Retail Influencer CEO Forum
Speakers & Moderators
Speakers include C-suite professionals and some of the world’s most fascinating leaders from the retail, beauty and technology industries.
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Ziad Ahmed

Founder & CEO, JUV Consulting
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Ziad Ahmed is the CEO of JUV Consulting, a Generation Z consultancy that works with clients to help them understand young people.

JUV has worked with over 20 Fortune 500 companies, has been profiled by the New York Times, and has launched major purpose-driven TikTok campaigns. Because of JUV, Ziad was named to the 2019 Forbes #30Under30 list when he was just 19-years-old.

Recently graduating from Yale, Ziad is the Founder of Redefy, a youth-run non-profit committed to furthering equality. He speaks often on the power of his generation, and seeks to use his voice to push the envelope forward wherever/however possible. Overwhelmingly though, he’s just another Gen Z'er spending way too much time on TikTok.

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Saad Amer

Climate Activist, Founder & CEO, Justice Environment
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Saad Amer is a leading climate activist and the Founder of Justice Environment, a social impact consultancy that helps businesses, governments and nonprofits navigate sustainability, climate change and the just transition. He has served as a consultant to the United Nations and Expert Reviewer for the IPCC AR6 report.

As a major voting rights organizer, his social impact campaigns have reached millions featuring the likes of Vice President Al Gore, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Taylor Swift. He has written for National Geographic, PBS and the World Bank, and has been featured by Vogue, Nature and the New York Times.

Saad went to Harvard University where he studied Environmental Science and Public Policy and was a Fellow at Yale University’s Public Voices on the Climate Crisis with The OpEd Project.

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Bea Arthur

Founder & CEO, The Difference
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Bea Arthur, LMHC is a Columbia University-trained psychotherapist, award-winning entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and pioneer in the e-therapy space.

As the first African-American female founder accepted by Y Combinator, Bea was named an Entrepreneur to Bet On by Newsweek Magazine and one of the 100 Most Inspirational New Yorkers by Bumble.

Ms. Arthur is the founder and CEO of The Difference, the first on-demand therapy service for in the moment issues; and co-host of Tribulations, a live comedy/therapy show with Roy Wood Jr.

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Trisha Bantigue

CEO, Queenly
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Trisha Bantigue is the CEO and co-founder of Queenly, the leading online marketplace for the formalwear industry. She was recently featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 2022 list and she was the cover for the Art & Style category. Prior to founding Queenly, she graduated from UC Berkeley and has worked at tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Uber.

Coming from a low-income, immigrant background, she found the opportunity to gain scholarship awards through competing in pageants. Then, she found her initial inspiration for starting Queenly from this unique experience and seeing so many women struggle to find and afford their dream dress for their special event. She now strives for Queenly to reflect the progressive, inclusive goals that she stands for and to be able to provide access and affordability to women everywhere.

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Zahra Biabani
CEO and Co-Founder, In The Loop
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Zahra is a youth climate activist, entrepreneur, author, and TED speaker that has been sharing action items and tidbits of hopeful news for the planet for over 2 years to ~60K people on her social media platforms. The email list transformed into a book, and she published “Climate Optimism: Climate Wins and Creating Systemic Change Around the World” with Mango Publishing in April of 2023.

She is also CEO and co-founder of the startup In the Loop. In the Loop is on a mission to make selling secondhand easier through a software that allows thrift/ consignment store owners and secondhand marketplace users to generate an accurate and detailed resale listing with just a picture of a garment, cutting down the time it takes to list by 80% and empowering buyers with the information they need to make a confident purchase.

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Jessica Binns
Managing Editor, Sourcing Journal
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Jessica Binns is the managing editor of Sourcing Journal, the industry-leading digital media brand serving fashion, retail, sourcing and supply chain executives. She has been reporting on the business of apparel for well more than a decade.

In her role overseeing a bicoastal editorial newsroom in New York and Los Angeles, she is responsible for guiding content on the sector's biggest issues, from sustainability, circularity and ethical labor practices to technology, logistics, retail trends and material innovation.

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Jake Bjorseth

Founder & CEO, Trndsttrs
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Jake Bjorseth is a youth activist, entrepreneur, and speaker. Jake is the founder and CEO of Trndsttrs, a Gen Z agency helping brands understand and reach Gen Z. In his role as CEO, Jake leads a team of 25+ across their Kansas City, San Diego, and Manila, Philippines offices.

Trndsttrs' client portfolio includes the likes of McDonald's, Johnson & Johnson, L'Oreal, PacSun, The North Face, California Public Utilities Commission, Los Angeles Unified School District, and more...

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Neil Blumenthal

Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Warby Parker
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Neil Blumenthal is a co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, a transformative lifestyle brand that offers designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. In 2015, Fast Company named Warby Parker the most innovative company in the world.

Prior to launching Warby Parker in 2010, Neil served as director of VisionSpring, a nonprofit social enterprise that trains low-income women to start their own businesses selling affordable eyeglasses to individuals living on less than $4 per day in developing countries. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. He serves on the boards of Allbirds, sweetgreen, and RxArt.

A native of New York City, Neil received his BA from Tufts University and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Neil lives in Greenwich Village with his wife, Rachel, the founder and CEO of Rockets of Awesome, and their two children.

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Sheena Butler-Young

Senior Correspondent, The Business of Fashion
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Sheena Butler-Young is a Senior Correspondent at The Business of Fashion (BoF). She is based in New York and leads BoF's coverage of workplace, talent and company culture. She is the former deputy editor of Footwear News magazine and the recipient of Penske Media Corporation’s Journalistic & Creative Excellence Award for her coverage of diversity issues in fashion. She has a Masters in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.

