This feature was created in collaboration with Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film. Goran Rebić was interviewed by former Festival Directors Peter Schernhuber and Sebastian Höglinger.

Starting a new business after a successful career in the music and media industry is a different kind of journey. When Matthias’s first batch of Sake won a renowned prize, he knew he was on the right track.

What is the journey like when you study landscape architecture and wildlife ecology, and then, at the age of 24, transition into a career as a hotelier without any formal training? One thing’s for sure: the absence of prior knowledge allows room for experimentation.

Anshu and Renée were frustrated with food waste and poor quality in food delivery. In response, they launched their business, specializing in plant-based Indian food served in reusable metal tins and distributed by bicycle.

When Lok inherited his father’s funeral business, he knew he wanted to modernize it. Working against the poor reputation and neglect surrounding the process of death, he aspires to be a comforting presence for those mourning a loss.

Carina’s side gig sounds more like a dream job, if you like chocolate. The bean-to-bar chocolate community is like the craft beer and natural wine community in terms of quality, purity, and the constant emergence of new flavor combinations.

How does one become an expert in such a specialised field? How did his unique niche of Moroccan rugs and textiles find its place in the global market, and how has it evolved over the past 40 years? We had to ask and the answers do not disappoint.