Between The Lines with Haig Haig Armaghanian

Tony Matharu, founder of the chain Blue Orchid Hotels, entrepreneur, hotelier, sportsman, philanthropist and patron of London’s Culture Mile. From investing in his first hotel in his late teens to owning the largest independent group in London, Tony’s career is truly inspirational. His deep-rooted passion for the city has driven initiatives, such as the Central London Alliance, which invest and build London back following the difficult pandemic year by supporting businesses, charities and the arts. During the peak of the pandemic, March 2020, Tony launched his new hotel chain which he kept open to key workers, citing Anne Frank ‘Nobody ever becomes poor by giving’. He is also the owner of one of the hottest spots for post-lockdown, The Skyline, with a 360 view of London. Tony is very much part of the rich tapestry of business, entertainment and energy of the city that he so loves. Listen in to find out how Tony’s innovation, creativity and resilience has taken him from his first venture to winning him several awards and becoming one of London's most proactive advocates.

#entrepreneur #startup #tonymatharu #futuresthinking #blueorchidhotels #theskylinelondon #haigbarrett #centrallondonalliance #towersuites #culturemile #lordtaveners

We are joined by Master of the Company of Entrepreneurs, Lars Andersen. Though born in Norway, Lars takes us behind the scenes of the Livery companies in the City of London and shows his deep knowledge and passion for the heritage and tradition of the capital’s Gilds.  His desire to travel started as a student, where he moved from Paris to Berlin and finally settling in London where he caught the entrepreneur’s bug.  He has been involved with numerous start-ups, from cosmetics to 3D printing, before becoming CEO of his current venture, My Nametags which now trades with 127 countries across the world.  He discusses the valuable lessons learned through embracing failure and provides brilliant insights for other entrepreneurs and the freedom afforded in running your own company.  When he isn’t fishing or cross-country skiing, he likes to read up on ancient history.  Listen in to find out how innovation for the future can draw from past culture and historical tradition.

#entrepreneur #startup#scaleup#mynametags#cityoflondon#innovation#incubator#companyofentrepreneurs #haigbarrett#worldtraders

Our guest is Vessela Ignatova, strategy manager, start-up advisor, and investor. Vessela is in the fast lane of the tech ecosystem in London and has over 13 years of experience in strategy for start-ups, corporates, and accelerators. With multiple careers in multiple cities, Sofia (Bulgaria), Paris, New York and London, her unique strategy and operations experience provides vital lessons for small start-ups to help them become market winners. Riding the wave of self-expression and creativity in the 90s, Vessela created her own future and was always in search of the next big thing. Having worked with more than 200 start-ups, Vessela has written a fascinating research piece: ‘Future of Acceleration’ examining the impact of Covid-19 on remote mentoring. Join Vessela and Haig to navigate the start-up ecosystem, learn key entrepreneurial insights and find out what Vessela means in Bulgarian!

#entrepreneur #startup #scaleup #accelerator #futuresthinking #innovation #incubator #vesselaignatova #haigbarrett #wework #uber #LBS

‘If you can lead people by influence when you're in a senior position, you can achieve anything’. David Stevens, President and Chief Operating Officer at Arranta Bio. From the windy shores of Scotland to the Atlantic coast of Boston, Dave has developed a fascinating career by following his gut instinct into the cutting-edge innovation in Microbiomes. Though born and raised in Edinburgh, Dave’s thirst for deep knowledge in biotech and dedicated hard work has led him across the world to leading a multi-million dollar biotech to unlock the power of this world-changing approach to medicine. By understanding the potential of the microbiome in managing a number of chronic diseases from diabetes, to autism, from cancer to alzheimers, this truly is an exciting venture that will impact our future. From learning Italian, playing golf and enjoying whisky, Dave reveals a whole variety of talents with Haig, and gives key insights to developing a winning culture for business. A true gentleman of Verona… listen up and enjoy!



#biopharma #pharmaceuticals #microbiome #innovation #disruption #pioneer #arrantabio #davidstevens #haigbarrett

Resilient, Realistic and Radiant. Alex Wallace, founder at The Mintridge Foundation and Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society. Starting out her career as a sportswoman playing hockey to becoming a true inspiration to 60,000 young people. Whilst coaching hockey and netball to young people in Fiji, Alex realised the far-reaching impacts and lifeskills sport brought into communities. Her experience in dealing with internal pressure, perceived failure and imposter syndrome stemmed the very successful Mintridge Foundation. Alex's charity promotes sport to improve the mental and physical well-being of young people to help them find their pathway in life. Alex embraced her “just do it” attitude, found herself at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth games and ventured with various Olympians, paralympians and professional athletes. She provides a realistic journey of the challenges to becoming an entrepreneur and how you can transform negatives into positives. Tune in to find out how Alex took the leap from the English farmlands to the Olympic games!



#sport #passion #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #charity #mentalhealth #transition #transformation #alexwallace #haigbarrett

“Aim for the moon and if you fail then you will land in the stars”. Join Haig with Tanya Patel, CEO and Founder of Lily & Ribbon, avid Formula 1 fan, and winner of the Asian Women of Achievement Award 2015 for her contribution to business leadership. Tanya shares her journey into founding a startup and motherhood to inspire other upcoming creative entrepreneurs. During her first pregnancy, Tanya spotted a huge gap in the market for stylish affordable maternity wear. She took the immense risk and created her own brand, a brand that truly cares for the well-being of all mothers with innovative design patents and a focus on comfort. She started as a business student and worked in finance before transitioning into the M&S graduate scheme, where she worked her way up to become International Project Manager in 2017 and winning the Best Maternity Jeans Award. Although Tanya believes there is no manual for entrepreneurship, she is full of useful experience and advice about the pits and peaks of this courageous journey. Join Tanya and Haig to find out what is remaining on Tanya’s bucket list! 



#womenleaders #innovation #fashion #maternity #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #haigbarrett #lily&ribbon #tanyapatel #motherhood #risk #projectmanagement #companyofentrepreneurs