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Louise Clements
Global CMO, WorkJam
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Louise Clements is the Global CMO of WorkJam, where she oversees the company’s Go-to-Market Strategy, Strategic Partnerships and the Brand, Marketing, Digital, Social and Communications functions. Prior to WorkJam, Louise held a range of executive leadership roles at enterprises that include McCann Worldgroup, Meta (previously Facebook), MRM//McCann, ICF Olson, Paysafe Group, Bell Canada and AOL.

Louise is a Board Member at the Open Banking Initiative Canada and Earth Rangers and a Strategic Advisor to bciti in support of their mission to help make cities smarter. She is a mission-driven leader, an active and engaged mentor across the technology ecosystem and speaks at a wide range of industry forums on Future of Work, DE&I and Gender Equality including The Women in Retail Leadership Circle, The Retail Influencer CEO Forum, Store Operations Council keynote and The Women Leading Travel and Hospitality Summit.

Louise is a graduate of York University and resides in Toronto, Canada.

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Joanna Coles, OBE
Creative Entrepreneur and Editor
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Joanna Coles, OBE Is a creative executive, producer, and best-selling author, managing a portfolio of TV and podcast projects with ABC, Amazon and Apple. She sits on three public boards (Snap, Sonos, Bark) and advises Masterclass, Klarna and Cornell Capital, a private equity company. She is also the Executive Producer of Hulu’s The Bold Type (on Netflix globally), the five season TV drama inspired by her career.

Coles is the former Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines, responsible for 300 magazines globally. She is also a director of the private tech companies Density, and Grover, Europe’s largest tech-rental platform based in Berlin, and KDC the global beauty manufacturer. And she advises the non-profit Women Entrepreneurs New York City, an initiative to expand female entrepreneurship, with a focus on underserved women and communities. In 2020 she also raised the Northern Star Special Acquisition Series, NSI merged with Bark, the dog toy and treat company.

The British-born editor moved to the U.S. in 1997 as the New York Bureau Chief for The Guardian, before becoming the New York Bureau Chief for The Times of London.

Coles joined Hearst in 2006 as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, where she co-produced the Style Network’s unscripted show Running in Heels. She was also the on-air mentor for Project Runway AllStars. She was named editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the world’s largest women’s media brand, in 2012. She was the executive producer of the unscripted series So Cosmo on E! in 2017.

Over the course of her career, Coles has won numerous prestigious awards for journalism and media leadership, including a Matrix Award, and a National Magazine Award for Cosmopolitan. the first in its 50 year history. She was recently described by The New York Times as “one of the most powerful people in media.”

Coles is the author of the best-selling Love Rules, published by HarperCollins, about relationships in the digital age, now being made into a TV show for FX.

She lives in Manhattan and has two sons, with the author Peter Godwin.

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Andy Dunn

Author; Founder & CEO, Pie
Co-Founder, Bonobos
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Andy Dunn co-founded menswear brand Bonobos and served as CEO until its 2017 acquisition by Walmart. As an investor, he has backed more than eighty startups, including Warby Parker, Coinbase, Away, Glossier, Real, Parade, SeatGeek, and Alula.

In May 2022, Dunn released a memoir titled Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind, which explores the intersection of entrepreneurship and mental illness.

Dunn’s next business venture, called Pie, is a social media app currently in beta that aims to create more in-person, human connections.

Dunn, a graduate of Northwestern and Stanford's MBA program, also serves on the boards of Monica + Andy, an organic baby apparel company founded by his sister Monica Royer, tech social good nonprofit Raised By Us, and the Network for Executive Women.

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Shai Eisenman

Founder & CEO, Bubble Skincare
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Shai Eisenman is the Founder and CEO of Bubble Skincare. As the first modern skincare brand created for young skin, Bubble sets a new skincare standard while truly listening to what its customers want and need. Its passionate community of Gen Z consumers led Shai to develop formulations that don’t compromise price for efficacy. Today, the Bubble line consists of 17 products that work together to create a complete routine from face cleansers to face masks, with all products being under $20. Bubble products are available on hellobubble.com and in over 9,000 retail locations including Walmart, CVS and all Ulta stores, as well as online at Beauty Bay.

Prior to starting Bubble in 2018, Eisenman started her B.A. at 15, and began her career in business at 16. While in university, she worked for up-and-coming high-tech security start-up, Bullet Plate, where she was responsible for new business development. Eisenman then wanted to take her experience to the tech world, where she managed compliance and Business Development for Babylon.com, a company in the AdTech world. Then, at 21, she moved to Playtech, the world’s largest online gaming software supplier traded on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market, where she was the CEO of a B2C subsidiary of over ~90 employees.

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Suvi-Elina Enqvist
Head of Innovation Works, Marimekko
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Suvi-Elina Enqvist is Head of Innovation Works at Marimekko, based in Helsinki, Finland. She leads a multidisciplinary team that develops and accelerates the green transition within the company, incorporating circular economic thinking in material science, operations, and supply chain transparency, as well as developing new and more sustainable business models.

Prior to Marimekko, Suvi-Elina worked in many corners of the design industry, from start-ups to agencies to brand-side environments within sales, marketing, and business development. This diverse experience has allowed her to build an extensive network throughout the international design and consumer goods industry across Europe, North America, and Asia, which has been an invaluable resource for understanding and addressing the challenges and opportunities that face the industry today.

Suvi-Elina graduated from Aalto University School of Business and studied circular economy at the University of Exeter.

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Alicia Esposito

12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch

VP of Content, Retail TouchPoints

Alicia Esposito is the VP of Content for Retail TouchPoints and the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. She focuses on creating content that is meaningful and actionable for executives who visit Retail TouchPoints.com, listen to the Retail Remix podcast and attend the company’s various digital and in-person events.

