What is the next wave of retail innovation and ingenuity? And what does the next wave of retail leaders have to say about the industry?
Is Gen Z fundamentally changing how businesses can thrive in a digital marketplace? And are retail merchants becoming retail engineers? The future of retail is rampant with strategy: This executive series bridges theory to actionable practice. Retail leaders, innovators, thought leaders and Gen Z rising stars identify retail’s next wave and explore how the industry can catch up to its future.
Three rising stars debate the future of retail and brands with a focus on the role of the CEO in today’s fractious litigious culture. What is the responsibility of retailers and brands to their local communities and stakeholders? And how does marketing resonate with a generation of young consumers who demand authenticity.
Moderator
Robin Barrett Wilson, Industry Executive Advisor, SAP
Next-Gen Leaders
Emma Brandenburg, Assistant Merchant, Abercrombie & Fitch
Anesha Gordon, Assistant Buyer, Targe
Megan Donovan, Associate Buyer, Macys
Three next-gen experts deconstruct what it’s going to take for legacy retail to catch up to its future. How do startup entrepreneurs identify meaningful solution gaps and how can legacy retailers be invited and welcomed into the new forms of communications, so they get a chance to reposition their brands?
Moderator:
Jerry O’Brien, Director of the Kohl’s Center for Retailing in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Startup Innovators
Katie Lorenz, Founder of Campo Alpaca, Principal, Accenture
Whitney Falk, CEO, ZZDriggs
Matt Hornbuckle, Co-CEO, Stantt
Visionary brick-and-mortar retail leader, Dick Johnson, CEO of Footlocker goes one-on-one with Visionary tech retailer, Stacy Igel, Founder, BOY MEETS GIRL® in a spirited conversation exploring the intersection of the art and science of retail.
Moderator
Robin Lewis, CEO, The Robin Report
Visionaries
Stacy Igel, Founder, Creative Director, BOY MEETS GIRL®
Dick Johnson, CEO, Foot Locker
Three successful retail leaders and practitioners have a provocative discussion about the future of retail, what today’s customers want and how authentic experience will redefine the concept and reality of a “store.”
Moderator
Robin Lewis, CEO, The Robin Report
Retail Leaders
Mike Tamte, CEO, Evereve
Rachel Shechtman, Founder, STORY
Mike Gould, Former CEO, Bloomingdale’s
PARTICIPANT BIOS
Anesha Gordon
Anesha Gordon graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020 earning degrees in Retailing and Consumer Behavior as well as Gender and Women’s Studies. Anesha relocated to Minneapolis in July 2020 to join the Target Beauty team as an Associate…
Emma Brandenburg
After earning a degree in Retailing and Consumer Behavior from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Emma Brandenburg entered the retailing industry as an Assistant Merchant to explore her passion for understanding how to effectively meet the needs of the consumer through…
Jerry O’Brien
Jerry O’Brien has served as the Director of the Kohl’s Center for Retailing in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for 14 years. Prior to his position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he spent 27 years…
Katie Lorenz
Katie Lorenz is the Founder of Campo Alpaca, a social good apparel company which creates ethical alpaca apparel and empowers women in Peru. She believes that business can and should be a force for good. She does this through at…
Matt Hornbuckle
Matt Hornbuckle is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Stantt, a men’s apparel brand that is challenging the industry standards with 99 unique sizes and the ability to make and deliver garments in only 7-10 days. The brand is sold in…
Megan Donovan
Megan Donovan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016 with a degree in Retailing and Consumer Behavior. After graduation, she joined Kohl’s as a merchandise analyst in the Home Decor office. She then moved to New York City to…
Michael Tamte
Michael Tamte is the co-founder and co-CEO of Evereve, one of the fastest growing fashion retailers with nearly $200 million in annual revenues. In 2004 he teamed with his wife and business partner, Megan Tamte, to open the first Evereve…
Mike Gould
Mike Gould became Chairman and Chief Executive of Bloomingdale’s in 1991 and served in that capacity for over 22 years. During his tenure, the store expanded from 16 stores in the east to a national brand with 37 stores in…
Rachel Shechtman
Rachel Shechtman is a fourth-generation retail entrepreneur and founder of STORY, a concept store known for its editorial, ever-changing approach to retail. Prior to opening STORY, Rachel built a career in consulting, founding Cube Ventures in 2002, an independent firm…
Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson is the President, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Foot Locker, Inc. where he is responsible for overseeing all business operations and development on a day-to-day basis. Since joining the Foot Locker team in 1993,…
Robin Barrett Wilson
Robin Barrett Wilson is a retail industry executive advisor at SAP, with a goal to help prospective and current customers identify new opportunities that meet the expectations of today’s consumer, deliver value, and achieve business results. She brings a deeper…
Robin Lewis
Robin Lewis is the founder and CEO of The Robin Report. He is an author, speaker, and consultant for the retail and consumer products industries. He co-authored the book: “The New Rules of Retail.” As a VP at Goldman Sachs,…
Stacy Igel
Stacy Igel is the Founder & Creative Director of BOY MEETS GIRL® a global impact brand. Stacy is a proud mom, industry leader and writes a lifestyle blog, Behind the Seams™ with Stacy Igel. She is also the co-creator and…
Whitney Frances Falk
Whitney Frances Falk is Founder and CEO of NYC-based ZZ Driggs, a company reimagining how we furnish our lives for a new economy and a more sustainable future. ZZ is the first of its kind — a values-driven lifestyle brand…