How many times have you felt like you’ve failed, peers? Did you know that 20% of startups fail within their first year? This jumps to 60% if you account for the first three years. This isn’t meant to be disheartening, rather, it’s a cold, hard fact that we as entrepreneurs need to be aware of. One person who didn’t let this statistic bring them down is Abhishek Bhattacharya, the Co-Founder of Brú Finance. and Whrrl. Abhishek started three companies before finding success in building India’s firs...
Nov 20, 2022•28 min
What was the way of life you witnessed when growing up, peers? For today’s guest, Peter Kristianto Widjaja, his parents were self-employed. It was through seeing the freedom and flexibility they had that made Peter want to take his own leap into the world of business and entrepreneurship. In this week’s episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, we chat with the Founder of software construction company, Hubble about leaving your comfort zone, the reality of studying while building a business, a...
Nov 13, 2022•31 min
When do you know that it’s time to step out on your own, peers? For today’s guest, Kayla Castañeda, it was losing her job mid-pandemic that made her think, “When life gives you lemons, make aguas frescas.” Now, Kayla is the CEO and Co-Founder of Agua Bonita, a drinks company that sells a take on a delicious Mexican drink. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Kayla shares why there’s never a “perfect” time for anything in life, how her heritage shaped her business, and why everyone...
Nov 06, 2022•21 min
Sometimes in entrepreneurship it can be hard to know when it is the best time to take your side hustle full-time. Sometimes you can tell and other times, it may be decided for you. That was the case for today’s guest Michael Tich, the Co-Founder of HomeRoom. In today’s episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Michael shares his journey of working on HomeRoom while keeping a full-time job in marketing and data science, as well as how to keep up the energy and momentum as a start-up founder. Di...
Oct 30, 2022•24 min
While many of us struggled throughout the COVID pandemic, some industries were almost completely decimated. Today’s guest is part of one of them. Sophia Aliza Jamal is the Co-Founder and COO of Pinkcollar Employment Agency, a Malaysian professional migrant worker recruitment agency with ethical sourcing and hiring practices for employers and workers. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Sophia shares how they managed a migrant agency through border closures and lockdowns, why we s...
Oct 23, 2022•29 min
When have you turned a failure into a lesson, peers? For today’s guest it was when he thought he was doing the “right” thing that a major breakthrough arrived. A breakthrough that would change the course of his life and business. In this fascinating episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, the Co-Founder of Footsteps Bangladesh shares how he created an organisation that’s restructuring communities, his journey with experience-based charity work, as well as figuring out...
Oct 16, 2022•33 min
Were you bullied in school, peers? Are you being bullied as an adult? There’s no denying that bullying can have a profound impact on who we are and how we move through the world. This was certainly the case for today’s guest, model-turned-filmmaker, Shreya Patel. As the only person of colour in her school in Canada, Shreya felt the cruelty of people from an early age. But rather than letting this define her or crush her spirit, she met up with the bullies ten years on as the best version of hers...
Oct 09, 2022•35 min
As a child, today’s guest Tahnee Bridson suffered from worry and anxiety. But it wasn’t until Tahnee was a medical student that she really began to take note of her mental and physical health. After pushing it too far, Tahnee ended up going from a student working in a hospital to a patient, under the care of her colleagues and friends. This was just one of the experiences that led Tahnee to found Hand-n-Hand Peer Support. A free and confidential service for medical professionals who are struggli...
Oct 02, 2022•38 min
Too often as entrepreneurs, we can attribute our success to luck. But as this episode’s guest reminds us, the road to building something that is ours is a road paved with hard work. The hard work of finishing your university degree. The hard work of accruing the skills you’ll need in your professional journey. Maybe the hard work of climbing the corporate ladder, or making the money you’ll need to support yourself once you take the plunge. The hard work of, in the case of Marial Lewis, moving fr...
Sep 25, 2022•31 min
In a classic game of word association, perhaps some of the terms you most readily relate to being an entrepreneur are “adventure”, “risk” and “reward”. But some terms you maybe don’t consider are “validation” and “quantifiable research”. While taking the plunge is an essential step in going out on your own, doing the work is just as essential. Knowing that your venture will succeed beyond your own premonition and dedication, that a market exists for your product or skills, and that people are wi...
