Attendees

Bandwidth and lack of resources as it relates to content creation and website development.

• AI videos
• AI chatbot
• Improved CS tools (Gorgias, Zendesk, etc.)

Shopify Plus just always works!

Shari Hoenig is a highly respected executive who has consistently demonstrated curiosity, drive and effectiveness throughout her career. This curiosity has resulted in a depth of expertise ranging from in-store experience to online optimization, paving the way for her “root-to-fruit” approach. Called upon for her innovative skills in digital and e-commerce, marketing and branding, she has mastered the art of balancing brand with driving revenue.

Shari’s successful track record includes experience at established companies like Macy’s, Esprit, and Calvin Klein Underwear, as well as startups Yummie and Wagtopia. This was where she developed the ability to foster synergies between customer, product, promotion and process to drive strong financials. She is customer-obsessed and uses data-driven insights to craft inventive ideas.

Shari is a strong leader and a committed team player who can create strategy, work with teams tactically, and capitalize on limited resources persistently and effectively. Her highly collaborative leadership style also allows her to amplify voices cross-departmentally to solve business concerns. Highly agile and adaptable, Shari changes course as needed to ensure the best possible outcomes.

A common thread throughout Shari’s career is giving back, and she has developed philanthropic programs as a cornerstone to each brand story. One of her proudest achievements includes a partnership with The Women’s Alliance developed during her time as marketing director at Ariela-Alpha International. Here she spearheaded the creation of National Smart & Sexy®️ Day with TWA, now a listed holiday in Chase’s Calendar of Events that continues to occur annually. Upon her departure from AAI, Shari was invited to serve on the board of TWA, where she led the organization through a significant brand restructure, now known as The Alliance of Career Development Nonprofits. Shari has also dedicated time and skill to support college students in their pursuit of marketing careers. She’s hosted career days, participated in mentorship programs, and has acted as a Capstone Coach for graduate presentations.

Shari earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Merchandising Management from Michigan State University, where she served on the board of the MSU Retailing Association. Shari and her family reside in New York City where her favorite pastimes include learning the “fine art” of mahjongg and enjoying jazz, both the music and her aptly named 10-year-old beloved rescue pup, Jazzy.

Ensuring connectivity of our various operational platforms, consistency of key performance indicator measurement and reporting across the platforms. Managing the business with nontechnical user configurations vs. technical deployments.

Sourcing and/or developing tools that automate mundane or repetitive tasks in order to unleash more strategic human capacity.

Solves a singular problem completely and with continued iterations. Responsive, kind and capable.

As the vice president, general manager of Quiet, I am passionate about supporting the growth ambitions of fashion and beauty brands through reliable and innovative third-party logistics services. My core expertise is centered on connecting the big-picture strategy with the everyday operational details that drive business successes across retail. As a founder myself, I have a deep empathy for fellow founders and their unique growth challenges.

Informed by a background in product management, I begin every solution session with a rigorous review of the customer pain points and analysis of the core issue to solve. This approach enables me to maximize creativity and innovation, while relentlessly focusing on delivering value and providing measurable results.

At Quiet, we know that integrity and transparency are the cornerstones of successful logistics. Our mission is to help brands grow by delivering consistent logistics services at all stages of scale, enabling and expanding new channels, while sharing our retail and supply chain expertise. We're not just picking and packing; we're building trust, driving growth and delivering brand value through reliable, people-first logistics.

RFID scanning

Ease of support access

Customizing Shopify; CRM platform tools

We migrated to Shopify in the last eight months; improving our conversion on the platform and integrating all the tools at our disposal. We are reviewing our CRM platform tools as well.

Partners that are hands on when trouble arises and are two steps ahead in helping create a road map and path forward for your business.

Kristen Elmer is a seasoned e-commerce marketing professional with a 16-year successful track record in the e-commerce, CRM, and CPG industries. She is a transformational leader of e-commerce brands in the startup and subscription space. Her background in buying and merchandising for Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Blue Apron, and currently Bark, have given her the experience needed to drive growth at scale across categories and increased customer engagement.

• Bringing our first-party data in-house that is currently being hosted by our data agency.
• Building or buying a CDP to house all customer data.

See above.

We are a very lean team and value our partners, who are an extension of our team, including timely communication, staying on budget/deadline, remaining current on industry trends, and being strategic thought leaders in the business (not waiting for us to tell them what to do). We try to empower our partners to feel part of our team and push us to do the things that will move our business forward, not just keep the lights on.

I'm a marketing strategist with 30 years of experience focused in retail, supermarket and now clothing/shoes/home. I've worked across most marketing disciplines including communications, brand marketing, research, performance marketing, and marketing leadership. I'm currently the senior director, performance marketing for Bealls Inc., a 110-year old clothing/shoes/home retailer with 660 stores across three banners in 23 states.

1. Deciding on build vs. buy. Timing and scope of when BJ’s should own vs. leverage vendors. Critical store modernization.
2. Leveraging AI for cost-effective build. Figuring out how agentic AI and offshore can accelerate development and reduce cost. Making AI part of the operating model, not just experimentation.
3. Addressing Labor Challenges: Balancing staffing shortages, skill gaps, and team capacity. Building new capabilities without burning out current team.
4. Balancing customer experience vs. cost. Deliver better customer experiences without blowing up the budget.
5. Stability vs. innovation. Keep current systems stable and reliable (run). At the same time, fund and execute innovation (grow).

1. Omnichannel experience: Deliver seamless member journeys across club, digital, fuel, and services. Personalize promotions, simplify membership, and unify checkout experiences.
2. POS modernization: Elevate the checkout experience.
3. Automation for labor and experience. Optimize scheduling, timekeeping, and task management. Use automation to free associates → better member service. Extend automation into checkout and membership flows to reduce friction.
4. AI enablement: Deploy agentic AI. Use AI for code generation, testing, incident triage, and member personalization. Build AI into core products.
5. Stability and resilience: Enhance observability, monitoring, and predictive analytics. Reduce downtime and improve system reliability across POS, fuel, and membership systems.

• Right Products: Solutions that fit our business needs and align with our strategy.
• Cost Discipline: Competitive pricing, transparent TCO, and sustainable long-term economics.
• Trust and Reliability: A partner we can depend on — credible, consistent, and invested in our success.
• Speed to Market: Ability to deliver quickly, adapt fast, and help us move at the pace of our members’ needs.
• Right People: Strong talent and expertise that bring innovation, execution excellence, and cultural alignment.

Technology leader with broad retail experience across BJ’s Wholesale Club, Walmart, and Sam’s Club. Currently at BJ’s, responsible for in-club technologies (POS, fuel, club systems) and technology implementations for new clubs and fuel stations, with a strong focus on automation and improving member experience.

