Shop.org speakers to discuss reinvention of retail

“These pioneers continue to transform the ever-changing retail and digital environment and will give our attendees new ways to reinvent their businesses during this crucial time in the industry.”

Susan Newman
NRF Senior Vice President for Conferences

WASHINGTON – Celebrities Tyra Banks and Kobe Bryant will join executives from Disney, TechStyle, theSkimm, DSW, Ashley Stewart, Affirm and Peloton to headline the list of speakers this fall at the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org conference, NRF announced today. The conference, which is the digital retail industry’s top networking event for technologists, executives and thought leaders, will be held September 25-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“We are excited to have industry leaders and executives from brands that continue to reinvent,” NRF Senior Vice President for Conferences Susan Newman said. “These pioneers continue to transform the ever-changing retail and digital environment and will give our attendees new ways to reinvent their businesses during this crucial time in the industry.”

"These powerful speakers are just one element of the experience retailers and attendees will have at the show. We will also be offering curated one-on-one meetings for retailers, roundtable lunches and exclusive outings for those who want access to a unique LA experience," said Newman.

On September 26, more than 4,000 retail, e-commerce and multichannel executives will gather to hear remarkable stories of reinvention. Opening the show, supermodel-turned-entrepreneur and CEO Tyra Banks will speak on mastering the art of “pivoting” and discuss the transformation from modeling career to entertainment and business mogul, as well as share tips on how to stand out in today’s extremely competitive market.

Following Banks, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media’s Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President Michael White will address how the division is preparing its technology workforce to succeed in the digital commerce space, with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Also on September 26, TechStyle Fashion Group co-founder and co-CEO Adam Goldenberg will address how his company has changed the way consumers shop online with its growing fashion and technology brands including Fabletics, ShoeDazzle and JustFab. Goldenberg will also cover how the company continues to evolve personalization tools and its membership model to succeed in the fast-paced e-commerce world.

That afternoon, the keynote stage will highlight female entrepreneurs including Beautycounter founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew, Minted founder and CEO Mariam Naficy and theSkimm co-founders and co-CEOs Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin.

To kick off the last day of the show on September 27, L2 founder and New York University Stern Business School professor Scott Galloway will discuss the biggest winners and losers in digital and their impact on society.

Later that morning,  former CEO of HSNi Mindy Grossman will host a fireside chat with Wharton School of Business professor and author Adam Grant after he presents insights from this bestselling book “Originals.” Grant and Grossman will explore how to recognize and champion new ideas, overcome fear and doubt and build cultures that welcome diverse perspectives and honest feedback.

In the afternoon of September 27, the keynote stage will focus on the art of reinvention and customer loyalty, starting with Ashley Stewart CEO James Rhee and DSW CEO Roger Rawlins. The topic will be explored further in a session moderated by Affirm founder and CEO Max Levchin featuring Tradesy founder and CEO Tracy DiNunzio and Peloton co-founder Graham Stanton.

Kobe Bryant, an 18-time All-Star professional basketball player who won five NBA championships while playing with the Los Angeles Lakers, will close out the show as he discusses the evolution of his personal brand, directing his own NIKE and BodyArmor commercials, establishing his Kobe Inc. content creation studio and forming his own media, technology and data venture fund after retiring from the NBA.

To learn more about the conference, visit www.shop.org. Complimentary registration is available to editorial members of the news media as well as accredited retail analysts and bloggers. To register, visit the Shop.org media registration page.

About NRF
NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.