Sep 18, 2022•33 min
Planning a podcast takes work, peers. Planning a podcast across continents and timezones, you guessed it, even more. But sometimes when you’re celebrating a five-year anniversary, you gotta. In a very special edition of the Peers2Peers podcast, The Peers Project CEO and Founder Michelle Akhidenor takes us through what has to happen for an enterprise like the London Tour to come together. From finding the perfect space (The London Edition in Soho!), finding the guests, and hustling together a UK ...
Sep 11, 2022•23 min
Have you ever felt burnt out, peers? It’s an easy trap to fall into. Giving too much of yourself, or blaming yourself for failures completely beyond your control. When you’re ambitious, like this week’s guest Josephine Liang, it’s hard to find time to unwind. Which is just one of the reasons it’s so crucial to… go to parties! Not just to unwind, according to Josephine, but to find the people who will become your support network along your business journey. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered...
Sep 04, 2022•36 min
The third guest on the London Podcast Tour had especially humble beginnings. Growing up in regional Queensland, Doone Roisin learned to hustle, and drew inspiration from her single mum who strived to not just survive, but live the best life she could. This is what drew Doone to entrepreneurship: the chance to wake up every morning and feel good about what she is doing. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Doone talks about her journey from regional Queensland to media powerhouse a...
Aug 28, 2022•42 min
For many peers, appreciating that you are enough is one of the most difficult personal goals to achieve. Even if you’re a first generation immigrant who attains a PhD in law, and then goes onto successfully build a brand which unifies a shared history amongst a diverse diaspora through culturally significant jewellery. Even then, you have to be conscious to not let your bad days define your business and your sense of self. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Dr Ope Adegbulu talks...
Aug 21, 2022•33 min
F*ck Being Humble isn’t just a book, it’s a global movement which is peeling away hundreds of years of repression, modesty and societal norms: the idea that certain people, specifically certain types of people, are better seen than heard. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Stefanie Sword-Williams shares the journey of starting a provocative brand in her mid-twenties, the resilience and perseverance paramount to successfully navigating criticism when you’re changing the status-qu...
Aug 14, 2022•48 min
Often when thinking about buying a home, we’re so concerned with purchasing the walls and the roof that filling it with furniture is a second-thought. But what if you could create that “home” feeling as soon as you sign the papers? This feeling is what spurred today’s guest, Audrey Joris into Co-Founding AFC Collection, a modern furniture leasing company. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, the entrepreneur shares the value in being a leader, grasping the gap in the market, and t...
Aug 07, 2022•32 min
Sometimes, being a dual citizen can feel like straddling two worlds. You’re always two halves, identifying with both, and perhaps never fully feeling like you’re “home”. However, being a dual citizen, or simply a citizen of the world, can give you opportunities and values that you’d never have otherwise. Today’s guest, Radin Rahimzadeh is an Iranian-American who credits her immigrant parents and citizenship as the reason for her Co-Founding the sustainable transportation company, Fore Transit. I...
Jul 31, 2022•38 min
We all know that your experiences as a child shape the course of your adult life. But what if your childhood was made up by ranking systems, competition, and lack of recognition? This was the case for today’s guest, Dita Aisyah. Now, Dita is the Co-Founder of learning app, Binar Academy. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Dita shares how she got out of the toxic productivity loop, why she urges people to make a difference with their one, precious life, and that it’s okay for you...
Jul 24, 2022•39 min
‘Taking the plunge’, it’s a phrase you hear often but how many examples do we have of people actually doing it? Today’s guest, Talia Datt, did just that when at 22 years old she founded The Social CliQ, a marketing agency specialising in social media. Now, Talia has two businesses, creating her second business, The Content CliQ during the pandemic. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Talia shares how she found the courage to take the entrepreneurial plunge at a young age, how to ...
Jul 17, 2022•33 min
Have you ever been at the forefront of something, peers? Today’s guest, Amrutha Vasan, was a pioneer of using virtual reality in education settings during her studies at Stanford University. Now, she’s the Co-Founder of Inspirit, a VR company providing K-12 science coursework for students. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Amrutha shares how her experience at school led her to making education more accessible, the culture shock of living between India and the U.S, and the blurr...