Previously held technology leadership roles at Walmart and Sam’s Club, where I drove large-scale retail technology initiatives, gaining deep expertise in POS, member-facing solutions, and store operations platforms.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bala-prasanna

Excesive customization of tools

E-commerce replatforming

Large company

Global e-commerce GM expert in building and managing profitable and successful DTC businesses, having the tenacity to make dreams come true.

Our biggest barrier isn’t lack of tools, it’s connecting and maximizing the tech stack we already have. Unifying data, automating personalization, and expanding attribution are the unlocks that will drive smarter spend, stronger LTV growth, and true omnichannel experiences.

Our tech road map is about connection, personalization, and scalability. By unifying data and deepening automation, we’ll unlock smarter spend, accelerate customer file growth, and deliver a truly seamless omnichannel experience.

Partners that deliver more than just technology — they bring flexibility, innovation, scalability and strategic alignment, ensuring we stay ahead while staying lean.

A seasoned retail leader with a proven track record of driving growth, innovation and customer-centric strategies in the fashion and sports industries. As vice president of marketing, e-commerce and customer experience (CX) at Boston Proper, I oversee brand strategy, customer acquisition and retention, blending data-driven insights with creative storytelling to deliver results.

My leadership has been instrumental in advancing Boston Proper’s digital transformation. I am deeply focused on unifying technology, personalization, and brand storytelling to create seamless customer journeys across channels.

With extensive experience in both digital and traditional retail e-commerce and marketing, I have a passion for building strong customer relationships, elevating brand experiences, and scaling businesses for sustainable growth. I am often recognized for my ability to connect strategy to execution while keeping the customer at the center of every decision.

Focusing on customer data, including unidentified traffic and connecting all sources for a unified customer experience

Any that coincide with the above objective.

The ability to know our business and be a part of the team. Someone we can always call on.

Ali Riveira is a fractional e-commerce leader currently serving as an e-commerce advisor at Boston Proper. She brings over 15 years of retail experience, including six years at Office Depot across marketing, personalization, and technology. Ai has spent the last eight years at PeakActivity in various leadership positions, including chief digital officer, where she helped guide digital strategy for retail and DTC brands. Her approach blends strategic vision with hands-on execution to drive measurable business growth.

1. Utilizing AI within business and organization the right way.
2. Long-standing tech debt from legacy systems.

1. Modernizing SQL/data backend and move it to the cloud.
2. Building or buying a new OMS.
3. Stabilize EDI implementation and onboarding practices/procedures.
4. Leverage Mulesoft in an affective and scalable manner.
5. Extending/expanding POS functionality to support current fleet and upcoming experiences.

Understanding Build-A-Bear's business and wholistic view going into implementations.

Ben Barud is a seasoned technology leader with over 17 years of progressive experience in IT and software development, currently serving as the director of retail and enterprise technology in St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout his career, Ben has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation, strategic planning, and team development, consistently driving business value through technology.

Ben began his journey in IT as a service desk analyst, quickly advancing through roles such as .NET developer, senior software developer, and development team lead. His technical foundation and leadership capabilities paved the way for his transition into management, where he led internal development and store application initiatives as senior manager, and later took on broader enterprise responsibilities in his current director role.

Known for his expertise in mentoring, project management, leadership, and the software development life cycle (SDLC), Ben has successfully guided cross-functional teams, implemented scalable solutions, and aligned technology strategies with business goals. His on-site leadership in St. Louis has been instrumental in transforming retail and enterprise systems to meet evolving market demands.

Ben’s career reflects a deep understanding of both the technical and human aspects of technology leadership, making him a trusted partner in driving digital transformation and operational excellence.

Digital advertising, seamless BOPIS process for employees, store employee task management, better customer experience shopping/finding us online, store employee training

Improved store employee training, improved digital advertising with measurable return on investment

They talk about us as one team, and it feels like they have a genuine interest in both parties being successful. It sounds simple, but anytime we're talking about a project and/or problem it's always "our website," "our campaign," etc., never "your ..." The dedication and ownership really shows in the results.

Karen Mayer is an accomplished marketing leader with a proven track record of driving strategic growth and brand visibility. As director of marketing at Busy Beaver Building Centers, Karen brings deep expertise in campaign development, cross-functional collaboration, and customer engagement. She is known for her ability to align marketing initiatives with business objectives, foster high-performing teams, and deliver measurable results. Karen has recently focused on initiatives around employee engagement, sales enablement, and digital transformation, working closely with our IT and Business Intelligence, Merchandising, and Operations departments to elevate marketing impact across the organization.

• Older systems across some of the brands
• Integration post-merger
• User experience with respect to item availability

• Technology integration post-merger
• Marketplace launch
• Social selling

Thought leadership

Career highlights:

• More than a decade of product leadership experience across multiple Fortune 500 retailers in the digital transformation space
• Led product-driven omnichannel fulfillment rollouts at five of the top 20 omni retailers in the U.S.
• Led product initiative resulting in top-line growth of more than $12 million at a leading B2C retailer
• Provided strategic insights on product optimization resulting in $3 million cost savings year-over-year at a leading department store chain in the U.S.
• Won multiple accolades as product owner for $11 million-plus enterprise fulfillment implementation for a leading retailer in North America.

At Catalyst Brands, Sid leads a team of product managers overseeing the omnichannel fulfillment (bottom of funnel) and supply chain product portfolios, including enterprise inventory, order orchestration, fulfillment and delivery, omnichannel (SFS, BOPIS), warehouse management, returns and settlement functions. Sid manages large-scale transformation initiatives in line with the corporate vision impacting the top- and bottom-lines as well as customer conversion rates.

At Bed Bath & Beyond (Fortune 500 Retailer), Sid led multiple product teams focusing on digital fulfillment, final mile delivery, omnichannel, and returns and exchanges as part of the post-purchase tribe. Sid drove initiatives across the pods to identify opportunities impacting top-line growth, driving cost efficiencies and increasing conversion rates. Sid collaborated with multiple internal (Store Ops, Supply Chain, Finance, Tax, Purchase) as well as external (DoorDash, Uber, Instacart, Narvar) partners for building world-class products in the post-purchase phase.

At Belk, Sid was a senior product owner in the supply chain team reinventing retail digital commerce business processes leveraging the latest trends, partnering with multiple vendors as well as business stakeholders. Sid collaborated with the business stakeholders to identify, categorize and prioritize business objectives while liaising with the development team for design, development and testing of the releases based on the Agile framework.

Specialties: Product Leadership, Product Vision/Strategy, Product Road Maps, Product Execution, Digital Commerce, Agile execution, MVP, Revenue Growth, Cost Optimization, Feasibility Analysis, Omnichannel Commerce, Enterprise Order Management (Blue Yonder, Sourcing/Commits/Manhattan, MAO/IBM Sterling), IBM Global Inventory Visibility, Manhattan WMS/WMoS, Order Orchestration, Supply Chain Intelligence Dashboards, PayPal Integration, Program Management

Rising costs and inability to stay current due to challenging sales.

