From Scratch With Jessica Harris

Robert Stephens started making computer tech-support house calls on his dirt bike while he was a college student at the University of Minnesota in 1994. He’d arrive to a customer’s house on time, take off his shoes, wear a clean uniform, and fix the problem. His cheeky “law enforcement” marketing theme caught people’s attention, and […]

Martine is a pioneer in the satellite industry, launching companies including Geostar, PanAmSat, and Sirius Satellite Radio. She also founded United Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company focused on cardiopulmonary disorders. In 2013, she became the highest paid female CEO in America. Martine is a helicopter pilot and a parent of four children. She also used to […]

Andrew launched Theory, a contemporary clothing company, in 1997 with co-founder Eli Tahari. Theory used the stretchy fabric lycra to create a more modern, slender look initially for young professional women. Theory was sold in 2003 to the Japanese company Fast Retailing and IPO’ed in 2005. In addition to his role at Theory, Andrew has […]

Hot Bread Kitchen is an organization that teaches immigrant women to bake artisanal breads from their home country. HBK provides culinary and management training and English classes to these women who have come to New York City from countries including Bangladesh, Mexico, and Morocco, among others. HBK’s breads are available at select grocery stores including […]

Sometimes the company you start looks a lot different from the company you end up with; Azim Premji turned his cooking fat company into one of India’s largest technology companies. With over 70,000 employees and $3Bn in sales, Wipro provides software solutions, research and development, and information technology outsourcing to multinational corporations. Azim is the […]

Sir Kensington’s is a condiment company that sells ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc. Mark and his partner Scott tried to create a gourmet alternative to Heinz and started tinkering with recipes in their off-campus apartment while they were students at Brown University. Unilever acquired the company in April, 2017. Mark speaks with Jessica Harris about how […]

Le Labo is a perfume company that launched on Elizabeth Street in New York City in 2006. Le Labo perfumes are prepared on the spot for the client in each store, and the brand is appreciated for its minimalist peeled-back aesthetic. Le Labo was bought by Estee Lauder in 2010. Fabrice speaks with Jessica Harris […]

AuthenTec makes fingerprint sensors that could unlock mobile phones and computers. AuthenTec was sold to Apple in 2012 for $356 million, and the fingerprint sensor first appeared on the iPhone 5s in 2013. Scott speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched AuthenTec, from scratch. Listen to the interview

ConBody is an exercise program that Coss developed while he was in prison for selling drugs. Coss lost 70 pounds in six months by working out in his 9’x6′ cell. Con body is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and also offers classes online for those who want prison-style workouts from the solitary […]

Jo Malone is a fragrance entrepreneur. She launched Jo Malone London in a retail shop in London in 1994. The company was bought by Estee Lauder in 1999. Jo launched her next company, Jo Loves, in 2011 after a five year hiatus from the fragrance industry. Jo is the author of Jo Malone: My Story. […]

KIND is a food company that produces sweet and savory bars with whole nuts, spices, and fruit, among other products. KIND is sold in a diverse array of locations including Whole Foods, Walmart, convenience stores and newspaper stands. Daniel launched KIND in 2003. Daniel is also the founder of PeaceWorks, which sells Mediterranean spreads. PeaceWorks […]

Dr. Langer is a chemical engineer who has pioneered the fields of drug delivery and tissue engineering. His lab at MIT receives roughly $10 Million in annual grants and has 100 researchers. Dr. Langer has helped to launch close to 30 start-ups, and his lab’s innovations have been licensed or sublicensed by 250 companies. Dr. […]

Casper is a company focused on sleep. Casper’s leading product is its mattress, which can be ordered online and delivered in a box, sometimes within hours if you live in New York City. Casper makes one type of mattress for all consumers, believing that more choice does not mean more comfort. Philip speaks with Jessica […]

Gary is a serial entrepreneur who launched Match.com, the online dating service, in 1993. A host of other online matchmaking personals companies have hatched as a result of Gary’s innovation. Gary also registered a number of lucrative domain names in the early days of the internet including housing.com, jobs.com, and autos.com. He was also the […]

LegalZoom is an online service that provides legal documents and solutions for consumers and small businesses. The company helps visitors form corporations, file patents, trademark a name, create a living trust, etc. without the fees associated with hiring a lawyer. Brian speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Legal Zoom, from scratch. Listen to […]

Bridge International Academies is a private network of nursery and primary schools educating the poorest students in developing countries including Kenya, Uganda and India. Bridge charges families roughly six dollars per month for a pupil to attend school and uses economies of scale to keep costs low across its more than 400 academies. Jay speaks […]

Casa Dragones is a luxury sipping tequila made from 100% blue agave. Bertha González Nieves speaks with Jessica Harris about how she launched Casa Dragones, from scratch.

Tanium is a cybersecurity company that focuses on providing internet safety for the US government and Fortune 500 companies. Clients include Amazon, Target, Best Buy and the Department of Defense. Orion started Tanium with his father David. Orion speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Tanium, from scratch. Listen to the interview

Luis is an inventor and computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. He is one of the creators of CAPTCHA, a system that allows websites to determine whether you’re a human or a computer. CAPTCHAs are wavy, distorted words that people need to type out when they’re submitting a form to a website. Luis’ company ReCAPTCHA […]

Kiva Systems is a mobile robotics company that automates the warehouse fulfillment process.  Kiva robots deliver inventory shelves to stationary human operators who then pick and pack the product. Mick started Kiva Systems in 2003, and the company was acquired by Amazon for $775 Million in Spring, 2012. Customers include Diapers.com and Zappos (both owned […]