In her work, she has interviewed some of the top C-level executives from retail brands and tech companies, and has recently focused on analyzing some key trends in social commerce, new media and community-driven store experiences.

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Patrick Finnegan

Managing Partner, Intuition Capital
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Patrick Finnegan is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur with 150+ companies under his belt. He has always dedicated himself to the causes he believes in, ever since gaining recognition at 11-years-old fundraising for then-Senator Obama’s first presidential campaign.

At 20, Patrick pivoted toward a value-add investment approach and created a small fund to engage the elusive and highly sought-after Gen-Z market. With an innovative process cultivated through years of firsthand experience, his incredible outreach of social media influence, and a large network of invaluable connections, Patrick has invested in a significant amount of the hottest companies in recent history and is now onto his third fund. His early investments illustrate Finnegan’s professional savvy and varied taste. They include lifestyle brands such as Starface, WinkyLux, Poppi, Augustinus Bader, Quip, PicsArt, Hims, Bumble, Parade, Owner, Public, Moov and many more.

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Jacqueline Flam
Senior Vice President Beauty, Drug & OTC Retail, NielsenIQ
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Jacqueline Flam is the Senior Vice President Beauty, Drug & OTC Retail for NielsenIQ where she partners with diverse retailers to uncover insights, leverage new technology platforms, drive marketing and sales strategy and identify unmet consumer needs utilizing data.

With over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, Jacqueline has grown and led marketing and sales operations for global beauty, health and wellness brands utilizing innovative creative and analytical strategies.

Jacqueline has a B.S. in Business & Economics Marketing from Lehigh University and sits on the Board of Seton Hall University's Stillman School of Business. Born and raised in NYC, she currently lives in Northern NJ with her husband and two children.

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Gabrielle Fonrouge

Retail Reporter, CNBC News
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Gabrielle Fonrouge is a retail reporter for CNBC. She covers a wide assortment of companies with a focus on DTC and digitally native retailers and brands.

Fonrouge is an investigative journalist whose reporting has changed laws and garnered a series of awards. She has reported from Germany, Puerto Rico, the southern border of Mexico and just about every pocket of the U.S. She regularly speaks about her work and has appeared on CNBC, NBC News Now, NPR, Fox News, Investigation Discovery and Oxygen, among other outlets.

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Jessica Giles

Editor-in-Chief, Cosmopolitan

12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Jessica Giles is the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the largest young women’s media brand in the world. In this position, Giles is committed to serving Gen Z and millennial women the information they need to live their fullest lives—timely breakdowns of what's happening in the news, smart advice on everything from 401Ks to fashion trends to sexual health, deeply reported original features, and more, overseeing all editorial content across print, digital, social, video, and innovative brand extensions.

Giles has been named Editor of the Year by Adweek (2019) and among the Women to Watch by AdAge (2019). Under her leadership, Cosmopolitan has been celebrated as the Hottest in Fashion by Adweek (2021) and was the only media brand named to the inaugural Fast Company Brands that Matter (2021) list recognizing companies and nonprofits that continue to have an undeniable impact on business and culture.

Prior to becoming Cosmopolitan’s youngest editor-in-chief in October 2018, Giles served as the digital director of Cosmopolitan, where she led the site to its highest readership of all time. Earlier in her career, she worked as the digital director at Marie Claire, features editor at Teen Vogue and held various editorial positions at Glamour.


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Emily Gittins
Co-Founder & CEO, Archive
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Emily Gittins is the Co-founder and CEO of Archive, a technology company that partners with brands to launch innovative, customized resale programs that meet their business and sustainability objectives.

Emily began her career in strategy consulting working with consumer and technology clients at BCG London. More recently, she worked at Google X on a stealth fashion concept. Her work at Google made her keenly aware of the environmental impact of the fashion industry, and she focused her graduate studies at Stanford University on how the circular economy could reduce fashion’s environmental impact.

Archive, founded in 2020, works with global brands including The North Face, Oscar de la Renta, and Marimekko to build authentic resale experiences that keep clothing in wear, while simultaneously bringing brands new revenue, building customer loyalty, and driving new customer acquisition.

Emily holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and a MS MBA in Environmental Science from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

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Melissa Gonzalez
Principal & shareholder, MG2
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Continually pushing the boundaries of experiential retail, Melissa Gonzalez is an award-winning innovator and storyteller. She is a Principal & shareholder at MG2 and the founder of The Lion’esque Group, and MG2 Studio, pioneering the integration of physical environments and digital retail to help brands such as Victoria's Secret, Nordstrom, and Burrow foster consumer engagement and evolve their offering.

A passionate mentor and strategist, Melissa works hand-in-hand with clients to understand their greatest aspirations. She leads creative teams and delivers authentic design solutions from concept to completion, helping clients achieve their ultimate vision. An innovator at heart, she is consistently recognized as one of the leading ‘Women In Design’ and ‘Top 10 Retail Design Influencers of the Year’.

When she’s not dreaming up innovative spaces, Melissa can be found seeking in unexpected places (like skydiving 10,000 feet above ground).

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Laurie Lam
Chief Brand Officer, e.l.f. Beauty
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Laurie Lam is the Chief Brand Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, a multi-branded portfolio which includes namesake brand e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, Well People and Keys Soulcare. She is responsible for strengthening e.l.f.’s branding and setting its strategy for growth across all categories, as well as championing their mission to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip, face and paw.