Streamlining portfolio to look for one greater flexible solution vs. numerous one-offs catered to each retailer

They are scrappy, move quickly, and constantly offering to have us test new features. They haven't raised the price but continue to treat us as one of the first customers.

Betsy Mello is a seasoned retail executive with over two decades of experience in driving growth and building brands across various industries. Throughout her career, she has held key leadership roles in prominent companies such as Dorel Home Furnishings, Sears Holdings Corporation, Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap, Inc. At Dorel Home Furnishings, she served as senior vice president of e-commerce sales, leading the development and execution of business strategies for key accounts, including Amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, and Cymax. Her expertise in digital marketing, strategic partnerships, and negotiation has been instrumental in driving revenue growth and maximizing profitability for the company.

Prior to her role at Dorel Home Furnishings, Betsy held executive positions at Sears Holdings Corporation, where she was responsible for overseeing the Kids and Baby Apparel and Hardlines categories. Strategic leadership and strong vendor management skills contributed to the success of the division, generating the largest category in Sears' annual revenue.

Career highlights also include her tenure at Levi Strauss & Co., where she played a pivotal role in growing the Outlet business from 15 stores to 140 stores and creating global assortment strategies, including heading initiatives to drive growth across all categories. She is also a founding member of Chief, a private network dedicated to empowering women leaders, as well as Women in Retail Leadership Circle.

Replenishment from reserve to cart pick locations. Long-tail SKU fulfillment.

Solution to long-tail SKU fulfillment. Looked at nearly all technologies. Most suitable seems GeekPlus Pop Pick.

Comprehension of business challenges and objectives. Comprehensiveness on budget and timely delivery of quotes. Support quality and speed.

Julian has been with FabFitFun nearly five years and heads supply chain and customer service. He has held executive roles in supply chain and inventory management at Harbor Freight Tools, Trans World Entertainment, and RadioShack; and was COO of Discover Books. Julian holds two dozen patents, a number of these obtained for employers, and has authored four peer-reviewed finance journal papers. Interests and expertise include scaling and transforming operations into competitive weapons and revenue drivers; building the highest-performing teams in an industry; and driving game-changing innovations that build growth and efficiency.

As a growing children’s footwear subscription brand, our biggest technology challenges center around scaling personalization, streamlining customer data, and creating a more seamless experience for both parents and gift-givers. Specifically:

• Personalization at Scale: Each box is curated based on child-specific size data and style preferences. We currently manage this manually and are looking for technology that can help us scale personalization while preserving the thoughtful, high-touch experience that defines our brand.
• Customer Data Centralization: Our data lives across multiple platforms (Shopify, Klaviyo, intake forms, etc.), making it difficult to get a holistic view of customer profiles, sizing history, and box preferences over time. We need a more integrated system to inform smarter decisions and improve the customer experience.
• Subscription and Returns Management: We allow for size exchanges but not style swaps, and Shopify’s native tools are limiting when it comes to flexible subscription timing and customer self-management. We're looking for tools that can support custom subscription logic and automate returns/exchanges.
• Gifting and Add-On Complexity: As we expand into new offerings (gift cards, baby boxes, product add-ons), we’re encountering challenges around bundling, upsells, and variable shipping logic at checkout. We'd love solutions that can simplify this complexity for both us and the customer.

Our top technology priorities are focused on improving the customer experience, streamlining backend operations, and setting the stage for scalable growth. Key initiatives include:

• Upgrading Subscription Management: We’re actively exploring tools that offer more flexibility and control for customers — e.g., pausing, rescheduling, or modifying their box — alongside features that reduce manual steps on our team’s side.
• Enhancing Website Functionality: We’re planning a website refresh to improve navigation, product education, and conversion. This includes better merchandising of our core offerings (2-shoe, 3-shoe, and baby boxes), clear customer flows for new and returning users, and a more robust backend to support add-ons and gifting.
• Scaling Add-On and Gifting Logic: As we introduce new products like baby boxes, accessories, and gift cards, we’re looking to implement smarter checkout logic for bundling, shipping rules, and upsells, ensuring a smooth and intuitive experience for both parents and gift-givers.

I value platforms that are intuitive, reliable, and built to scale with a growing business. Both Shopify and Klaviyo offer user-friendly interfaces, strong integration capabilities, and a robust ecosystem of apps and support. What keeps me re-signing is their ability to simplify complex processes — whether it’s powering seamless e-commerce transactions or delivering targeted, automated email flows — without requiring a dedicated dev team.

Anne Arwood is the founder of Fitted, a children’s shoe subscription service that curates high-quality, stylish footwear for growing kids. She launched the brand to take the stress out of shoe shopping for parents and to make the experience fun for children — with perfectly sized, seasonal shoes delivered to their doorstep. Prior to starting Fitted, Anne spent over a decade in healthcare consulting, specializing in operations improvement and strategic planning. She holds a B.A. in Public Policy from Duke University and both a MBA and MPH from Emory University. Anne lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children.

Follett is the largest operator of in-store and online college campus bookstores. I was brought on to oversee and launch the Follett Media Network, but I’ve uncovered several critical gaps: we don’t currently have an ad server, our SSP partner is not fully functional, and our sponsored product ads platform (Koddi) is not operating as intended. Furthermore, we are working with a limited budget due to leadership’s lack of understanding of what’s truly needed to succeed in this space.

Our immediate initiative is to create awareness for FMN and secure the capital needed to build a fully functional ad stack with top partners. This will allow us to scale properly, unlock measurement and transparency, and ultimately drive stronger online revenue opportunities for our vendors.

My priority is to bring in best-in-class solutions to Follett — including Adobe, Magnite, Pacvue, The Trade Desk, Google Marketing Platform, Amazon.com, and TikTok. By aligning with these leaders, we can establish transparency, measurement and performance at scale, unlocking online revenue growth and providing real value to our vendor partners.

I bring over 25 years of experience in shopper marketing, sales management, e-commerce, retail media, and all digital media, spanning every major channel — display, video, programmatic, social, search, ad tech, and AI. I’ve partnered with Fortune 100 brands and the world’s leading holding companies, consulting across the full funnel of media operations and optimization. My passion is building tech startups and scalable retail media networks, forging high-impact partnerships, and driving measurable revenue growth in complex, fast-evolving ecosystems.

Retiring legacy technical debt and adopting new technology without creating unplanned outages; driving automation and better engineering while competing with large transformation programs.

Enabling product information management, supporting direct order management, in-store mobile experience, internal technology platforms

Excellent engineering and that they coach and upskills others.

