You’ve reached the talktank - the official podcast of the LSE Entrepreneurs Society. We delve into the minds of those who think, live, and breathe outside the box, by interviewing thought-leaders about their work, experiences and stories they've collected along the way. Through our four series called "Beyond Profit", "Artistpreneurs", "Unwrapped" and "Bits and Bytes" we explore diverse areas including social entrepreneurship, the creative arts and technology. Our aim is to expose our audience to diverse perspectives and inspire the next generation of change-makers.
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Connie Nam: Redefining Jewellery Through Experience & Community
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 • Duration 22:45
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 that continues to redefine the modern jewellery experience.
She shares how “unscalable” early actions (like hand-delivering orders and inviting customers to her flat) shaped the brand’s warm, personal culture, and how that now lives on through experiential retail: ear stacks, piercings, welded bracelets and more. We also explore her bold pivot from investment banking into entrepreneurship, the moment she knew the “safe path” wasn’t for her, and what it really takes to make that leap.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to the Fireside Chat
03:10 Connie's Journey to Entrepreneurship
06:07 Building a Community Around the Brand
08:59 Creative a Positive Working Culture
11:51 Marketing as an Experiential Journey
14:59 Transitioning from Banking to Entrepreneurship
18:07 Insight from her own podcast 'UNBOXED'
21:10 Challenges Faced as a Female Founder
26:48 Overall Setback and Building Resilience
Helen Sampson: Turning Stress into a Superpower
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • Duration 53:54
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, connection, and personal values in defining success.
Takeaways:
- Empowerment comes from sharing authentic journeys.
- Mindset shifts can turn perceived disadvantages into advantages.
- Mesotrauma® highlights the cumulative effects of daily stressors.
- Building trust is essential for credibility in business.
- Stress can be reframed as a superpower for growth.
- Success is subjective and should align with personal values.
- Networking and authenticity are key to building connections.
- Overcoming doubt requires strong belief in one's vision.
- Mistakes are part of the entrepreneurial journey; learn and adjust.
- Self-care and managing stress are crucial for founders.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:36) Mindset Shifts in Entrepreneurship
(08:03) The Leap of Faith
(11:19) Skills Transfer from Law to Entrepreneurship
(16:03) Understanding Mesotrauma®
(20:28) Applying Frameworks to Personal Journey
(23:41) Resilience in the Face of Challenges
(26:13) Reframing Stress as a Superpower
(29:00) Defining Success on Your Own Terms
(32:32) Navigating Bias as a Female Founder
(34:36) Advice for Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs
(45:40) Unexpected Joys of Entrepreneurship
(49:33) Trusting the Process and Energy Attraction
Mark Florman: Building Businesses That Serve
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 • Duration 01:07:43
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 independent M&A firm with just a single telephone to launching an Africa-focused fund, his journey provides invaluable lessons on resilience, ethical leadership, and the power of entrepreneurship as a force for good.
Key Takeaways
Train Before You Leap: Mark emphasizes that two years of rigorous, top-tier training can be far more valuable for an aspiring entrepreneur than rushing to claim a “founder” title prematurely.
Master "Synthetic Capital": In the absence of traditional funding, align equity with salary sacrifice and sweat equity. This method, which Mark terms synthetic capital, allows founders to build a credible and committed team.
Win with Respect: Mark’s philosophy of “English plus 20%” confidence—being polite, clear, and slightly more assertive than you might naturally feel—is a powerful tool for building relationships that extend beyond the boardroom.
Embrace Rejection as Data: Expect to hear "no" frequently. The key is to persist and treat rejection as a stepping stone, not a roadblock.
Measure Your Full Impact (ERR): The External Rate of Return (ERR) is a framework for mapping both the positive and negative externalities of a business, from job creation and taxes to environmental effects. By focusing on maximizing the net positive, companies can build greater resilience and long-term value.
Translate Value for Policymakers: To gain support from regulators and governments, it is crucial to frame your business’s value in terms of outcomes for voters.
Chapters & Timestamps
(00:00) Introduction: Host Jenn Zeng introduces Mark Florman, framing the conversation around the theme of “entrepreneurship as a force for good.”
(03:01) From LSE to Chicago: Mark explains his deliberate choice to pursue rigorous training in the United States before embarking on his own entrepreneurial ventures.
Hormona: Bridging the Gender Health Gap through AI and Empathy
Saturday, October 18, 2025 • Duration 39:54
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 creative expertise, Jasmine’s career journey has deeply influenced Hormona’s mission: bridging the gender data gap in medicine to empower women. The startup was inspired by her co-founder Caroline’s prolonged struggle with undiagnosed hormone imbalances and the hurdles she faced in seeking proper medical care.
Core Topics & Highlights
The Personal Mission Behind Hormona Hormona was sparked by Caroline’s three-year battle with hormone-related symptoms dismissed as stress by doctors. A specialist in Brussels eventually identified the hormone imbalance, revealing a critical issue: 80% of women suffer from hormone issues, yet traditional healthcare often overlooks their needs. Hormona’s core aim is to empower women through accessible hormone data, transforming empathy into actionable healthcare solutions.
