of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.
The Lead Summit 2026 agenda features over 150 speakers across two days at Pier 36 in NYC. That's a lot of programming to sort through, and not all of it will be relevant to you.
We've gone through the confirmed agenda and pulled the sessions that Future Commerce thinks will have the most impact on how retail leaders will think and operate in the year ahead. These are the ones we'll be covering on-site, recording reactions to, and referencing in our post-event analysis.
Build your schedule around these. Skip the rest without guilt.
How We Picked These Sessions
Our selection criteria:
- Operational relevance — Does this session address a real strategic challenge, or is it a keynote built for applause?
- Speaker credibility — Are these people running things, or talking about running things?
- Trend signal — Does this session point to where commerce is heading in 2027 and beyond?
- Unique perspective — Can you get this insight somewhere else, or is this a rare pairing of speakers?
With that framework, here are our seven picks across the two-day agenda.
Session 1: "Facilitate Agentic Product Discovery Through Content and Community"
David Baker (CRO, Beekman 1802)
Beekman 1802 built a cult DTC brand that crossed into mass retail — and now Baker is exploring how agentic AI changes the way consumers find and choose products. This isn't about chatbots on your homepage. It's about what product discovery looks like when AI agents are doing the browsing, filtering, and recommending on behalf of consumers.
Baker's perspective is uniquely valuable because Beekman 1802 succeeded by building content and community before most brands understood why it mattered. Now he's applying that same lens to agentic commerce.
Why it matters: Agentic AI is the next frontier of product discovery. The brands that understand how to surface in AI-driven workflows will have a structural advantage over those still optimizing for traditional search.
Best for: Heads of ecommerce, digital product leaders, DTC founders, anyone thinking about what discovery looks like post-search.
Session 2: "Early Lessons on Activating Commerce within Gen AI Platforms"
Colleen Waters (VP, Ecommerce, Steven Madden)
Most brands are still figuring out what gen AI means for their .com. Steven Madden is already testing commerce inside gen AI platforms — and Waters is bringing the early data on what's working and what isn't.
This is a first-mover session. The insights here won't be available in a case study for another 12 months. If you're evaluating where to place your next digital bet, start here.
Why it matters: Gen AI platforms are becoming commerce surfaces. The brands that learn to activate inside them early will define the playbook everyone else follows.
Best for: VP Ecommerce, digital marketing leaders, innovation teams, anyone allocating budget across emerging channels.
Session 3: "Master the Modern Cultural Landscape Through Velocity, Resonance or Celebrity"
Dan Manioci (SVP, Global Consumer Engagement & Digital Marketing, Parlux) & Rachel Lockett (VP, Marketing, MAC Cosmetics)
Two of beauty's sharpest marketing minds on how brands create cultural relevance in 2026. Parlux builds celebrity fragrance empires — they understand velocity and the mechanics of fame-driven commerce. MAC has been a cultural institution for decades, built on community, self-expression, and resonance that outlasts any single trend cycle.
The question isn't whether culture matters — it's how fast you need to move, and which levers actually work. This session gives you two different answers to that question.
Why it matters: Cultural relevance is the new distribution. Brands that understand how to earn cultural attention — not just buy media — will outperform those still running the old playbook.
Best for: CMOs, brand marketers, creative directors, anyone whose job is to make people care.
Session 4: "Move From AI Experimentation to Mature AI Operating Models and Consumer Experiences"
Mimi Ruiz (VP, Ecommerce, Columbia Sportswear)
Most companies are stuck in AI pilot mode — running experiments, building decks, but not changing how the business actually operates. Ruiz is running AI at scale across Columbia Sportswear's ecommerce operation, and this session is about what happens after the experiment.
How do you build AI into your actual operating model, not just your innovation deck? How do you move from "we have an AI project" to "AI is how we work"? That's the transition most retail organizations are struggling with right now.
Why it matters: The gap between AI experimentation and AI operations is where most companies stall. This session addresses that gap directly.
Best for: CTOs, VPs of ecommerce, operations leaders, anyone responsible for scaling AI beyond the pilot phase.
Want to continue the conversation? Future Commerce is co-hosting an executive dinner with Klaviyo on the evening of May 20th — an intimate gathering for the leaders behind sessions like these. Register for the Executive Dinner →
Session 5: "Apply AI to Understand Demand and Optimize Pricing in Real Time"
Amy Sullivan (VP, Buying & Private Brands, Stitch Fix)
Stitch Fix has been at the intersection of AI and retail longer than almost anyone. Sullivan leads buying and private brands at a moment when real-time demand sensing and dynamic pricing are becoming operational realities, not vendor promises.