As a senior technology executive, I lead enterprise-scale transformations that turn traditional IT functions into modern, innovation-driven platforms. With deep expertise in cloud-native architecture, DevOps, and infrastructure as code, I design and scale resilient, secure and cost-optimized engineering platforms that accelerate product delivery and drive business outcomes. I'm a proud graduate of Virginia Tech University with my B.S. in Management Science - Decision Support Systems. I also have my M.S. in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. I live in Vienna, VA with my husband of over 28 years. We have four children and two dogs.

Optimizing and leveraging Gen AI

Optimizing and leveraging Gen AI

Brings innovative thought leadership to the table and helps create tangible financial value.

As the new leader of Georgia Louise Skincare, I’ve stepped in to guide a full-scale transformation of the business, from brand positioning to operations and digital infrastructure. While the brand is beloved and built on genuine authority in skincare, several technology challenges are limiting our ability to grow:

• Outdated and inflexible e-commerce infrastructure that restricts our ability to deliver the luxury experience today’s customer expects.
• Siloed systems and data, making it difficult to connect e-commerce, the Atelier (our spa), retail, and product development in a meaningful or actionable way.
• Limited product discovery and storytelling tools, which fail to fully communicate the expertise of our founder or guide customers to the right solutions.
• Lack of reliable tracking and attribution, hindering our ability to make confident marketing and operational decisions.
• Operational inefficiencies across departments due to legacy processes and disconnected tools.

A focus is on modernizing and simplifying our ecosystem to support brand growth, internal efficiency, and a best-in-class customer experience. Key initiatives include:

• Overhauling the e-commerce experience to better reflect the luxury positioning of the brand and make product discovery intuitive and engaging.
• Centralizing operations and workflows with modern tools that bring structure, visibility, and accountability across teams.
• Upgrading analytics and attribution tools to track the full customer journey and make more informed decisions across channels.
• Integrating systems to connect the Atelier, e-commerce, retail, and product development, creating a holistic feedback loop where real treatment insights inspire product creation, content and education.
• Identifying scalable, easy-to-deploy technologies that can reduce manual work and improve speed-to-market without adding complexity.

I have several favorite vendors, but at this time I want to refrain from mentioning them because of our current restructuring.

Michael Hoffman leads businesses through critical inflection points, turning complexity into clarity and driving meaningful, measurable growth. With over two decades of experience across e-commerce, customer experience, and omnichannel retail, he is known for helping brands evolve, scale and outperform.

He currently serves as managing director and executive director of brand strategy and growth at Georgia Louise Skincare, where he is shaping the brand’s next chapter. His work spans brand positioning, digital infrastructure, and omnichannel development, with a focus on scaling a prestige skincare business built around Georgia Louise’s celebrated Atelier and her legacy as the master facialist.

Previously, Michael was director of customer experience at Stetson Worldwide, where he led transformational improvements across logistics, automation, and customer operations, driving double-digit revenue growth. He is also the founder of N2 Ecommerce, a consultancy that helps DTC and retail brands unlock scalable systems and customer-first strategies.

Michael brings deep expertise in digital transformation, AI-powered CX, logistics optimization, and high-growth retail operations. He specializes in building the connective tissue between brand, technology, and customer — helping companies deliver at scale without losing their soul.

Data

Data, SAP ERP

Responsiveness

Gaurav Gupta is a global executive and transformative leader currently serving as the head of industrial sector (digital transformation solutions) at HARMAN, a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung. His understanding of emerging technologies such as AI/ML, IoT, eCommerce, Cloud, Cybersecurity and 5G allows him to anticipate industry trends and harness these advancements to create significant business value in an increasingly interconnected world.

We were acquired last October and are now transitioning to the parent company's legacy systems. However, HATCH is small and nimble and in some cases its solutions aren't the right ones for us. Trying to evaluate affordable tools that add ROI without much lift from the in-house team.

Gaining visibility/reporting to our data.

They speak strategy and retail and not just tech. They deliver on promises to integrate new ideas or solve to pain points.

Danielle Lafleur is a dynamic builder of brands, people and strategies. She is a retail executive with over 25 years of experience unlocking talent and growth potential while inspiring those around her. Danielle is currently president at HATCH Studios (premium maternity) and was most recently the president of Bandier over product, brand and community. Previously, she held merchandising, buying, visual and design leadership roles at globally iconic brands like Calvin Klein, JCrew, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren.

In scaling owned e-commerce across all of our brands and countries, we need a platform that scales quickly, remains stable, and supports local customization. Often local customization threatens platform stability and speed to market.

• Rolling out a standard e-commerce platform globally.
• Complete build/buy decision on global loyalty partner.
• Build a unified data platform to automatically collect and transform store-level transaction data to support global sales reporting and customer/marketing analytics.

Focus on ease of use, continuous innovation with a steady focus

Meghan leads digital marketing for Inspire Brands' international portfolio. My time at Inspire has focused on transforming how we connect with customers through technology. This includes launching mobile apps, loyalty programs and personalized marketing strategies across owned and paid channels. I'm passionate about using data and technology to create delightful experiences that keep customers coming back.

We are not currently facing any major technical challenges. However, we remain focused on exploring innovative ways to responsibly leverage AI to enhance our capabilities and create value.

Over the next 18 months, our primary technology initiatives include upgrading the point-of-sale systems across our retail locations, advancing licensing capabilities to support greater personalization, optimizing affiliate and product data integrations with key marketplaces, and exploring opportunities to leverage artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.

Our preferred technology partners provide strong development resources, particularly skilled web developers. We value their responsiveness and the fact that they feel truly invested in our brand’s success. Additionally, with Salesforce, we appreciate the platform’s stability and its continual evolution, which gives us confidence in renewing our partnership year after year.

With over 16 years of progressive experience in e-commerce operations, digital merchandising, and quality assurance, I currently serve as the e-commerce operations manager at James Avery Artisan Jewelry. In this role, I lead the growth and optimization of JamesAvery.com, ensuring seamless user experiences, maximizing revenue opportunities, and overseeing all facets of website operations, including content management, merchandising, analytics, and technical enhancements. I have a proven track record of driving online sales through data-driven merchandising strategies and collaborative team leadership.

I hold a MBA from East Texas A&M University, where I focused on analytical and strategic leadership solutions, and a Bachelor's degree in Retail Management from Texas Tech University, with strong emphasis on category management, retail buying, and trend research. I am committed to leveraging technology and data to enhance customer experiences and drive business growth.

ERP selection, CRM selection

Dynamic pricing, ERP selection, CRM selection

Morality

KC Cattle Company was born from the battlefield, not the boardroom.

After serving with the 1st Ranger Battalion, Patrick Montgomery returned home carrying more than gear — he carried the weight of a brotherhood and the memory of those who didn’t make it back. One of them was his brother-in-law and fellow Ranger, Staff Sergeant Jeremy Katzenberger, who was killed in action in 2011. That loss became the fuel for a mission bigger than himself.

