Our industry conference is our flagship event each year.

Each February, we look to address the most pressing issues in the retail and consumer sector. Our conference is open to the public and regularly draws 300+ attendees from around the world and across the industry. Programming spans various formats, including a half-day of sessions, networking reception, gift bag, and more. Below are the highlights from our conferences over the years.

Our corporate partners often look to our conference as a way to increase brand awareness and network with MBA students and industry practitioners. If you are interested in participating as a speaker, facilitator, gift bag contributor, or sponsor, please reach out to us.

Retail Reinvented: Capturing the future

Keynotes

Stefan Larsson (CEO, PVH Corp)

Anushka Salinas (President & COO, Rent The Runway)

Panel: Next Gen Customer Engagement (Millennial, Gen-Z, Web3)

Kavita Gupta (Founder & GP, Delta Blockchain Fund)

Emily Culp (Principal, ECH Ventures)

Olivia Landau (Founder & CEO, The Clear Cut)

Panel: Sustainability

Emily Rudman (Founder & CEO, Emilie Heathe)

Gourav Soni (CEO, 64 Facets America)

Michelle Gabriel (Graduate Program Director for Sustainable Fashion at GCNYC)

Logan Duran (VP, ESG Strategy at Tapestry)

Panel: Retail Tech

Silja Kim (Chief Business Development , Breezm)

Brian Berger (CEO/Founder, Mack Weldon)

Arpon Ray (Senior Principal & COO, Coefficient Capital)

Payal Shah (Founder & CEO, L' Dezen & Psylish)

Panel: New Paths for Luxury

Neda Whitney (Head of Marketing,Christie's Americas)

Michael Cabe (Director of Customer Experience, Steinway & Sons)

Liz Bacelar (Executive Director Global Tech Innovation, Estee Lauder)

2023


RETAIL AND THE NEW NORMAL

Keynotes

Robert Chavez (President & CEO, Hermès of Paris, Inc)

Scott Malkin (Founder & Chairman, Value Retail PLC)

Mortimer Singer (Managing Partner, Traub)

 

Panel: Data & Innovation

Matthew Kelleher (Head of Digital Marketing Transformation, Google)

Becca Mignanelli (VP of E-Commerce, Coach)

Paolo Pedersoli (Senior Partner & Deputy Manager for Internationalization, Jakala)

Moderated by Leila Jalai (VP of Retail Planning & Replenishment, Estée Lauder Companies)

 

Panel: Sustainability

Kristy Caylor (Co-Founder & CEO, for Days)

Cécile Lochard (Chief Sustainability Officer, Guerlain)

Indré Rockefeller (Co-Founder, Paravel)

Moderated by Stephen Picard (Associate Managing Director, Publicis Sapient)

 

Panel: Experiential Luxury

Noora Raj Brown (SVP of Communications & Brand Marketing, goop)

Mario Ortelli (Managing Partner, Ortelli & Co.)

Edward Padron (VP, LaFORCE)

Moderated by Joel Bines (Managing Director, AlixParnters)

2022


The Future of Retail

Keynotes

Federico Marchetti MBA ’99 (Chairman, YOOX Net-a-Porter Group)

Lauren Claquin (President, Kering Americas)

 

Panel: The Future of Retail

Anushka Salinas MBA ’10 (President & COO, Rent the Runway)

Claudia Cividino (CEO, Loro Piana North America)

Erwan Rambourg (Luxury analyst and author of Future Luxe)

Moderated by Erica Kasel (Managing Director, Traub)

 

Panel: The Power of Diversity

Casandra Diggs (President, CFDA)

Corey Smith EMBA ’01 (Head of Diversity & Inclusion, LVMH North America)

Lindsay Peoples Wagner (Editor in Chief, Teen Vogue & Co-Founder, The Black in Fashion Council)

Moderated by Pamela Brown (Partner, McKinsey & Company)

 

Panel: The Acceleration of Digital

Emily Essner MBA ’09 (Chief Marketing Officer, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Laura Holman (Global Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer Sales, Oscar de la Renta)

Shar Caesar Douglas MBA ’13 (Head of Creator Marketing EMEA, Youtube)

Moderated by Carlos Trad (Director of Global Business Strategy, Planning, and Analytics, Google)

2021


THE FUTURE OF RETAIL: 20/20 VISION

lOW mEMORIAL lIBRARY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY


Keynote Fireside Chat
Anish Melwani (Chairman & CEO, LVMH North America)
Moderated by: Catherine White (Brand Director, Dom Pérignon)