This is where AI meets margin. Not in marketing automation or content generation, but in the core commercial decisions — what to buy, how to price it, and when to move.
Why it matters: Pricing is the highest-leverage decision in retail. AI-driven pricing is shifting from "interesting" to "necessary." Sullivan's perspective on how this works in practice is rare.
Best for: Merchandising leaders, buying teams, pricing strategists, CFOs, anyone responsible for margin management.
Session 6: "Strategies to Drive Growth and Increase Market Share Despite a Challenging Business Environment"
Tanya Golesic (CEO, Mackage) & Jed Berger (Global President & CEO, Kenneth Cole Productions)
Two brand CEOs on the same stage talking growth strategy when the macro environment isn't cooperating. Golesic scaled Mackage into a global luxury outerwear brand with a distinctive, design-led identity. Berger is leading Kenneth Cole's next chapter — reinventing a heritage brand for a new generation.
No theory, no frameworks. This is what growth looks like when consumer confidence is shaky, costs are rising, and market share has to be earned, not inherited.
Why it matters: Growth in a down market is a different discipline than growth in a rising one. These two CEOs are living it.
Best for: CEOs, presidents, general managers, brand leaders navigating growth in a tough macro.
Session 7 (DTC Symposium): "Drive Profitable Growth Through Wholesale and Retail Optimization"
Katia Unlu (Chief Commercial Officer, Boll & Branch) & Declan Duggan (SVP, Sales & Distribution, BERO)
This one's on the DTC Symposium track on May 21. The DTC-to-wholesale playbook is the single most relevant strategic question for the brands in this room. Boll & Branch built a premium DTC bedding brand now expanding into retail. BERO is Tom Brady's wellness brand scaling distribution fast.
Two different categories, same challenge: how do you grow beyond DTC without losing what made you special? The margin structure, the brand control, the customer relationship — all of it gets tested when you add wholesale. This session is where you learn how to navigate that.
Why it matters: The DTC-only era is over. The next phase is DTC-plus — and the brands that figure out wholesale and retail optimization will be the ones that survive and scale.
Best for: DTC founders, heads of sales, commercial leaders, anyone building a channel strategy beyond .com.
The Full Agenda
For the complete Lead Summit 2026 agenda, including session times, room assignments, and the full speaker lineup, visit the official agenda at summit.the-lead.co/agenda.
We'll be updating our picks as additional speakers are confirmed and the agenda evolves. Check back, or subscribe to our newsletter to get our session recaps delivered to your inbox during and after the event.
For the full picture on The Lead Summit 2026 — dates, logistics, who attends, and our executive dinner details — visit our complete Lead Summit guide.
Future Commerce will be covering The Lead Summit 2026 on-site with podcast recordings, session analysis, and real-time reporting. Get it all — subscribe to our newsletter.
The Lead Summit 2026 agenda features over 150 speakers across two days at Pier 36 in NYC. That's a lot of programming to sort through, and not all of it will be relevant to you.
We've gone through the confirmed agenda and pulled the sessions that Future Commerce thinks will have the most impact on how retail leaders will think and operate in the year ahead. These are the ones we'll be covering on-site, recording reactions to, and referencing in our post-event analysis.
Build your schedule around these. Skip the rest without guilt.
How We Picked These Sessions
Our selection criteria:
- Operational relevance — Does this session address a real strategic challenge, or is it a keynote built for applause?
- Speaker credibility — Are these people running things, or talking about running things?
- Trend signal — Does this session point to where commerce is heading in 2027 and beyond?
- Unique perspective — Can you get this insight somewhere else, or is this a rare pairing of speakers?
With that framework, here are our seven picks across the two-day agenda.
Session 1: "Facilitate Agentic Product Discovery Through Content and Community"
David Baker (CRO, Beekman 1802)
Beekman 1802 built a cult DTC brand that crossed into mass retail — and now Baker is exploring how agentic AI changes the way consumers find and choose products. This isn't about chatbots on your homepage. It's about what product discovery looks like when AI agents are doing the browsing, filtering, and recommending on behalf of consumers.
