin Yang” clothing brand “Antoni & Alison”. The brand radiates the individualistic art that they pioneer to the world through joy, love, and positivity. Continuously working tog...