Jul 10, 2022•36 min
What did your childhood give you, peers? For today’s guest, Liam Hardey, his unique childhood spent in elite football gave him skills in discipline, grit, and consistency. Now, Liam is the Co-Founder and CEO of Cellfion, a Swedish start-up company that’s working to transition Earth to clean energy. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Liam shares why your past path can help your future, what it’s like to lead a start-up that has over a decade of research behind it, and how to pick...
Jul 03, 2022•31 min
While some people have a clear vision for their entrepreneurial journey, many others tend to fall into it. This was certainly the case for today’s guest, Alexandra Rico-Lloyd who claims to be an “accidental” entrepreneur. And while Alexandra started her business with an aim to help children, the Bike Club has now raised over $17 million from investors. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Alexandra shares how her winning idea came about, why you shouldn’t compare yourself with oth...
Jun 26, 2022•32 min
You know what they say, peers, you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Whether that’s true or not, there’s no denying that who you’re around can either drain or fill your metaphorical cup. In today’s episode of Peers2Peers, the Founder and CEO of Bell Solar & Electrical Systems Alexia Cooper shares why being around the right people is so important, how she’s lifting up other women in a male dominated field, and why you just need to think about laying the next ‘bri...
Jun 19, 2022•39 min
Today’s ambitious guest wanted a career on Wall Street. Or so he thought. After growing up seeing his grandmother not receive the opportunities she deserved, Donte Miller was aiming high. It wasn’t until he entered the world of old-school finance that he realised that when the system doesn’t work for everyone – it means it’s not working. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, the Founder of grassroots micro-finance organisation, Village Micro, shares how to gain the courage to figur...
Jun 12, 2022•41 min
How do you come up with business ideas, peers? Is it from sitting in a quiet room — waiting for the moment to come to fruition? Or, is it from finding a solution to an issue you’ve experienced yourself? There’s no right or wrong answers, peers. However, for this week’s guest, Lynn Greenberg, it was through moving to a new city and starting from scratch that led her to found the Pivt app in 2019. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Lynn shares how her app pivoted from its origin...
Jun 05, 2022•38 min
While the early months of 2020 feels like a lifetime ago, it was in fact, just two years ago (crazy, right?). And how much has changed since then? For today’s guest, Carly Mednick, the pandemic proved an opportunity to build something of her own. Carly is a Partner and Founder at Monday Talent, a recruitment company that specialises in building diverse teams and achieving equal and inclusive workplaces. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Carly shares how her and her team navigat...
May 29, 2022•39 min
What is your ‘why’, peers? For today’s guest, her ‘why’ has been her whole life. Growing up in a rural Kenyan village, Nelly Cheboi dreamt of a better life for herself and her community. After witnessing the dehumanising effects of poverty, Nelly worked hard to earn a full scholarship to America. Now, she is the Founder of non-profit organisation, Techlit Africa but according to Nelly, her greatest accomplishment is helping children to live a better life. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered ...
May 22, 2022•36 min
It’s one thing to be a woman in business and another to be a young woman in business. From being underestimated to people patronising you, it’s safe to say that you’ve got to develop thick skin – fast. After building a profile and growing a following as a teenager, Diem Founder, Emma Bates has experienced the highs and lows of building your own brand and business at a young age. In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, the Founder of the Diem social network shares the pressure of bein...
May 15, 2022•37 min
It’s an exciting episode, peers. Today, we are releasing our 200th episode. That’s right. 200 interviews, 200 guests, 200 chances to hear from the best young entrepreneurs around the globe. In this week’s episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Host and Founder Michelle Akhidenor celebrates just how far we’ve come. You won’t want to miss this short but sweet episode, peers. Discover more: Start your Shopify 14-day free trial: https://bit.ly/3fuq58C - Check out The Peers Project's website: ht...
May 08, 2022•12 min
While many people believe entrepreneurship is all bright lights, networking events, and Forbes 30 Under 30 lists, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Although only in her early twenties, Eno Oduok has already discovered that entrepreneurship is a marathon – not a sprint. In this episode, the CEO of Naija Comm, an online space that’s showcasing Nigerian creatives, shares her advice for forging your own path, the importance of representation, and why not being a doctor or lawyer doesn’...
May 01, 2022•34 min