Operationalizing Empathy: Data-Driven Decisions Hormona prioritizes equity and user-centric design in every decision. When beta user data contradicted historical norms, Jasmine’s team expanded their research rather than dismiss anomalies, ensuring diverse representation. The product encourages proactive health management—guiding users to test on strategic days aligned with their cycles to accurately capture hormone fluctuations.
Hormona’s Tech: AI Meets At-Home Testing Hormona’s innovation relies on two key technological advances:
Finding the scaling laws of agent: interviewing Guohao Li and his Camel AI
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 • Duration 53:01
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 earliest organization and research team to step into multiagent systems, almost half a year ahead of Microsoft.
About Dr. Li,
Guohao Li is an artificial intelligence researcher and an open-source contributor working on building intelligent agents that can perceive, learn, communicate, reason, and act. He is the core lead of the open source projects CAMEL-AI.org and DeepGCNs.org.
Spun off from SoftBank: Meet Kevin Jiang and his newly started VC fund, Mangusta
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 • Duration 45:56
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 capital, the transition from late-stage to early-stage investments, and the unique challenges and opportunities that come with starting his own fund. He also highlights the impressive performance of Mangusta Capital in its early months. In this conversation, the speaker discusses the intricacies of building relationships with limited partners in venture capital, highlights intriguing portfolio companies like Tax GPT, and delves into the challenges of developing vertical AI applications. The speaker emphasizes the importance of key traits in successful founders, shares personal philosophies regarding work-life balance, and outlines future plans for Mangusta Capital.Chapters
00:00Introduction to Kevin Jiang and Mangusta Capital
03:54Experiences at SoftBank Vision Fund
08:37Insights on Masayoshi Son
09:39Investment Strategies and Market Dynamics
12:19Evaluating Companies: Shipbob and Flexport
14:50Transitioning from Late-Stage to Early-Stage Investments
21:04The Decision to Start Mangusta Capital
25:49Unique LP Relationships and Fund Performance
26:30Building Relationships with Limited Partners
28:44Spotlight on Portfolio Companies
33:05Understanding Tax GPT and Its Applications
35:00Challenges in Developing Vertical AI
38:07Key Traits of Successful Founders
43:53Personal Philosophy and Work-Life Balance
Charles Sekwalor Episode II: unfold the journey of the person that may change Africa
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 • Duration 49:35
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 opportunities for Africa.
Charles Sekwalor Episode I: unfold the journey of the person that may change Africa
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 • Duration 35:45
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 opportunities for Africa.
Samuel Poirier - Adventures of a Serial Entrepreneur
Season 5 · Episode 81
Friday, June 28, 2024 • Duration 29:04
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 funding at a $75 million valuation.
He was the recipient of the Peter Thiel’s scholarship which is a scholarship granted to people to build a startup instead of going to university.
3:45 - Being taken seriously as a young entrepreneur
5:06 - The death of crypto?
6:30 - Sam’s innovation framework
7:59 - Strategic fit: the key to successful entrepreneurship
9:40 - The 70% margin rule
10:33 - Trend-following vs relevancy
11:03 - All about pricing power
Michael Muthukrishna - Cooperative Innovation & Programmable Politics
Sunday, May 26, 2024 • Duration 44:18
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; he's the founder of Culturalytic, a toolkit for companies that's sparking a new era of cultural and behavioral change. He's also the author of ‘A Theory of Everyone’, a book that's as bold as it is enlightening. 🤔
In our chat with Professor Muthukrishna, we dug into how behavioral and psychological science, along with cultural factors and evolutionary theory, play pivotal roles in the level of innovation a society can achieve. It’s fascinating stuff that really gets you thinking about the bigger picture. 💭🖼️
For all you budding entrepreneurs and start-up dynamos out there, we went a step further. We discussed practical ways you could apply these insights to make a real impact. Think of it as blending deep knowledge with action, aiming to not just start a business but to also spark a positive wave in society. It’s about smart innovation, where your company isn't just a business—it’s a force for good, driving us all forward. 🚀
(05:30) The Pivotal Moment: Discover how a failed bank merger became the unexpected catalyst for a nine-month quiet planning phase and a business plan famously sketched on a paper tablecloth.
(08:02) Building a Founding Team on Trust: Mark delves into the critical importance of cultural alignment, the creation of “synthetic capital” through salary sacrifice, and the art of projecting a professional image on a minimal budget.
(11:20) Securing the First Major Client: A lesson in confidence and execution, this is the story of the pivotal call from Volvo and the subsequent restructuring of Sweden’s KF.
(15:19) Why Good Business is Profitable Business: Mark introduces his External Rate of Return (ERR) concept, a powerful management tool for measuring a company’s total impact and building a competitive moat.
(17:21) Case Study: The BBC Purpose Report: Mark provides a concrete example of impact reporting, showing how the BBC created £11 billion of public value from a £4 billion cost, fundamentally changing the conversation about its role.
(31:31) Navigating the Intersection of Business, Government, and Society: Learn how to effectively communicate value to regulators and voters, with insights from Mark’s experience with the AIFMD regulations and the development of Nigeria’s private equity framework.
