ACE Founders, with Ian Charles Stewart and Luckabox founder Aike Festini

90% of startups fail. For all sorts of different reasons. And few people want to talk about it. But WiReD Magazine co-Founder and IMD Executive in Residence Ian Charles Stewart and Aike Festini, Founder and CEO of logistics startup Luckabox AG, are more than happy to.

In our latest IMD ACE Founders Series podcast interview Stewart and Festini discuss how to spot problems, what to do when things don’t go your way, and why executive training and coaching can aid success.

Aike Festini is a passionate, compassionate, and curious serial entrepreneur who has been awarded multiple tech awards for her startup LuckaBox Logistics AG. She is currently the founder of Rebels With A Cause, offering scaling and innovation strategies for SMEs and Scale Up Startups. Aike also acts as an executive coach for startups and SME leaders in the digital sphere and mentors other executives and entrepreneurs as they build their businesses. She’s been featured on Forbes, CNN, as well as many newspapers and business magazines in the DACH region.

Ian Charles Stewart is Chairman of the WheelsPlusWings Foundation, is a Trustee of the International Institute for Sustainable Development in Canada, and is an Executive in Residence at IMD. Stewart is also an investor in and advisor to startups in the FinTech and Media sectors. Stewart was the Co-Founder of WiReD Magazine and Founder and CEO of Aztec Internet (responsible for BBC News Online and FT.com). Stewart was formerly MD of venture capital in the Rothschild Group and a Venture Fund Manager within the Lazard Group. Stewart has served as Mentor, Judge, and Lecturer to students in Venture Capital and Social Entrepreneurship programs at London Business School, was a Visiting Professor and Enterprise Board member of the University of the Arts, London, and holds an MBA (with Honours) from IMD.