Laurie Lam is the Chief Brand Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, a multi-branded portfolio which includes namesake brand e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, Well People and Keys Soulcare. She is responsible for strengthening e.l.f.’s branding and setting its strategy for growth across all categories, as well as championing their mission to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip, face and paw.

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Taylor Light
Member, The Z-Suite
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Taylor Light works in software sales and is passionate about people and technology, specifically the frontline workforce, as well as the future of work.

Taylor finds it interesting that as a generation we are challenging the status quo, inspiring employers to rethink the employee experience, and have had multiple opportunities to present to business leaders how to better engage and communicate with Gen Z.

Taylor looks forward to bringing her unique perspective and experience to the Z Suite!

Taylor was a Division 1 softball pitcher, born in Rochester, NY, and now lives in Austin, Texas.

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Clay Lute
Member, The Z-Suite
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
In 2023, Clay Lute was named the winner of the Fashion Scholarship Fund’s Chairman Award, as well as named a Leader of Gen Z by The Guardian. As a member of The Z Suite combined with working at companies like Todd Snyder and J.Crew, Clay honed his expertise in merchandising and consumer consulting. Clay works alongside companies to implement sustainable sourcing and ethical practices to create new processes to revolutionize the fashion industry.

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Jill Manoff
Editor-in-Chief, Glossy
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Jill Manoff is the editor-in-chief of Glossy, which explores the transformation of the fashion, luxury, beauty and retail industries through the lens of digital and technology. She oversees the editorial content and growth strategy of the media brand, launched in May 2016.

Manoff joined Glossy from Mode Media, where she was the editor of Glam.com starting in July 2015. Prior, she was the editor of searsStyle and head copywriter in Sears’ apparel division. She spent the start of her career in St. Louis as the fashion editor of Alive magazine, the fashion director and co-founder of Saint Louis Fashion Week, and a freelance fashion stylist, working for brands including Anheuser-Busch and Caleres.

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Maggie McGrath
Editor, ForbesWomen
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Maggie McGrath is the editor of ForbesWomen, the Forbes vertical dedicated to covering all angles of female entrepreneurship, and the author of the ForbesWomen newsletter.

Maggie loves a good Forbes list: she is the editor of the 50 Over 50 and the World's 100 Most Powerful Women, and previously edited the 30 Under 30 Food & Drink list and the Just 100. She's worked at Forbes since 2013 and in that time has written on everything from the student debt crisis to Triple Crown-contending (and winning) horses. Before coming to Forbes, Maggie worked with TODAY show financial editor Jean Chatzky.

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Ben McKean
Founder & CEO, Hungryroot
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Ben McKean is the Founder and CEO of Hungryroot, the AI-powered grocery delivery service that makes healthy eating easy, personal, and sustainable. Prior to Hungryroot, Ben was a Vice President and General Manager at Groupon, overseeing their food and beverage business.

Ben came to Groupon through the acquisition of Savored, which he founded in 2009. Savored was the nation's leading provider of yield management technology to the restaurant industry. Prior to Savored, Ben worked in Merrill Lynch's technology investment banking group.

Ben is a graduate of Georgetown University and currently lives in North Carolina with his wife and kids.

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Stephanie Mehta
CEO & Chief Content Officer, Mansueto Ventures
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Stephanie Mehta is chief executive officer and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures, publisher of Inc. and Fast Company. She previously served as editor-in-chief of Fast Company, where she oversaw digital, print, and live journalism. Under her leadership Fast Company was a National Magazine Award finalist in design for three years in a row, and the title added two new annual conferences. She has worked as a writer and editor at Vanity Fair, Bloomberg Media, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal.

Mehta sits on the boards of the American Society of Magazine Editors, the Women’s Forum of New York, and Airbel Impact Lab, the research and innovation arm of the International Rescue Commission.

Mehta began her career as a business reporter at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia. She received a BA in English and an MS in journalism from Northwestern University. A Chicago-area native, she now lives with her husband and two children in Scarsdale, New York.

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Danny Meyer

Founder & Executive Chairman, Union Square Hospitality Group
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Danny is the Founder of Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and the Founder and Chairman of Shake Shack. USHG comprises some of New York’s most beloved restaurants, including Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, Ci Siamo, Daily Provisions, and more. Danny and his team have earned an unprecedented 28 James Beard Awards, including Outstanding Restaurateur in America and Humanitarian of the Year. His business book, Setting The Table, a New York Times best-seller, examines the power of hospitality in restaurants, business, and life.

A sought-after speaker and educator, Danny has set industry standards for innovative hiring practices, building culture, corporate responsibility, and leading change. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Trinity College.

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Rebecca Minkoff

Founder & Designer, Rebecca Minkoff
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
An industry leader in accessible luxury handbags, accessories, footwear and apparel, Rebecca Minkoff’s modern bohemian designs are inspired by strong, confident and powerful women who are drawn towards a west-meets-east sensibility.

After developing an affinity for design while in the costume department in high school, Rebecca Minkoff moved to New York City at age 18 to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

In 2001, Rebecca designed a version of the “I Love New York” t-shirt as part of a five-piece capsule collection, which appeared on The Tonight Show and became an overnight sensation.

In 2005, Rebecca designed her first handbag, which she dubbed the “Morning After Bag,” a.k.a. the “M.A.B.” This iconic bag ignited Rebecca’s career as a handbag designer and inspired her edgy, feminine creations in the years to come. Rebecca’s success was further enhanced by the support of her brother, the company’s CEO and co-founder, Uri Minkoff, who helped usher in and pioneer the company’s industry-leading innovations with technology and fashion.

After four years of designing statement-making handbags and accessories with her trademark leathers, studs and hardware, Rebecca returned to her roots of apparel design and introduced her first ready-to-wear collection in 2009.