KC Cattle Company exists to honor Jeremy’s legacy by creating meaningful work for veterans and producing the highest-quality beef in America. What started as a way to find purpose after service has grown into a calling: to lead with values, to work with integrity, and to deliver something real in every bite.

Website platform, overall technical debt

Website re-platform, Pinpad replacement with payment gateway replacement

Availability, response time, honesty

My name is Tramaine Tall, and I serve as the senior director of information technology at Kirkland’s Home with more than 20 years of experience in IT. I possess a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Lambuth University and hold 15 certifications, such as the CISSP. In my role as the senior director of IT, I am tasked with overseeing all information technology initiatives for the company. I guide the IT department to ensure smooth operations, innovative solutions, and strong IT security throughout the organization.

Identity resolution and creative automation

CRM ecosystem review, ID resolution

Customer service and thought leadership

A 13-year martech and marketing professional with a focus on digital content experiences and delivery.

• Ability to move fast enough to meet business and market needs.
• Navigating offerings.
• Technical debt

• Associate handheld device refresh.
• Revamp digital signage strategy.
• Improve frontline associate operations.
• In-store marketing/paid retail media.
• Improved fulfillment outcomes and store in-stock rates.
• Omnichannel customer experience in-store.

Proactive support and engagement. I love a transparent and proactive vendor. I want to know they're working as hard as I am on the areas I care about.

Allie Ferrari is the vice president of product and technology at Kohl’s, overseeing the technology and solutions that power the company’s 1,100-plus stores nationwide. With expertise in digital transformation, product strategy, and leading high-performing teams, she is passionate about creating customer-focused value. Outside of work, Allie enjoys yoga, the outdoors, and spending time with her husband and their rescue dog, Thor.

Data connection and fragmentation

No holistic CRM ecosystem. Multiple platforms that don't speak to one another.

CDP, CRM

Innovative, direct, solution-oriented, distills complex concepts for organizations to understand and action on

A proven leader dedicated to driving stellar brand and category strategy, I partner with high-performance teams to shape and execute on innovative, sophisticated marketing road maps that deliver high-impact results.

Known for my ability to steer transformative change, I revitalize operational structures and workflows to align with shifting company needs, partnering with shareholders and leadership to build consensus and capture buy-in for implementations.

I pride myself on my ability to identify and grow high-potential talent, building internal cultures of advancement and innovation that empower dynamic change.

To learn more about my demonstrated track record of productivity, profitability, and performance optimization, reach out to me today!

In my most recent role the biggest technology challenges were integration between systems. Data was difficult to pull. Teams were often having to go into multiple systems to get the information needed.

Website development, SEO, commerce

Great customer service. Strong implementation. Delivering on expectations and strong account support.

Consumer-centric product and merchandising leader who loves bringing good ideas to life, especially the kind that make a real impact on people. I’ve led strategy and growth for brands like Starbucks, Serta Simmons, Ralph Lauren, and Avon, driving everything from new category launches and brand partnerships to global operations.

At my core, I’m an ideator and builder. I thrive on uncovering opportunities, shaping ideas, and bringing them to market through thoughtful strategy, cross-functional collaboration, and compelling consumer experiences. I’m known for blending operational discipline with creativity to help brands grow with purpose and show up in ways that resonate.

Leveraging the various tech to its fullest potential.

CMS, CDP, Marketing Automation

Understand our business and our vision for transformation.

Jennifer Downes is a seasoned professional in the dynamic tech sector, known for her strategic vision and ability to execute business strategies that have fueled the growth of multibillion-dollar enterprises.

As head of global digital marketing transformation at Lenovo, Jennifer leads the strategic evolution of digital customer journeys across both B2B and B2C audiences. With an initial focus on optimizing B2B experiences, she is shaping a unified, hybrid approach that reflects the full spectrum of customer needs. Over her decade-long tenure at Lenovo, she has spearheaded initiatives that drive sustainable revenue growth and long-term profitability through innovation, collaboration, and a deep commitment to customer-centric strategy.

Jennifer’s work centers on digital and content strategies that leverage customer insights to drive relevance and growth. With a passion for understanding consumer behavior, she is a catalyst for embedding customer intelligence into every stage of the journey — enhancing engagement, loyalty and business impact.

Prior to Lenovo, Jennifer worked at NXP Semiconductors where she led the transformation of its demand generation activities to deliver a personalized, cross-channel approach. Jennifer holds a master’s degree in psychology and a MBA in marketing.

A native of Boston, Jennifer moved to the Raleigh area 17 years ago with her two daughters. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys staying active, testing her green thumb, and cherishing moments with family and friends.

Dynamic pricing automation, tracking enhancement contribution to conversion rates

Dynamic pricing automation, loyalty gamification, process automations

Willingness to make custom upgrades for Lenovo

Logan Rohde is a seasoned leader in strategic execution, currently serving as senior manager for the Lenovo North America E-Commerce Strategic Execution team. He specializes in managing IT enhancement priorities, driving initiatives from concept to launch, and ensuring alignment with broader business strategies. With a strong focus on cross-functional collaboration and operational efficiency, Logan plays a key role in translating strategic goals into impactful technology solutions. He’s passionate about leveraging innovation to solve complex business challenges and is excited to connect with peers at Total Retail Tech to exchange ideas and explore emerging trends in retail technology.

Integrating platforms for a seamless in-store to digital experience

Implementing loyalty, AI in customer experience

Transparency, forward-thinking, and ability to break it down into non-tech speak

Currently serving as the vice president of marketing and e-commerce at Mary Square, Megan Black is recognized for her ability to strategically integrate brand, performance and creative strategies to achieve impactful marketing outcomes within the retail, e-commerce, and CPG industries. Her leadership experience includes successfully directing marketing teams at Jane.com, Zulily, and baby apparel brand Kate Quinn, where she demonstrated a consistent ability to improve brand visibility, scale businesses, and cultivate strong stakeholder relationships. Megan's early career in the fast-paced environment of top New York City advertising agencies, working on global brands like L'Oréal Paris, provided a strong foundation in brand development and strategic communication. She excels in crafting innovative marketing initiatives, leveraging data-driven insights to enhance customer engagement and business performance, and fostering a collaborative environment within cross-functional teams to drive corporate success. Outside of the office, she mentors the Alpha Chi Omega sisters at UNC Chapel Hill, is the Southeast ambassador for the Women in Retail Leadership Circle, and volunteers at Interact of Wake County, where she's dedicated to brining peace and hope to victims of domestic violence in the community.

Finding solutions that scale across our multiple platforms

Looking for interesting and scalable AI use cases

Partnership and relationship

Stephanie is a multifaceted leader, passionate about combining art and science to deliver innovative, consumer-first digital experiences. Her depth and breadth of experience in corporate strategy, digital merchandising, product management and UX, finance, marketing, and supply chain sets her apart and enables her to bring a fresh strategic and analytical approach to solve complex business problems, challenge the status quo, and drive results.