Baker's perspective is uniquely valuable because Beekman 1802 succeeded by building content and community before most brands understood why it mattered. Now he's applying that same lens to agentic commerce.
Why it matters: Agentic AI is the next frontier of product discovery. The brands that understand how to surface in AI-driven workflows will have a structural advantage over those still optimizing for traditional search.
Best for: Heads of ecommerce, digital product leaders, DTC founders, anyone thinking about what discovery looks like post-search.
Session 2: "Early Lessons on Activating Commerce within Gen AI Platforms"
Colleen Waters (VP, Ecommerce, Steven Madden)
Most brands are still figuring out what gen AI means for their .com. Steven Madden is already testing commerce inside gen AI platforms — and Waters is bringing the early data on what's working and what isn't.
This is a first-mover session. The insights here won't be available in a case study for another 12 months. If you're evaluating where to place your next digital bet, start here.
Why it matters: Gen AI platforms are becoming commerce surfaces. The brands that learn to activate inside them early will define the playbook everyone else follows.
Best for: VP Ecommerce, digital marketing leaders, innovation teams, anyone allocating budget across emerging channels.
Session 3: "Master the Modern Cultural Landscape Through Velocity, Resonance or Celebrity"
Dan Manioci (SVP, Global Consumer Engagement & Digital Marketing, Parlux) & Rachel Lockett (VP, Marketing, MAC Cosmetics)
Two of beauty's sharpest marketing minds on how brands create cultural relevance in 2026. Parlux builds celebrity fragrance empires — they understand velocity and the mechanics of fame-driven commerce. MAC has been a cultural institution for decades, built on community, self-expression, and resonance that outlasts any single trend cycle.
The question isn't whether culture matters — it's how fast you need to move, and which levers actually work. This session gives you two different answers to that question.
Why it matters: Cultural relevance is the new distribution. Brands that understand how to earn cultural attention — not just buy media — will outperform those still running the old playbook.
Best for: CMOs, brand marketers, creative directors, anyone whose job is to make people care.
Session 4: "Move From AI Experimentation to Mature AI Operating Models and Consumer Experiences"
Mimi Ruiz (VP, Ecommerce, Columbia Sportswear)
Most companies are stuck in AI pilot mode — running experiments, building decks, but not changing how the business actually operates. Ruiz is running AI at scale across Columbia Sportswear's ecommerce operation, and this session is about what happens after the experiment.
How do you build AI into your actual operating model, not just your innovation deck? How do you move from "we have an AI project" to "AI is how we work"? That's the transition most retail organizations are struggling with right now.
Why it matters: The gap between AI experimentation and AI operations is where most companies stall. This session addresses that gap directly.
Best for: CTOs, VPs of ecommerce, operations leaders, anyone responsible for scaling AI beyond the pilot phase.
Want to continue the conversation? Future Commerce is co-hosting an executive dinner with Klaviyo on the evening of May 20th — an intimate gathering for the leaders behind sessions like these. Register for the Executive Dinner →
Session 5: "Apply AI to Understand Demand and Optimize Pricing in Real Time"
Amy Sullivan (VP, Buying & Private Brands, Stitch Fix)
Stitch Fix has been at the intersection of AI and retail longer than almost anyone. Sullivan leads buying and private brands at a moment when real-time demand sensing and dynamic pricing are becoming operational realities, not vendor promises.
This is where AI meets margin. Not in marketing automation or content generation, but in the core commercial decisions — what to buy, how to price it, and when to move.
Why it matters: Pricing is the highest-leverage decision in retail. AI-driven pricing is shifting from "interesting" to "necessary." Sullivan's perspective on how this works in practice is rare.
Best for: Merchandising leaders, buying teams, pricing strategists, CFOs, anyone responsible for margin management.
Session 6: "Strategies to Drive Growth and Increase Market Share Despite a Challenging Business Environment"
Tanya Golesic (CEO, Mackage) & Jed Berger (Global President & CEO, Kenneth Cole Productions)
Two brand CEOs on the same stage talking growth strategy when the macro environment isn't cooperating. Golesic scaled Mackage into a global luxury outerwear brand with a distinctive, design-led identity. Berger is leading Kenneth Cole's next chapter — reinventing a heritage brand for a new generation.
No theory, no frameworks. This is what growth looks like when consumer confidence is shaky, costs are rising, and market share has to be earned, not inherited.