Today, Rebecca Minkoff is a global brand with a wide range of apparel, handbags, footwear, jewelry and accessories products. In the spring of 2017, Rebecca Minkoff Watches was launched, reimagining the category through their decidedly downtown, rock-and-roll aesthetic.

The brand has 3 national retail stores, eight international locations, and is distributed in over 900 stores worldwide. In 2015, Rebecca Minkoff stores unveiled the first ever “Magic Mirror” technology, where customers could interact with mirrors installed in the dressing room walls of her store and tap to pick out additional sizes, colors and styles of clothing.

In 2011, Rebecca won industry recognition when she was awarded the Breakthrough Designer Award from the Accessories Council. She is an active member of the CFDA, and supports multiple philanthropies including Baby2Baby organization.

In September of 2018, she established the Female Founder Collective, a network of businesses led by women who invest in women’s financial power across a socio-economic spectrum by enabling and empowering female-owned businesses.

In 2020, Rebecca will launch a diffusion line of children’s clothing called ‘little minkoff”, marking a foray into designing a truly sustainable and environmentally friendly collection. She will also launch a new name sake fragrance to be sold at retailers nationwide.

Rebecca is married to director Gavin Bellour, and they reside in Brooklyn with their three children.

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Ahmed Naiem
President and Chief Revenue Officer, Lily AI
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Ahmed Naiem is President of Lily AI, the retail technology platform specializing in AI solutions for retailers and brands. For two decades, he has worked across a range of disciplines spanning the ecommerce and retail industries, most recently as Chief Commercial Officer at EshopWorld (ESW), the leader in ecommerce technology, payments, and logistics solutions, where he was instrumental in growing revenue from $6M to over $1.5B in less than a decade.

With a passion for empowering teams and scaling global businesses, Ahmed leverages his extensive knowledge of the entire retail ecommerce ecosystem to drive growth for some of the world’s top brands, including Nike, Estee Lauder, and J. Crew. Earlier in his career, Ahmed held leadership roles in sales, marketing and product development with Aramex, Cellutopia and DHL. Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University and is an investor and board advisor to multiple technology startups.

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Elizabeth Oates
Vice President of Consumer Insights, Ulta Beauty
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Elizabeth Oates is the Vice President of Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty where she actively ensures consumers are the heartbeat of the organization. She’s built a Consumer Centricity Center of Excellence that leverages both insights and foresights to influence strategies with in-the-moment relevance as well as implications for the future. Elizabeth’s work has elevated the insights function to operate as a strategic business driver and competitive advantage. Her efforts are fueled with more than 18 years of experience across retail, CPG and financial services.

Elizabeth enjoys developing new leaders and has established nine core skills for insights professionals, each designed to influence organizations to act on insights. She shares her knowledge as a regular guest-lecturer at the University of Wisconsin School of Business. Elizabeth has been recognized as one of the Top 8 to Watch by the University of Wisconsin School of Business and a finalist for the Quirks Media Transforming Insights honor. Elizabeth is a founding member of the Retail Think Collective, a group of future-forward minds leading human-centric innovation in retail.

Outside of the office, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family, including her two daughters. She is an ultra-marathoner, avid traveler and a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Hero.

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Shawn Outler
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Macy’s, Inc.
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Shawn Outler is a seasoned executive with a proven track record for driving strategy, growth and results. A dynamic business leader with over 30 years of experience in the retail industry across multiple categories and businesses, she has been tapped repeatedly to pioneer or scale key enterprise opportunities. Shawn is the Chief Diversity Officer of Macy's, Inc., a role she has held since 2018.

Over the course of her career, Shawn has distinguished herself as an innovative thinker, a focused and results-oriented business driver, and a strong and inspiring leader. Starting out as an Executive Trainee at Abraham & Strauss before joining Lord & Taylor and then Macy's, Shawn advanced rapidly through the Buying and Merchandising functions before taking on broader management responsibilities over high growth businesses ranging from weddings, gifting and electronics to leased, licensed and culinary/food service.

An advocate for multicultural businesses since 2009, Shawn has a rich history of identifying, working with and developing minority and women-owned opportunities. In 2011, she designed and led a retail development and mentorship program called The Workshop at Macy's. Created to educate and train minority and female business owners for success in the retail industry, the program is now in its 10th year, and has become an industry benchmark and model for retail supplier diversity.

In 2018, Shawn was appointed by the CEO to become the first Chief Diversity Officer of Macy's, Inc. and co-Chair of the Company's Diversity & Inclusion Business Council. In her first year in that role, Shawn developed a bold vision and charter to advance and embed strong, forward-looking D&I practices across the entire Macy's, Inc. organization (Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Bluemercury, STORY). She is the architect of the Company's D&I strategy, structure, focus areas, key initiatives, and performance metrics, and is the voice of the work and its mission within Macy's, Inc. and out to the retail industry.

In addition to being a frequent speaker and panelist on many aspects of diversity & inclusion, Shawn has been been recognized or featured for her professional accomplishments, including: Black Enterprise magazine Women of Power and Most Powerful African American Executives in Corporate America; National Retail Federation (NRF) People Shaping Retail’s Future, Black Retail Action Group Power of Excellence Award, NAACP Community, Business, Service and Multicultural Award, and Syracuse University's Chancellor Citation for Distinction in Retailing and Multicultural Development.

Shawn is a member of the LIM College Fashion Industry Advisory Board and The Women's Forum of New York, co-President of the Black Retail Action Group, and a member of the Syracuse University Multicultural Advancement Council. Shawn received an honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degree and Distinguished Achievement Award from LIM where she delivered the keynote address at the 2018 commencement ceremony.