• AI rollout strategy for a retail enterprise
• How to measure AI productivity
• Future operating model with AI in the mix

Merchandising ERP upgrade, supply chain optimization, and data center consolidation

Quality, commitment and solving the problem together

Chaitanya (aka Chai) is an innovation enthusiast who is a technologist at heart and an entrepreneur at execution. He has worked for range of companies from startups to Fortune No. 1 companies. Chai is currently at Michaels Stores, shaping the strategic technical direction of the company and transforming technology for the next generation retail — the world of connected commerce.

• All-in-one dashboards — retailers, Ulta, Amazon.com
• Aged tech stack

All-in-one dashboard, AI incorporation on site (e.g., customer service chats, conversion tools, etc.)

N/A

Hi! My name is Eunice. I've been at Milani for nine months. I'm looking forward to seeing what new adds I can provide to the current tech stack here at Milani. Fun fact: I have changed my hair color more than eight times this year, I have three dogs (two Pomeranians, 1 Lhasa Apso mix), and I recently moved into a home with no central AC (oh my).

Scaling brand-right content cost effectively and measuring marketing effectiveness as an omnichannel brand without an expensive MMM/incrementality tool.

Brand tracking, potential ERP migration, incorporating AI to streamline process and workflows.

Responsive product road map and tailored partnerships.

Calvin Lammers is a 13-year digital marketing veteran who started his career on the retail side with Target. Calvin made his first foray into e-commerce with Quidsi, an Amazon.com subsidiary with such sites as Diapers.com and Soap.com. Since then, Calvin has moved over to the brand side, leading digital for at a number of F&B disruptor brands such as KIND, Bai, Spindrift, and Health-Ade before making the jump to beauty and personal care with Nécessaire. At Nécessaire, Calvin oversees digital platforms and media for the personal care brand, including Sephora, Amazon, and DTC.

Moving fast enough to keep up with the rapid changes in both the retail and technology industries. Ensuring our data is governed and aligned with strategic initiatives.

Maximizing current investments in Adobe (strong focus on personalization), data governance and centralizing our data domains, automation across the enterprise, and improving our online shopping experience.

Responsive, not always leading with a SOW, but vested in our success.

Robyn Messerly is the chief information technology officer at NFM. With a wealth of experience in IT leadership, Robyn oversees the company's technology strategy and ensures the alignment of IT initiatives with business goals. Robyn is passionate about bridging the gap between IT and business stakeholders, fostering collaboration to drive innovation and efficiency within the organization. Working closely with top contributors, Robyn has successfully implemented numerous projects that have significantly enhanced the company's digital capabilities.

Campaign planning, integrated marketing planning, agentic AI

Campaign planning, integrated marketing planning, agentic AI

Deep trust and I need to see them continually reinvest in the product and not in the sales team

Jennifer is the director of DTC, martech, and digital compliance at OLLY, a Unilever-owned vitamin/supplement brand, and a seasoned e-commerce veteran based in the Bay Area. She specializes in building digital marketing programs, profitable e-commerce stores, and seamless customer experiences. Her expertise includes advanced martech ecosystems, customer data platforms (CDPs), marketing automation, and ensuring compliance with global privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Jennifer’s skills span web development, UX/UI design, inventory management, logistics, and omnichannel retailing.

Consolidation of legacy technology and infrastructure.

Consolidation of legacy technology and infrastructure.

Focus on relationships, not selling for the sake of selling.

Jeff Haddox is a digital and e-commerce executive with a proven track record of delivering results. Data-driven decision-maker. Strong leadership and coaching skills. Thrives in fast-paced and challenging environment. Collaborative and engaging personality. Assertive and enthusiastic with contagious passion, fueled by organizational purpose.

More information available at JeffHaddox.com.

• PIM
• Unified commerce in a rough and challenging industry

• Deciding on a new seed-to-sale platform (whole supply chain through e-commerce, including loyalty, marketing, and delivery)
• Redesigning our in-house DIY PIM

The best way to describe the quality is that they *are* a PARTNER and not a vendor. They're in constant contact looking at ways to help us run better.

Seasoned technology executive with over 20 years of experience leading IT managed services and consulting for retail and hospitality brands. Meredith has guided businesses through digital transformation, POS modernization, and network infrastructure design. Her work bridges operational efficiency and customer experience, with recent projects focusing on the unique compliance, security and scalability needs of cannabis retail.

As a cannabis company, it's difficult to identify tech companies that are comfortable in this industry. We struggle for solutions that are reliable, robust and that integrate well to the current tech stack.

We're integrating AI technologies, as appropriate. We've lost headcount, so we're looking to identify where we can work more efficiently with fewer resources. We're looking to expand usage of the available features of existing tech solutions to maximize tool consolidation.

Our favorite tech partner is available to collaborate and suggest best practices that align to our unique industry. They listen to our issues and brainstorm with us for best case resolutions. They're not shy to share how other clients are using the same tools for creative solutions. Their clients feel like a community of partners sharing the goal of growing their retail businesses by sharing successes. The support team is readily available and their technology is well-built and reliable.

Tammi Saffold is an IT business operations director with deep experience deploying enterprise-wide retail systems across highly regulated industries. At Parallel, she leads cross-functional teams through complex rollouts — spanning seed-to-sale platforms, e-commerce, payment solutions, and business analytics tools. Her background blends technical training, data management, and project management (PMP-certified), with a passion for building smarter systems and empowering teams to thrive within them.

• Ability to easily pull clean, actionable data
• Omnichannel experience — retail POS and e-commerce platform don't speak to each other
• Shop the Look
• Fit finder
• Product recommendations
• SEO/Generative AI

• Consumer Engagement Platform
• Retail POS
• Shop the Look
• SEO/Generative AI
• Product Recommenders

• Transparency
• Honesty
• Strategic partnership
• Always evolving its product
• Pricing

Senior director of e-commerce at Peter Millar and G/FORE. Skew more on the digital operations side with a focus on development, UX/UI, site merchandising and customer care.

• Balancing tech debt with delivering new solutions — supporting growth today while avoiding roadblocks.
• Delivering change within a legacy IT organization.

• Modernizing platforms: ERP, POS, Loyalty, E-Commerce, Store Infrastructure, golf tech
• Delivering enhanced customer experiences across all channels

We are a small, lean team and rely heavily on partners as an extension of our team. Communication, timeliness, and strategic thinking are key qualities we look for in long-term partnerships.

As senior director, technology solutions of PGA Tour Superstore, Brent leads infrastructure, enterprise architecture, app development and product teams focused on customer and associate experience. He has a proven track record of leading globally distributed teams to deliver strategic outcomes and complex initiatives that enhance both customer and business outcomes. Known for aligning technology with strategic goals, Brent consistently leads teams to create scalable platforms that fuel growth and operational excellence.