Panel: Reconciling “New” vs. “Established” Luxury
Mimi Fukuyoshi (SVP & GMM, U.S. Retail & Wholesale, Tom Ford)
Trisha Gregory (Co-Founder & CEO, Armarium)
Valérie von Ferstel (Retail Talent Development Director, Moet Hennessy)
Christine Dagousset (Global Long-Term Development Officer, Chanel)
Moderated by: Sarah Willersdorf (Managing Director & Partner, Global Head of Luxury, Boston Consulting Group)

Keynote
Mercedes Abramo (President & CEO, Cartier North America)

Panel: Exploring Beauty Inclusivity

Alisa Metzger (Co-Founder, Inn Beauty Project)
Susan Akkad (SVP of Local & Cultural Relevancy, Corporate Innovation, Estée Lauder)
Neha Govindraj (Co-Founder, President & COO, Glowbar)
John Gates (Senior Vice President, Global Retail and Travel Retail, Moroccanoil)
Moderated by: Giovanna Campagna (Founder, La Curuba Beauty)

Keynote
Jeffery Fowler (President, Americas, Farfetch)

Break-Out: The Disruption of Health & Wellness

Caroline Gogolak (Vice President of Retail, SoulCycle)
Charlotte Duleyrie (Vice President of Marketing, Daily Harvest)
Kate Twist (Co-Founder & CEO, Ever/Body)
Amanda Baudier (Vice President of Business Development, Sakara Life)
Moderated by Ellie Burrows Gluck (CEO, MNDFL)

Break Out 2 - Entrepreneurship - FOUNDING AND FUNDING IN THE CONSUMER SPACE
Carly Bigi (Founder, Laws of Motion)
Sierra Tishgart (Co-Founder, Great Jones)
Violet Gross (CEO & Co-Founder, Tulerie)
Merri Smith (COO & Co-Founder, Tulerie)
Moderated by Andrea Hippeau (Principal, Lerer Hippeau)

Keynote
Philippe Pinatel (SVP & Global General Manager, M·A·C Cosmetics)

Wine reception sponsored by LVMH


2020


CONNECTING THE DOTS

lOW mEMORIAL lIBRARY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY


How Kering is transforming its Business Model through Sustainability
Marie-Claire Daveu (Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of International Institution Affairs, Kering)
Introduced by Alessandro Carlucci (Chairman of the Board, BSR)

Investing in Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Brands
Nick Brown (Managing Partner, Imaginary Ventures)
Scott Birnbaum (Founder, Red Sea Ventures)
Moderated by Meghan Cross Breeden (Managing Partner, AmplifyHer)

The Luxury of Wellness
Jason Wachob (Founder & CEO, mindbodygreen)
Poppy Jamie (Founder, Happy Not Perfect; Co-Founder, Pop & Suki) Hillary Peterson (Founder & CEO, True Botanicals)
Rebecca Parekh (Founder & CEO, The Well)
Moderated by: Soraya Darabi (Co-Founder & General Partner, Trail Mix Ventures)

Networking lunch by Affinity Group

Exploring Beauty’s Next White Space
Jane Hertzmark Hudis (Group President, The Estee Lauder Companies)
Moderated by: Sarah Brown (President, Sarah Brown Advisory; Contributing Editor, Vogue; Columnist, Business of Fashion)

Break-out 1: Envisioning the Future of Retail
Jeffery Fowler (President North America, Farfetch)
Matt Alexander (Co-Founder & CEO, Neighborhood Goods) Moderated by: Lokesh Ohri (Principal, Deloitte Consulting)

Break-out 2: A Founder’s Roundtable
Isaac Ross (Founder & CEO, Solid and Striped)
Alexandra Van Houtte (Founder & CEO, Tagwalk)
Bridget Russo (CMO, Modern Meadow)
Moderated by: Todd Breeden (Partner & Co-Founder, Tuhaye Venture Partners)

Meditation with Poppy Jamie (Founder, Happy Not Perfect; Co-Founder, Pop & Suki)

The New Luxury
Marc Metrick (President, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Wine reception sponsored by LVMH

Sponsors

Diamond: Saks Fifth Avenue
Platinum: Bain & Company, Denise Fasanello Flowers
Gold: Modern Meadow, Deloitte, Columbia Business School Office of Student Affairs, LVMH
Silver: The Luxury Education Foundation

2019


TAILORING RETAIL STRATEGY TO THE CONSUMER IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD

Keynotes
Martin Croteau (President, Rimowa North America)
Jefferey Fowler (President, Farfetch North America)

Panel: What’s Keeping Luxury Brand CEOs Up at Night?
Maria Eugenia Giron (IE Business School)
Gourav Soni MBA’16 (CEO, 64 facets)
Professor Ketty Maisonrouge

