Episodes

When Iceland’s three main banks collapsed fifteen years ago the nation went bust. Icelanders, whose heritage is fishing, rather than finance, were forced to trade affluent lifestyles and expensive imports for homegrown, modern Icelandic cuisine and design – neither of which really existed before the crisis. 

Joe had no idea what he was doing. Relying on determination and common sense, he co-founded the most-visited moonshine distillery in the world.

Hard work and luck – that’s all it takes sometimes. Unexpected Entrepreneur Fanny learned seven languages to welcome people from around the world at the bed and breakfast where she worked. 

The French champagne world was forced to open its doors to women 200 years ago, when husbands went to fight wars and left their wives in charge of maintaining the business, and the local economy. Later, vineyards passed to sons and the industry was again run by men.

Hear the story of how the piracy and hijacking of a Danish ship led to a new industry and a stable food source – and along with it, dozens of Unexpected Entrepreneurs, many of them women. 

As a young female founder in Iran, Unexpected Entrepreneur, Nazanin dealt with multiple obstacles – the biggest had nothing to do with government regulations. In a place where sanctions prevent Western businesses from operating, there are lots of opportunities. It’s called the copycat. 

After moving from Los Angeles to Seoul, unexpected entrepreneur, Kenny, a Korean-American, who grew up eating his mother’s Korean cooking and tacos, spotted a gap in the market.