Shawn is a graduate of the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and resides in New York City.

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Sapna Parikh
Chief Digital Officer, Kendo Brands, LVMH (Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Ole Henriksen, KVD Vegan Beauty and Lip Lab)
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Sapna is the Chief Digital Officer at Kendo Brands, LVMH (Portfolio of brands include Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Ole Henriksen, KVD Vegan Beauty and Lip Lab) bringing over 25 years of Digital & Omni-Channel retail experience.

Sapna’s expertise is in building high-performing digital teams and driving step change growth through digital innovation. Sapna previously built digital organizations at both Avon and Clarins Groupe but has spent most of her career at high-growth ecommerce start-ups.

As a true pioneer in the industry Sapna has been profiled in countless media outlets including, Forbes.com and on the cover of Beauty Store Business, has won numerous awards, and has been invited to share her experiences on many stages.

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Winnie Park

CEO, Forever 21
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Winnie Park is a seasoned business leader with deep international omni-channel brand experience and a track record growing and enhancing businesses within the retail and fashion industry.

Prior to joining Forever 21, Winnie served as CEO of Paper Source where she transformed the brand from a brick-and-mortar retailer to an omnichannel brand with a robust digital platform. Prior to joining Paper Source, Winnie served as Executive Vice President - E-commerce and Global Marketing at the international luxury retail leader, DFS - a division of LVMH.

Winnie sits on the Board for Women in Retail Leadership and the Board of Advisors for Investcorp and is a member of the Board of Directors at Dollar Tree.

A graduate of Princeton University, Winnie completed her bachelor’s degree from the School of Public and International Affairs and her MBA in Corporate Finance and Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

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Maya Penn
Founder & CEO, Maya’s Ideas/Upenndo! Productions
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Maya Penn is a 23-year-old CEO, environmental activist, artist, designer, filmmaker, sustainability consultant, 3 time TEDTalk speaker, and author. She's the founder and CEO of award-winning global eco-fashion brand Maya’s Ideas which she started in 2008 at just 8 years old. She has been one of the youngest leaders in ESG and CSR for 15 years and is a passionate solutions based activist.

Maya graced the cover of Vogue alongside Billie Eilish, wearing her eco-designs and speaking on climate action. Maya is certified in Circular Economies and Sustainable Strategies by Cambridge Business School, and she consults Fortune 500 brands. She's taught classes on ESG and biomimetic design.

Maya received a commendation from President Obama for outstanding achievement in environmental stewardship. She made history when she was commissioned to animate the first ever digital report presented to Congress, which was to get an American Museum of Women’s History built in Washington.

Maya attended the 2023 Met Gala wearing a sustainable gown created in partnership with Coach, after she helped them launch their eco-fashion innovation lab Coachtopia.

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Daniela Pierre-Bravo

Reporter, MSNBC
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Daniela Pierre-Bravo is a best-selling author and reporter for MSNBC’s Morning Joe. She is a contributor and producer for NBC’s “Know Your Value” platform and co-author of Earn It! with Mika Brzezinski. Her first solo book “’The Other’. How to own your power at work as a woman of color" came out in August.

A former Cosmopolitan magazine columnist, Pierre-Bravo has written on career advice, mental health, and financial wellness with an emphasis on women of color. Her work has been featured on the Today Show, CBS Mornings, Telemundo, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, New York Magazine, and more.

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Harley Preston

Writer & Activist
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Harley is your quintessential New York fashion girl with a love for the transgender community and an act for writing. Everything she does aims to center trans femmes and the gender non-conforming community. What she does both professionally and personally is intended to move the needle forward for the community at large. From writing & publicly speaking about fashion, love, dating, sex, hormones, coming-out, and beauty, Harley believes in debunking the mysticism around trans people.

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James Reinhart
Co-founder and CEO, thredUP
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
James is the co-founder and CEO of thredUP, one of the largest online resale platforms for apparel, shoes, and accessories. thredUP is transforming resale with technology and a mission to inspire a new generation of consumers to think secondhand first.

By making it easy to buy and sell secondhand, thredUP is helping to make used clothes the new normal and ushering in a more sustainable future for fashion. James’ passion for circularity and the role that education plays in our communities is what drives his vision of reducing the fashion industry’s negative impact on the planet. These values are reflected in his work prior to thredUP, in which he helped develop one of the nation’s premier public schools, Pacific Collegiate School.

James is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School where he earned a joint degree in public policy and business. In his free time, he is an avid golfer, cyclist, and whiskey drinker (just not all at the same time). While a proud New Jersey native and diehard Bruce Springsteen fan, he lives with his wife Michele and three children in Oakland, CA.

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Michael Rubel
Founder and CEO, Promised Brands, LLC
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Michael Rubel is founder and CEO of Promised Brands LLC, a new everyday Jewish snack company. Their first brand, Schmutz, serves up the first everyday haroset, a crunchy spread made of fruits, nuts, and spices that Jewish families around the world have cooked each Passover for thousands of years.

Michael also leads product management at Carefull, a Bessemer-backed fintech that partners with financial institutions to defend aging clients from fraud and scams. Before Carefull, he worked at innovation agency Fahrenheit 212, where he developed new products for brands like Oreo, Toblerone, Estée Lauder, and Panasonic.

Michael received his BA from Williams College, where he studied political theory and founded an underground prank collective. He also volunteers as a growth advisor for OneTable, a nonprofit funding thousands of shabbat dinners across the United States.

