The Retail Innovation Conference content team strives to put industry changemakers and boundary breakers in the spotlight. While curating a speaker roster representing the industry’s most profitable brands is always a plus, we care deeply about getting the right people in the room. Executives who have navigated overwhelming personal adversity, industry disruption and cultural change to create brands that are beloved among consumers and communities worldwide.
That is why we’re thrilled to announce Rebecca Minkoff as our second #RICE24 keynote speaker! Rebecca built her brand from the ground up, moving to New York City at age 18 to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer. But over two-plus decades, she has become so much more than that…she has become a true innovator that embraces the intersection of content, community and commerce. In fact, there are a few key reasons why we’re especially excited to have her on our keynote stage on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Chicago:
She is an industry disruptor
In late 2014, Rebecca unveiled her vision for the Store of the Future. At the time, this was a buzz phrase that industry analysts and executives threw around to generate excitement and inspire ideation. But Rebecca’s brand, and the incredible leadership of her brother and Co-founder Uri Minkoff, made it a reality. The connected store was in SoHo, New York City (a beloved epicenter for fashion brands and tech start-ups alike), and it was a vibrant ecosystem of various technologies, such as large touchscreen displays, RFID tags, interactive fitting rooms, as well as dynamic brand content and an integrated mobile app experience.
The store has since shuttered as a result of COVID, but it helped Rebecca and Uri lay a stake in the ground as industry disruptors who take risks and inspire the broader industry to push creative limits.
She is an early tech adopter
Since her venture into in-store innovation, Rebecca has been an early adopter for emerging tech and an enabler of organizational innovation. She was one of the first designers to launch a virtual storefront in partnership with Obsess, and in 2021, she entered the world of Web3 as the first American female fashion designer to unveil a collection of branded NFTs timed to New York Fashion Week — a collection that sold out in under 8 minutes.
Additionally, she and her brand have been early users of platforms like Discord (to support community building and VIP access to brand content, products and experiences) and the emerging social platform BeReal.
Rebecca embraces technology as a vehicle for creativity and community and looks to her consumers to know where she can (and should) venture next.
She is a community builder
The Rebecca Minkoff brand and its assortment of luxury handbags, accessories, footwear and apparel, are inspired by strong, confident, and powerful women. Embracing a west-meets-east sensibility, her fashions are the epitome of cool and help foster a community.
But over the years, Rebecca has done so much more to build community. Her story of venturing to New York City and hustling to build her brand is inspiring on its own; but in September 2018, she took her next big step in supporting women in business. It is then that she launched 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. The community hosts numerous virtual and in-person events throughout the year to connect members and empower them with the information and inspiration they need to be successful.
She is a media mogul
Rebecca’s business story, and her work mentoring and sponsoring other women in business, inspired her to writer her best-selling book, Fearless, in 2021. She also has a weekly podcast, “Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff,” where she sits down with “women from all walks of life,” including founders, CEOs and artists, to help others navigate the ups and downs of daily life.
Rebecca has come a long way since venturing to the Big Apple to start her brand in 2001. Through products, content, conversations and experiences, Rebecca is dedicated to creating the modern cultural and business narrative of togetherness and a shared success. She continues to push boundaries, lead the industry, and galvanize communities of women by promoting confidence, fearlessness and authenticity.
During her keynote, she will share her journey building her global brand, which embodies 21st century femininity in all its multidimensionality. She will also reveal how this mission has driven her focus on innovation and tech exploration, and the lessons she has learned while evolving her fashion brand into a full-blown media empire.
We are so excited to welcome Rebecca to our incredible speaker faculty…and we’re excited to welcome you to Chicago this June. If you want to get the incredible insights and lessons from Rebecca herself, join us at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, June 4-6, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago.
Looking for more details on this year’s event and our incredible speakers? Be sure to check out the official Retail Innovation Conference & Expo content hub.