Panel: Busting Myths on Retail’s Future
Milton Pedraza (CEO, Luxury Institute)
Sagra Maceira de Rosen MBA’96 (Chair of the Board, NAGA Group)
Bharat Khandelwal MBA’04 (Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group)
Moderated by Professor Keith Wilcox

Panel: New Decision-Making Tools in Retail
Jennifer Gootman (VP Social Consciousness & Innovation, West Elm)
Corey Moran (Head of Industry, Fashion & Luxury, Google)
Chaya Cooper (Founder and CPO, click2fit)
Prashant Agrawal MBA’98 (Founder and CEO, Impact Analytics)

Moderated by Karen Moon (Co-Founder and CEO, Trendalytics)

2018


RETAIL REALITY CHECK: NAVIGATING THE PATH FORWARD THROUGH DISRUPTION

Keynotes
Gaetano Sciuto (President, Fendi Americas)
Mary Beech (CMO, Kate Spade)
Emilie Arel Scott (CEO, Quidsi)
Henry Davis (COO, Glossier)
Nadine Ghosn (Nadine Ghosn Fine Jewelry)
Daniel Boulud (Daniel Boulud)

2017


age of #mortartomobile

Keynotes
Professor and Director of Retail Studies Mark Cohen EE’69 MBA’71

Panel: Luxury Marketing
Katherine Kim Choroco (Chanel)
Rachael Johnson (Moet Hennessey)
Ryan McIntyre (JackThreads)
Moderated by Tom Goodwin (Havas Media)

Panel: Dialogue on Beauty
Daria Burke (CVS Health - Beauty)
Kimberley Thomas (Bite Beauty for Kendo Brands)

Panel: Changing the Game in Retail
Michael Franklin (Oak Labs, Inc.)
Jared Schiffman (Perch Interactive)
Josh Wexler (RevCascade)
Moderated by William J. O’Farrell (Body Labs)

Panel: Winning through Content
Chris Anthony (POPSUGAR)
Lauren Crampsie (Ogilvy & Mather)
Jessica Schisano (Google)
Moderated by Louis Denny (EMBA Candidate, Columbia Business School)

Panel: Brand Strategy
Gabby Cohen (SoulCycle)
Melody Lee (Cadillac)
Nancy Tsuei (West Elm)
Moderated by Alden Lury (Kurt Salmon)

2016


2015

THE NEW RETAIL EXPERIENCE

THE LIGHTHOUSE AT CHELSEA PIERS

Keynotes
Robin Lewis (Founder and CEO, Robin Report)
Jeff Chapin (Co-Founder and Head of Production, Casper)
Chris Fiore (CEO, Henri Bendel), introduced by Professor Mark Cohen EE‘69 MBA ‘71
Carole Silverman (CEO of the Americas, Caudalie)

Panel: The New Luxury Lifestyle
Lauren Remington Platt CC’06 (Founder and CEO, Vênsette)
Katina Moutanos (Co-Founder and CEO, Manicube)
Kerry Bennett (SVP of Marketing, DogVacay)
Moderated by Eliza Brooke (Associate Editor, Fashionista)

Panel: Technology & Premium Retail
Al Sambar (Managing Partner, Kurt Salmon)
Alan Tisch (Founder and CEO, Spring)
Clement Kwan (President, Yoox Corporation)
Moderated by Liz Bacelar JN‘06 (CEO and Founder, Decoded Fashion)

SPONSORS

Kurt Salmon, Toys R Us, BNP Paribas

gift bag participants

SoulCycle, Yoox, Toys R Us, Modern Luxury Manhattan, LUBLU, Sorrelli, Knowing Your Worth, Zoetik, Mott & Bow, Aromaflage, Wandering Bear Coffee Company, Henri Bendel, Jack Erwin, Empowered by You, Closet Collective


retail revolution

David Rubenstein Atrium at the Lincoln Center


Keynotes

Don Watros (President, Hudson’s Bay Company)
Andy Dunn (Founder and CEO, Bonobos)
Emmanuel Perin (President and CEO, Cartier North America)
Sarah Robb O’Hagan (President, Equinox)

2014


retailing unplugged: innovate. collaborate. recreate.

Keynotes
Stephen M. Ross (Chairman and Founder, Related Companies)
Andrew Rosen (President and Founder, Theory)
Ronaldo Stern (Managing Director, H.Stern)
Rebecca Minkoff (Designer and Co-Founder, Rebecca Minkoff)
Uri Minkoff (CEO and Co-Founder, Rebecca Minkoff)

2013


2012

BEYOND THE FOUR WALLS: RETAILING WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

Keynotes
Richard A. Baker (CEO, Hudson’s Bay Company)
Amy Shecter (President, C. Wonder)
Adam Saper (CFO, Eataly)
Julie Flakstad (Creative Director and Founder, Blow)