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Ashley Schapiro
Vice President Marketing, Media, Performance & Engagement, American Eagle
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Ashley Schapiro is a Global Marketing executive who brings brands to life through shaping the full consumer journey and consistently pushing innovation boundaries to remain present and relevant in highly dynamic environments. As Vice President of Marketing, Media, Performance & Engagement at American Eagle, Ashley is responsible for media, performance, metaverse, collaborations, social, talent, influencers and PR. Beyond driving the business forward and reaching new customers, her #1 priority is making AE the most relevant and innovative brand in the eyes of Gen Z, which includes showing up in the right way with the right talent, while also taking part in their passions, such as music, gaming, pop culture and social causes such as mental health, voting, and sustainability.

To support social issues and causes that matter most to today’s youth, Ashley engages in meaningful partnerships for AE with America’s Food Fund, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Delivering Good, and It Gets Better, among others, and focuses on ensuring the brand aligns with rising talent who reflect its core values of self-expression and individuality.

Prior to AE, Ashley worked at Coach Inc. and held positions of increasing responsibility to lead global expansion across EMEA, LATAM and APAC and global strategy to build fashion credibility in the affordable luxury sector. Ashley joined the team at AE to lead its international marketing strategy and launched the brand in Europe and India before moving into her current role. Ashley excels in and is adaptive to moments of change, and also anticipates strategic trends.

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Elizabeth Segran
Senior Staff Writer, Fast Company Magazine
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Elizabeth Segran is a design writer for Fast Company, with a focus on the fashion and retail sectors, whose work has also been published in The Atlantic, The Nation, and Foreign Policy. She's the author of The Rocket Years: How Your Twenties Launch The Rest of Your Life, published by Harper Books. She received her Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley in Indian literature with a specialization in Women's Studies, after attending Columbia University. She is a global nomad who grew up in Brussels, Paris, Singapore, Jakarta and London. She lives in Boston.

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Joon Silverstein
SVP Global Marketing, Creative and Sustainability, Head of Coachtopia, Coach
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Joon Silverstein is the Senior Vice President Global Marketing, Creative and Sustainability at Coach where she manages the brand’s marketing strategy, digital innovation and omnichannel customer engagement. Joon also leads Sustainability for Coach, driving the brand’s commitment to pioneering circularity in fashion. She has been the Head of Coachtopia since its inception, launching this new sub-brand focused on circular craft and collaborative creativity in April 2023.

Prior to joining Tapestry, Inc., Joon led transformative change at Louis Vuitton and Victoria’s Secret, implementing bold visions for the customer experience and incubating new businesses. She began her career as a cultural anthropologist, receiving a B.A. in Anthropology from Columbia University before conducting fieldwork as a Fulbright fellow. She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and built her retail and consumer expertise at The Boston Consulting Group.

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Sally Susman

Executive Vice President & Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Pfizer
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Before joining Pfizer in 2007, Susman held senior roles at The Estée Lauder Companies and American Express. She currently serves as co-chair of The International Rescue Committee, and on the board of UL Solutions. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Susman graduated from Connecticut College and studied at the London School of Economics.

Susman was recognized by Forbes as one of the 2022 World’s Most Influential CMOs and by LinkedIn as a 2019 Top Voice.

Breaking Through is her first book.

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Stacy Taffet
Marketing Senior Vice President, PepsiCo Beverages North America
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Stacy Taffet is currently Marketing Senior Vice President of PepsiCo Beverages North America. In this capacity, Stacy leads media, innovation, content, partnerships, and other marketing functions across the portfolio.

Prior to this role, Stacy was SVP of Brand Marketing for Frito Lay where she ran a portfolio of snack brands including Doritos, Cheetos, Lays and Ruffles.

Stacy has been with PepsiCo for 15 years and has held a variety of brand management, innovation, and channel roles across the company. She grew the Water+ portfolio to be the #1 contributor to category growth, led award winning brand campaigns for Pepsi, and launched the Pure Leaf Iced Tea brand.

Prior to PepsiCo, Stacy spent 4 years at American Express. She graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. Stacy serves on the Board of two non-profit organizations and has been recognized by the Advertising & Marketing industry with several awards throughout her career.

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Karin Tracy

Head of Industry | Retail, Luxury, Fashion, Meta
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
As Head of Industry, Retail/Fashion/Luxury, Karin Tracy oversees Meta’s retail, fashion and luxury practices, which she built over the past 8 years to help brands drive real business results through their work on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.

Since joining Facebook in 2015, Karin has developed go-to market strategies tailored for retail, fashion, beauty and luxury marketers and built a best-in-class team that has forged senior-level partnerships within the industry. Karin has pioneered initiatives such as CEW’s Digital Learning Series and Facebook & Instagram’s first-ever Beauty and Luxury Summits.

Previous to Meta, Karin Tracy was Publisher of InStyle from 2012-2014, following four highly successful years in senior leadership within Time Inc.’s Style and Entertainment Group as Publisher of Entertainment Weekly and People StyleWatch. At InStyle, she oversaw the magazine’s marketing, advertising sales and brand strategy for the monthly and annual special issues. In addition, she oversaw marketing and sales strategy for InStyle.com and its social platforms, including product innovation, branded content, audience development and ad solutions.

Before joining Time Inc., Tracy was Associate Publisher of Lucky and held Sales Director positions at Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Interview, and Teen Vogue. She began her advertising career at Giorgio Armani and spent a year in Saks Fifth Avenue’s Marketing Department.

Tracy is a lifelong New Yorker, is a board member of CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) and VP Partnerships on the NY Women in Communications executive board. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a B.S. degree in marketing, is a member of the FIT Alumni Advisory Board and was the recipient of FIT’s 2022 President’s Award. In 2022 Karin was listed as one of BCG/WWD's 25 Most Inspirational Women. She resides in downtown Manhattan with her husband and their three children.