ERP system

Leaving our current ERP system

N/A

Multiple system integrations across multiple platforms, behind on enhancements and new technology features

• Pricing optimization
• Data management and optimization
• Marketplace scale
• Customer personalization and site experience

Partnership, communication and understanding of our unique business model

Jeni Canaan has served as the vice president of merchandising and pricing at Purchasing Power for the past five years. Purchasing Power is a multifaceted business as an e-commerce retailer, available to our customers as an employee benefit through payroll deduction. We are B2B2C and have all the needs and challenges of both models.

• AI
• Marketing returns/affiliate/UGC
• Automating supply planning/demand planning

Enterprise Netsuite implementation

Simplicity of use and interaction with them

One of our key technology challenges is seamlessly integrating new technologies with our existing systems without causing disruptions. We also face the task of ensuring data security and privacy as we expand our digital footprint.

In the next 18 months, we're committed to building solutions to drive our enterprise growth strategy through social, streaming, and digital channels. Additionally, we're focusing on leveraging AI to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and provide personalized recommendations.

Our favorite technology partner consistently demonstrates a deep understanding of our unique business needs and provides innovative solutions that align with our goals. And I emphasize the point surrounding UNIQUE business needs and environment.

As CIO of QVC Group, Karen leads information technology and digital strategy, which are vital to driving long-term growth, innovation, and productivity for the company. She has an established record as a leader and business partner who transforms and simplifies business processes that deliver robust, cost-effective IT solutions — a capability strengthened by serving on a public board of directors in retail. Karen is a passionate advocate for the American CANCER Society, whose seat on the board of directors enables her to amplify its mission to End Cancer as we know it for everyone.

In a broad sense, balancing investment in the here and now (growth opportunities) with the need to invest to drive down technical debt (long term). Within my area of focus, which is focused mainly on technology transformation through new/improved capability across portfolio management, PMO, value and financial management and change management, a cohesive platform to capture and manage capabilities across these disciplines in a truly end-to-end sense is an ongoing challenge. We're currently focused on improving processes in this space but have opportunities to leverage technology more meaningfully to progress on our maturation journey.

Over the next 18 months, we will continue to enhance processes and our MVP technology capability for the main pillars described above, while thinking about our long-term plans on how we can drive further maturation of our underlying practices, partially with more robust technology solutions.

Trusted thought partnership

Jordana Gabbay is a seasoned technology leader with over two decades of experience in technology transformation, product management, portfolio management, integrated governance, change management, project management and delivery. Her experience spans both consulting and industry leadership positions across retail and the public sector (defense). In her current role, Jordana is leading the standup of a new function responsible for improving predictability of delivery through new and enhanced PMO, Portfolio Management, Integrated Governance and Change Management practices as part of QVC Group’s technology transformation. Jordana is known for leading teams across a broad scope with a strong customer focus, boldness, and team member advocacy and mentorship. Jordana lives in the Philadelphia suburbs and enjoys spending time with her family, particularly exploring and gardening with her four-year-old daughter, Lily.

I want to move faster and spend less money!

Personalization, on-site search, app updates

Simplicity and transparency

Natalie Lockhart has served as group vice president, strategy, customer insights and digital experience since June 2024. Prior to being appointed to her current role, Ms. Lockhart was group vice president, strategy, business development and customer insights since June 2023. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Lockhart was the senior vice president, strategy and growth execution at The Neiman Marcus Group, where she led the development and operationalization of the company’s growth strategy. Prior to joining Neiman Marcus in 2019, Ms. Lockhart was at JCPenney, where she held a range of roles, including operations, financial planning, analytics, and strategy. Ms. Lockhart was also responsible for leading the turnaround of JCPenney’s professional beauty business as vice president, Salon. Ms. Lockhart holds a MBA in Finance and Marketing from Southern Methodist University and a BA from Tulane University.

As a company operating across multiple markets (Europe, USA), our primary technology challenges include:

• Integrating real-time data from different retail and e-commerce platforms to streamline inventory, sales, and demand forecasting.
• Scaling personalized digital experiences across our B2B and B2C channels, especially in beauty and lifestyle categories.
  Automating and optimizing marketing and sales funnels using AI without compromising brand storytelling or relationship-building.
• Improving cybersecurity and fraud prevention for international e-commerce operations.
• Ensuring an agile IT infrastructure that supports growth and rapid adaptation to new distribution partners, marketplaces, and technologies.
• We are actively seeking tools and insights to help us build smarter, more adaptive retail ecosystems across our global operations.

Over the next 18 months, our technology initiatives will focus on:

• Implementing an AI-driven forecasting and inventory management system to optimize international logistics and reduce overstock across markets.
• Developing a unified B2B/B2C digital platform that integrates CRM, order management, and partner portals to enhance client experience and operational efficiency.
• Expanding personalization capabilities across digital marketing and e-commerce channels using predictive analytics and consumer behavior insights.
• Launching a data-driven retail intelligence program to support better decision-making for brand launches and category management.
• Enhancing cybersecurity infrastructure and fraud protection, particularly for cross-border transactions and global e-commerce platforms.
• Building automated workflows for onboarding new distribution partners, streamlining regulatory documentation, and accelerating market entry for global beauty brands.

These initiatives are designed to support our growth as a cross-continental distributor and consulting partner for beauty and lifestyle brands entering global markets.

Reliability and proactive support. Our favorite technology partners don’t just provide tools; they act as strategic collaborators. What keeps us re-signing is their ability to consistently anticipate our needs, offer tailored solutions, and respond quickly as our business scales across multiple markets.

Entrepreneurial and creative brand founder passionate about turning innovative ideas into tangible results. Experienced in formulating and executing strategic plans, creating beauty products, and developing business opportunities. Demonstrated record of success in building successful teams and managing profitable operations.

As a seasoned entrepreneur and visionary, I am at the forefront of the beauty industry. I am proud to serve as the CEO of Sense and Body, a successful distributor of beauty products in Poland and Europe, and the founder of Sentique International, an innovative company specializing in care and beauty products. I am also the creator of JCos, a new umbrella brand that represents the highest quality Japanese cosmetics and care accessories.

With 20+ years of experience in the field, I have established and grown these brands that are recognized for their exceptional quality. Sense and Body has been awarded many times for its innovative products and remarkable growth. It was honored with Forbes Magazine's prestigious “Forbes Diamond Award” for fast-growing enterprises and with a “Rossmann Supermarkets Award” for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Exclusive Projects. Additionally, Sense and Body has received the Business Gazelles award from Bonnier from 2014- 2016 consecutively, recognizing it as one of the most dynamic small and medium-sized companies.

