Attendee Takeaways: Rose Hamilton, DTC Brand & Ecommerce Growth Advisor for CPG Founders & Investors 

There is nothing like a room full of inquisitive retailers, entrepreneurs and marketers to get adrenaline pumping. But one unique thing that Rose Hamilton, CEO of Compass Rose Ventures LLC, noticed at this year’s Retail Innovation Conference and Expo (perhaps more so than other conferences she has presented at), was the spirit of opportunity, positivity and excitement.  

To give you a little bit of background about Rose, she has over twenty years’ experience growing businesses and architecting omnichannel brands. PLUS, she has built digital teams for both start-ups and Fortune 500 brands. More specifically, she led strategy and managed teams for several direct-to-consumer businesses throughout her career. To name just a few of her previous roles, she served as Chief Digital and Direct to Consumer Officer for Nutrafol, and Chief Digital and Ecommerce Officer at The Vitamin Shoppe, where she was responsible for leading the digital customer experience, loyalty, omnichannel, customer acquisition/retention and operating the direct-to-consumer business and call center. Earlier in her career, she led marketing, merchandising and loyalty programs for a variety of leading retailers and financial services organizations, including Chico’s FAS, Best Buy, Wilsons Leather and US Bank.  

As you can see, Rose is a DTC veteran and a huge advocate for innovation. So, no looking back…just moving forward.  

Perhaps it was the pandemic (that will seemingly never end), or “the new normal” (whatever that is), or maybe it was the new generation of business leaders in attendance…Rose shared in a recent chat with us that she felt there was hope, excitement and a pervasive message of moving forward, seeking new opportunities and staying in lockstep with an ever-changing ecosystem. 

Check out our Q&A with Rose to see what her key takeaways were from #RICE22 and what she’s focusing on heading into 2023! 

Retail Innovation Conference & Expo (RICE): What were your key takeaways from attending the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo? 

Rose Hamilton: I was excited to hear how hungry brands are to find new and innovative ways to scale. What worked last year is clearly not the same today. The Q&A after my session and discussion during the workshop highlighted to me that folks are focused on understanding the changes in the ecosystem around their particular categories and understanding more about their customers. 

RICE: Regarding the session content, did anything stand out or surprise you?  

Hamilton: I was really excited about the super strong session around NFTs. It is such a non-descript subject and it is crucial that we wrap our heads around it going forward. It was heartening to see so many people looking to what is coming up next instead of looking at what happened in the past! 

RICE: What are you planning to prioritize in 2023 and how did the event help validate this for you? 

Hamilton: I am excited about helping businesses develop retention-ready acquisition plans in collaboration with their customers. I cannot stress enough that just like we do with our health, we need to trust science when we are developing an agile brand. Consumer research is key. If you pay attention, the consumer will tell you where you should head. As business leaders and business builders, we can never go wrong if we simply follow the customer. 

Rose also shared that the last time she presented at a conference, it was virtual and so hard to make a real connection. She noted: “This conference was everything a great brand should be. A real community with shared values and a sense of belonging.”  

We’re so thankful to collaborate with Rose not only on the speaking faculty, but as an active member of our IRCE advisory board. She also will be at our 2023 event, so if you’re eager to network with this incredible executive, be sure to save the date, June 13-15, 2023, for next year’s conference!  

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