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Phil Wahba

Senior Writer, Fortune
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Phil Wahba is a Senior Writer at Fortune primarily focused on leadership coverage, with a prior focus on retail. His award-winning features include profiles of CEO's at J.C. Penney and Kohl’s and an examination of how private equity transformed the retail sector. He is also a co-chair of the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference.

Phil joined Fortune in 2014 from Reuters, where he covered retail, corporate bankruptcies, the stock exchanges, and wrote a weekly column about IPOs. He has also worked as a trade commissioner in New York for the Canadian government. He holds a B.Comm from HEC Montréal and an MBA from the University of Ottawa. In 2007, he graduated from Columbia University with a Masters in Journalism. He is also a CFA charterholder. In addition to his native French and English, Phil speaks Danish, Spanish, and German. He has run a marathon in every U.S. state.

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Theresa Watts

SVP Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, True Religion
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Throughout her career, Theresa has worked as a Human Resources professional enhancing organizational capabilities for large Fortune 500 and private organizations. She has years of experience designing, developing, and delivering organizational curriculum.

In her current role, as the leader of the human resources function, Theresa is responsible for linking HR strategies with organizational and departmental processes and several key organizational development initiatives including: Diversity, Recruitment and Retention Strategies, Initiating Action Learning Paradigms, Designing and Implementing Organizational Culture Shift Strategies, Management Change Initiatives, Leadership Development Initiatives, and Organizational Performance Improvement Strategies.

Theresa was awarded for her work in leadership by being named one of The 2023 Most Inspirational Women Leaders by WWD Magazine and Berns Communications Group. She was profiled in Forbes Magazine and WWD Magazine regarding the diversity initiatives she has implemented as well as her philosophy surrounding the impact of a diverse workplace on the organization and the surrounding communities.

As a keynote speaker, Theresa has spoken at large conferences such as CCW Women, The National Retail Federation, The Lead and many others. As a mentor to many, Theresa is committed to developing, building, and strengthening the leadership abilities of others.

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Alex York

Reporter, U30, Forbes
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Alex York is a reporter at Forbes on the 30 Under 30 team covering young founders and change makers. Prior to Forbes, Alex worked at Business Insider where she specialized in Entrepreneurship, Gen Z, and the Future of Work.

Alex has experience interviewing successful business owners, fortune 100 executives, and brand leaders across industries like retail, healthcare, media, venture capital, and more. She is based in New York City and received her B.S. in Media, Culture, and Communication from New York University.

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Janie Yu
Partner, LFX Venture Partners
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Janie Yu is a partner at LFX Venture Partners. Formerly known as Fung Capital, LFX Venture Partners has been focusing on investing in global supply chain, logistics and commerce for the past 15+ years. Janie and her team leverage their domain knowledge and an extensive network of global value chain industry partners to make educated investments and help make our companies winners in their markets.

LFX venture Partners’ mission is to help build a more efficient and sustainable global supply chain through investing in disruptive technologies and innovative business models. Our investment theses are centered around data infrastructure, AI applications and process automation in the global value chain. Current portfolio companies include Shippeo, Worldly, GoFreight, and Flamingo. Past investments include Celect, Centric, Narvar, Olapic, GTNexus, ecVision, to name a few.

Prior to becoming an investor, Janie was with Burt’s Bees, focusing on driving international growth, where she gained the appreciation and foundational knowledgeable on how technology could truly drive business growth and the greater good. Before starting her business career, she was a journalist for BBC and PRI’s “The World”, reporting in China.

Janie obtained her M.A. degree from Harvard University, where she received the prestigious Fung Fellowship, sponsored by the Victor and William Fung Foundation. Janie grew up in China and received her B.A. in journalism from Communications University of China, graduating with first-class honor.

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TZ (Tiffany Zhong)

Gen Z Whisperer & Venture Capitalist
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
TZ is the ‘Gen Z Whisperer’ and formerly the youngest VC in the world, becoming an investor at a $300M fund at only 18 years old.

TZ is also widely recognized for her marketing talent, featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, Adweek’s Young Influential, Vanity Fair's Future Innovators, TIME’s Most Influential Teen, etc.

She actively invests and advises companies, including in board advisory positions. She was a board advisor of Otto Radio (acquired by Ximalaya valued at $3.5B) as well as Distributed Systems (acquired by Coinbase).

After founding her first startup, she worked with Snapchat, Levi’s, Google, and many other major corps to reach Gen Z.

Now, in her current startup, she's building apps to make social media social again.

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Bunny Zingler
Founder, Loud Bunny Beauty, and Cosmetics
12:00–2:00 VIP Lunch
Bunny Zingler is the Founder of Loud Bunny Beauty, a cosmetics brand dedicated to helping you unlock your happiest and most creative self. Loud Bunny Beauty creates unique, longwear beauty products designed for the experimental makeup user.

In 2019, Bunny Zingler, who trained in cosmetology, launched her first endeavor, Bunny’s Bae Bar – a one-stop glam shop at the world’s largest hip-hop festival, Rolling Loud. Offering makeup, hair and temporary tattoo services all designed by Zingler, the Bae Bar quickly became one of the most sought after activations at Rolling Loud festivals across the globe. Through the success of Bunny’s Bae Bar, Zingler recognized a missing piece in the cosmetics space and was inspired to create a line that provided unique, high quality and longwear products that lent itself to users creating looks for festivals and costuming or anyone looking to turn an avante-garde look.

Loud Bunny Beauty launched in Forever 21 stores this July and completely sold out in under a month. Zingler furthered her partnership with Forever 21, launching an exclusive Rolling Loud x Forever 21 fashion collection, which she served as the face and creative director.
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