In 2021, I embarked on a new venture to create a unique umbrella brand to cover a specific segment of the existing Sense and Body range. This endeavor resulted in the introduction of JCos - a brand that stands apart from the rest in its commitment to excellence and innovation. JCos represents a bold and exciting direction for the beauty industry, offering premium quality Japanese cosmetics and accessories to women. It is much more than just another beauty brand - it's a lifestyle choice for women who believe in the power of self-care and the importance of taking time for themselves. The JCos brand has been developed by joining forces with the most reputable companies in the USA. It was brought to life in cooperation with Team Computer, a Los Angeles-based creative agency renowned for its fresh and engaging ideas. JCos also has a solid agreement with RangeMe.

My ultimate goal is to support women in their professional, private, and self-development lives through my brands. Join me to help women find confidence by teaching them how to take better care of themselves physically and ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

Ability to integrate with vendors fast and efficiently

Personalization

Ability to collaborate

• Existing tools not being fully utilized (AI search and recommendations)
• Existing tools with limitations (CMS)

Using existing tools more effectively

Honest, collaborative, part of the team

Karen Manning is an accomplished vice president of digital product operations and strategic programs at Signet Jewelers, with a rich background in project management and business operations. With over two decades of experience, she has successfully led cross-functional teams and managed complex projects in the e-commerce and supply chain sectors. Her expertise spans a variety of domains including change management, continuous improvement, and logistics. Karen holds a Master's degree in Accounting and Systems and has a proven track record of driving operational excellence and strategic initiatives. She's known for her strong leadership skills and her ability to foster collaboration among diverse teams. Outside of her professional achievements, Karen has been recognized with awards such as Associate of the Year and Achievement of Excellence Award, showcasing her commitment to excellence in her field.

We have too much technology that isn't integrated. Most of our systems do not talk to each other. We have many brands, each with their own tech stack.

We have an antiquated customer records management system. I have a lot of gaps in data and analytics in my department.

• We're looking for a new telephony system.
• I would love to find a social commerce platform — virtual events, livestream selling.

They continue to evolve the product to match our evolving needs. It's the ongoing progress that's important vs. just purchasing a product out of the box. Also, if they provide data and analytics for how the tool performs that is a big plus.

I am a big idea enthusiast who innovates with imagination and purpose while passionately engaging diverse teams to succeed. Over the past two decades I have worked in the retail jewelry business. In my current role I am creating the shopping experience of the future, helping customers to shop whenever, wherever and however they choose.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and enjoy camping and hiking in our mountains and wine tasting! When I'm not working or being a mom, I volunteer for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raising awareness and funds for a cure.

1. Customer data challenges with CRM data, no identity resolution tools, and no data governance.
2. Manual marketing processes, no CDP for orchestration of outreach to customers or leads.
3. Increasing studio production costs.

CCaaS, Omnichannel Commerce, Customer Data Platform, Master Data Management

A quality I look for in a technology partner is the re-investment that the company does to continue to grow its platform and change with the industry disruptions that come.

As an 18-year technical product leader in establishing and implementing technology strategies that align with business objectives, I am proficient in product development, cloud and IT solutions, data analytics, agile processes, business development, and people management. I live in Minnesota and love fishing with my kids in my free time.

We are in a time of change at Sleep Number. We're exploring how technology can support a revived focus on changing business process. With the recent evolution in our CEO and CMO leadership, we're excitedly revisiting our technology stack that supports the customer experience, from our CCaaS, Commerce, MarTech Stack, CRMs, and MDM solutions.

Our primary initiatives in the next 18 months focus on advancing our CCaaS, omnichannel commerce for our web and brick-and-mortar stores, and evaluating our CDP and MDM needs to support those initiatives.

I appreciate a technology partner that has a true interest in helping us succeed. One who is willing to really understand the business that their technology supports at the organization. One who is genuinely curious and willing to dig in with us in partnership, and even bring other partners together, to understand our current state challenges and how to drive improvement.

Betsy Shober, Senior Manager, Customer Value Chain Technology at Sleep Number. My Sleep Number Setting is 35.

I am passionate about driving strategic business and technology partnerships to enhance the end-to-end customer experience. I lead with a customer-first mindset, always wearing the "customer" hat to ensure every solution delivers real value. My work is increasingly focused on driving AI-led innovation and strategy, and leveraging technology to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences for our retail space, and create future-ready solutions that keep Sleep Number at the forefront of connected sleep and wellness.

Enabling automation to drive efficiency in processes, support automated natural language performance insights, and develop creative and content at scale.

• Automated reporting and insights
• Creative in-take and development

Consistent support, continued enhancements, and speed to resolve issues

Taryn Dominie, senior director and head of industry at The Home Depot, has been a key leader at the home improvement retailer since 2013. Taryn oversees the Orange Apron Media Partner Management sales team, focusing on driving ad revenue and gross profit with some of the program’s top-investing supplier partners. With a diverse background in retail media sales, merchandise marketing, and online merchandising, she has consistently developed innovative strategies to enhance customer engagement and grow business. Outside of work, Taryn is passionate about tennis and pickleball and enjoys spending quality time with her family.

In need of a CRM to better understand and serve our audience.

Personalization, stronger eNL and SMS messaging, and overall re-engagement

Continuous innovation and clear communication

Ashley Parrish is the senior vice president of commerce shaping the future of shopping experiences in media. She currently combines math and magic to develop multimillion-dollar commerce brands at NBC and "TODAY." She was formerly executive producer at "TODAY," editor-in-chief at DailyCandy, and content director at Hearst Magazines. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys sharing her expansive business expertise as a board member and advisor to a variety of companies. She is an adjunct professor at her alma mater, New York University, and the president of All Kids Moving Forward, a charity focused on advancing sports activity through scholarships for children overcoming medical conditions or financial challenges.

Just re-platformed to Shopify. The rest of our technology is outdated legacy.

Optimize Shopify and explore new ERP, PLM, DAM technology

In a transformation; can’t think of one that jumps out at the moment.

Laura Bollier is a visionary leader driving VENUS into a new era as its first female CEO. With a remarkable 25-year career in the retail industry, Laura brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as she spearheads the company’s modernization.

Before joining VENUS, Laura spent a decade at Spanx where she served as vice president, global merchandising and played a pivotal role in developing merchandising strategies to grow sales, leading to the $1 billion valuation of the brand and its acquisition by the Blackstone Group. Prior to that impactful tenure, she was at VF Corporation for eight years where she left her mark on the distinguished Nautica and Kipling brands, in addition to roles at Coach, Lord & Taylor, and Macy’s early on in her career.

Today, she is dedicated to empowering the VENUS team and leading them with her strategic vision to offer inclusively-sized apparel for every body and any body that emphasizes unmatched quality through luxurious fabrics without the luxury price tag.