(36:26) Essential Advice for Founders: Mark shares practical wisdom on why gradual evolution often triumphs over revolution, the simple power of a thank-you note, and the absolute necessity of disciplined focus in meetings.
(53:23) The Psychology of Resilience: Mark reflects on the importance of setting medium-term goals and cultivating the ability to bounce back daily as key components of entrepreneurial happiness and success.
Quantitative Testing: Proprietary urine test strips detect precise hormone levels across the clinical spectrum.
Smartphone Analysis: Using AI and camera tech, the app instantly translates test-strip visuals into accurate hormone data.
In collaboration with SpaceX, Hormona proved its tech functions effectively in extreme conditions—even space—though adequate lighting remains crucial, leading to further app refinements.
Why Subscription Matters Hormona’s subscription model isn’t merely a revenue choice but integral to its health-driven mission. Hormone levels vary daily, rendering single tests ineffective. Continuous monitoring over 3+ months allows women to build reliable hormone baselines, accounting for life’s variables (stress, travel, irregular cycles). Initially focused on direct consumer engagement (B2C), Hormona strategically utilizes B2B partnerships to expand reach while remaining dedicated to empowering individual women to advocate for their health.
Brand Trust Through Creativity Jasmine’s creative background shapes Hormona’s approachable brand identity. By simplifying complex science into clear language and maintaining consistent visual aesthetics (soft colors, friendly typography), Hormona feels like a trusted friend rather than a clinical device, building confidence and accessibility.
Entrepreneurial Realities: Overcoming Self-Doubt Jasmine candidly addresses entrepreneurship's emotional challenges, particularly imposter syndrome. Reminding each other, "If it were easy, anyone would do it," keeps the founding team grounded. Hiring passionate individuals who share personal hormone stories sustains Hormona’s heart-centered culture as the company scales.
Fundraising Challenges in Femtech Raising capital for femtech poses unique difficulties. Many male investors struggle to relate, and the "femtech" label sometimes narrows investor interest. To date, Hormona has raised $7M primarily from women investors who inherently understand the mission, complemented by consumer investors with expansive networks for strategic growth.
Now, he is building his startup to continue the research to find the scaling laws of AI in the multiagent system, listen to his story in the new TalkTank podcast!
00:00Introduction to Dr Guohao Li and Camel.ai
02:47The Vision Behind Camo.ai and Open Source
05:58Open Source vs. Closed Source: A Business Perspective
09:06Building a Community: Contributors and Users of Camel.ai
11:51Use Cases of Camo.ai in Startups
15:13Challenges in Building Reliable AI Agents
18:02The Importance of Multi-Agent Infrastructure
22:04Timeline for Multi-Agent Infrastructure Development
24:54The Future of AGI: Perspectives and Predictions
30:11Scaling Laws and the Role of Multi-Agent Systems
33:50Camel.ai's Initiatives and Achievements
37:06Balancing Research and Commercialization
40:51Collaboration with Mosaic ML and Competitive Landscape
43:04Academic Influences: Learning from Professor Philip Tull
48:56Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
54:01Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations
47:08Future Plans for Mangusta Capital
12:09 - How does Mercantile help small businesses?
15:00 - The major perks of co-branding
16:51 - How does Mercantile make money?
17:50 - From funeral homes and medical to beyond…
19:28 - Sam’s cold email and coffee chat quota
21:04 - Startup tunnel vision
22:36 - Where to find business ideas
23:00 - If Sam could change one thing about society, what would it be?
24:33 - Sam’s book recommendations for entrepreneurs
26:47 - Napoleon: an underrated thinker
28:41 - “The best entrepreneurs are not by choice”
Credit to Ksenia for self-producing this episode! 👏
2:40 - Key concepts from his book ‘A Theory of Everyone’
4:10 - The Four Laws of Life
8:22 - Cooperation necessity in building startups
10:10 - The Paradox of ‘Geniuses’
12:28 - Cheap ideas: how easily copiable are they?
16:10 - Cultural differences and entrepreneurship
19:24 - Silicon valley: a graveyard of failure, but landmark of success
21:04 - How the ‘resource curse’ affects cooperation and growth
23:40 - Psychological traps: zero-sum competition games
24:42 - Cooperating at LSE to benefit everyone
26:15 - How governments can shift zero-sum psychology to positive-sum
27:16 - The transformative power of new, startup cities
27:53 - Hong Kong: from fishing village to development hub
29:05 - Fail locally, learn globally
29:55 - Programmable politics, network states, and blockchain
32:33 - Mechanisms of cooperation
33:00 - Reputation: do we trust the Uber driver or Uber? Airbnb host or Airbnb?
34:38 - Where are we? What stage are we at?
35:47 ChatGPT: an overnight, game-changer
37:50 - Climate change’s lead into the Syrian migration crisis
40:07 - Listening to the silent middle over the far left/right
40:50 - Diminishing returns of fossil fuels and the far right
Credits to Jessica Ge for producing this episode. 🎧
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