Future of Retail & Commerce Summit

Tuesday, May 12th, 2026

• 9:00 AM Breakfast & Registration
• 9:45 AM Opening Remarks

  Brandon Gutman, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

  Marc Sternberg, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

  Cynthia Glanzberg, Vice President, Content & Community, West Coast, Brand Innovators

  Vito Maranzano, Vice President, Retail + Luxury Content & Community, Brand Innovators

  Kristen Jackman, Senior Vice President, Westfield Rise

• 10:00 AM Gen Z + IRL Experiences

  This session explores why Gen Z is gravitating back to real-world spaces – and what that means for brands, culture, and connection. Drawing from collaborative research by Westfield Rise and Hello Sunshine’s Gen Z brand ‘Sunnie’, the session unpacks how malls have reemerged as Gen Z’s favorite place to spend time, not just shop. Attendees will learn how trends, behavior shifts, and cultural signals are reshaping IRL engagement, and how to translate those insights into meaningful, actionable experiences.

  Jessica Studholme, Chief Revenue Officer, Hello Sunshine

  Moderated by: Kristen Jackman, Senior Vice President, Westfield Rise

• 10:30 AM The Marketplace Playbook

  As marketplaces evolve from distribution channels to brand-building ecosystems, how should marketers rethink their role in growth strategy? This session explores mega players versus emerging platforms, retail media networks, and owned marketplace hybrids, unpacking where brands are driving incremental growth versus cannibalizing demand.

  Bianca Bolouri, Vice President Global eCommerce, Wella Company

  Jessica Talpos, Vice President of Marketing, Milani Cosmetics

• 11:00 AM DTC vs Retail: The Great Rebalance

  After a decade of DTC obsession, many brands are recalibrating investment back toward retail and hybrid models. Where does DTC still win, and where does retail drive smarter scale? Leaders share how they are reallocating budget, talent, and tech.

  Suresh Chekuri, Senior Director of Global Channel Marketing & Retail Experience, GoPro

  Sarah Kleinman, Chief Commercial Officer, Ruggable

  Moderated by: Lance Wolder, Head of Strategy and Marketing, PadSquad

• 11:30 AM Networking Break
• 11:45 AM Scaling Globally Without Losing Relevance

  As brands expand internationally, how much control should sit at HQ versus in-region teams? Leaders share lessons on balancing global brand consistency with local marketplace nuance, retail dynamics, and cultural context.

  Priscila Cano Stanton, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Nissin Foods

  Jen Wei, Head of Marketing, Belkin

• 12:15 PM The Next Generation of Shopping Behavior

  From Gen Z to Gen Alpha and beyond, consumers are blending content, community, and commerce in entirely new ways. This conversation explores how social-first discovery, live shopping, resale, and values-driven purchasing are reshaping retail strategies for the future.

  Kara Beilman, Head of Beverage Marketing, Unwell

  Sara Pollack, Vice President, Global Head of Consumer Marketing, Pinterest

  Brenden Watumull, Head of Retail, Hammitt

  Moderated by: Amy Castillo, Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Material

• 12:45 PM Lunch
• 1:45 PM Bloomingdale’s at the Center of LA Culture

  As Los Angeles continues to shape global culture, how can retailers authentically embed themselves in the conversation? This session explores how Bloomingdale’s taps into LA’s cultural pulse through strategic partnerships, localized campaigns, and immersive activations, unpacking how the brand stays relevant, drives engagement, and turns cultural moments into measurable impact.

  Tom Voltin, Regional Director of Stores, Bloomingdale’s

  Moderated by: Jeff Turose, Director of Promotional Partnerships, Fandango

• 2:15 PM Commerce Creativity: What Marketing Actually Breaks Through Now?

  This session brings together leaders to explore how creativity is evolving within commerce. We’ll unpack what’s cutting through the noise, what’s falling flat, and how brands are turning moments of intent into meaningful connection and conversion.

  Rose Ferraro, Senior Vice President and General Manager Advertising, Rockbot

  Lance Wolder, Head of Strategy and Marketing, PadSquad

  Moderated by: Nicole Hatley, Director, Global Content Strategy, Skechers

• 2:45 PM Retail and the Experience Economy

  Physical retail is not dead, but it must earn its place. This panel explores how experiential retail, pop-ups, and flagship stores are being redesigned as media channels that fuel digital growth.

  Aislinn Froeb Kaltenbrun, Director, Omnichannel Retail Marketing, Walmart, Mattel, Inc.

  Gina Gorman, Vice President of Marketing, Rocksbox

  Aaron Hassel, Director of Brand Marketing, Rawlings Sporting Goods

  Moderated by: Phuong Tran,Senior Regional Director of Enterprise Sales, Yelp 

• 3:15 PM Networking Break and Game
• 4:00 PM AI in Commerce: From Search to Personalization

  AI is reshaping everything from search algorithms to personalized recommendations and supply chain optimization. This session explores practical applications of AI that are delivering real ROI, not just headlines.

  Deepak Jose, Vice President – Head of Data & Decision Intelligence, Niagara

  Moderated by: Sophie Toporoff, Senior Director, North America Partnerships, Linkby

• 4:30 PM Click to Brick: Scaling Creator and Digital Brands Into the Real World

  What does it actually take to bring a brand to life in the real world? Jeff Delson has done it across the board — scaling Emma Chamberlain’s love of coffee into brick-and-mortar shops, translating the Stranger Things universe into experiential and retail activations, launching SKYLRK’s pop-up at Coachella, and more. In this can’t-miss conversation, he’ll break down what works, what doesn’t, and what every brand should know before making the leap from digital to physical.

  Jeff Delson, Board Advisor, Chamberlain Coffee

  Moderated by: Kristen Jackman, Senior Vice President, Westfield Rise

• 5:00 PM Session Wrap