Why it matters: Growth in a down market is a different discipline than growth in a rising one. These two CEOs are living it.
Best for: CEOs, presidents, general managers, brand leaders navigating growth in a tough macro.
Session 7 (DTC Symposium): "Drive Profitable Growth Through Wholesale and Retail Optimization"
Katia Unlu (Chief Commercial Officer, Boll & Branch) & Declan Duggan (SVP, Sales & Distribution, BERO)
This one's on the DTC Symposium track on May 21. The DTC-to-wholesale playbook is the single most relevant strategic question for the brands in this room. Boll & Branch built a premium DTC bedding brand now expanding into retail. BERO is Tom Brady's wellness brand scaling distribution fast.
Two different categories, same challenge: how do you grow beyond DTC without losing what made you special? The margin structure, the brand control, the customer relationship — all of it gets tested when you add wholesale. This session is where you learn how to navigate that.
Why it matters: The DTC-only era is over. The next phase is DTC-plus — and the brands that figure out wholesale and retail optimization will be the ones that survive and scale.
Best for: DTC founders, heads of sales, commercial leaders, anyone building a channel strategy beyond .com.
The Full Agenda
For the complete Lead Summit 2026 agenda, including session times, room assignments, and the full speaker lineup, visit the official agenda at summit.the-lead.co/agenda.
We'll be updating our picks as additional speakers are confirmed and the agenda evolves. Check back, or subscribe to our newsletter to get our session recaps delivered to your inbox during and after the event.
For the full picture on The Lead Summit 2026 — dates, logistics, who attends, and our executive dinner details — visit our complete Lead Summit guide.
Future Commerce will be covering The Lead Summit 2026 on-site with podcast recordings, session analysis, and real-time reporting. Get it all — subscribe to our newsletter.
The Lead Summit 2026 agenda features over 150 speakers across two days at Pier 36 in NYC. That's a lot of programming to sort through, and not all of it will be relevant to you.
We've gone through the confirmed agenda and pulled the sessions that Future Commerce thinks will have the most impact on how retail leaders will think and operate in the year ahead. These are the ones we'll be covering on-site, recording reactions to, and referencing in our post-event analysis.
Build your schedule around these. Skip the rest without guilt.
How We Picked These Sessions
Our selection criteria:
- Operational relevance — Does this session address a real strategic challenge, or is it a keynote built for applause?
- Speaker credibility — Are these people running things, or talking about running things?
- Trend signal — Does this session point to where commerce is heading in 2027 and beyond?
- Unique perspective — Can you get this insight somewhere else, or is this a rare pairing of speakers?
With that framework, here are our seven picks across the two-day agenda.
Session 1: "Facilitate Agentic Product Discovery Through Content and Community"
David Baker (CRO, Beekman 1802)
Beekman 1802 built a cult DTC brand that crossed into mass retail — and now Baker is exploring how agentic AI changes the way consumers find and choose products. This isn't about chatbots on your homepage. It's about what product discovery looks like when AI agents are doing the browsing, filtering, and recommending on behalf of consumers.
Baker's perspective is uniquely valuable because Beekman 1802 succeeded by building content and community before most brands understood why it mattered. Now he's applying that same lens to agentic commerce.
Why it matters: Agentic AI is the next frontier of product discovery. The brands that understand how to surface in AI-driven workflows will have a structural advantage over those still optimizing for traditional search.
Best for: Heads of ecommerce, digital product leaders, DTC founders, anyone thinking about what discovery looks like post-search.
Session 2: "Early Lessons on Activating Commerce within Gen AI Platforms"
Colleen Waters (VP, Ecommerce, Steven Madden)
Most brands are still figuring out what gen AI means for their .com. Steven Madden is already testing commerce inside gen AI platforms — and Waters is bringing the early data on what's working and what isn't.
This is a first-mover session. The insights here won't be available in a case study for another 12 months. If you're evaluating where to place your next digital bet, start here.
Why it matters: Gen AI platforms are becoming commerce surfaces. The brands that learn to activate inside them early will define the playbook everyone else follows.
Best for: VP Ecommerce, digital marketing leaders, innovation teams, anyone allocating budget across emerging channels.
Session 3: "Master the Modern Cultural Landscape Through Velocity, Resonance or Celebrity"
Dan Manioci (SVP, Global Consumer Engagement & Digital Marketing, Parlux) & Rachel Lockett (VP, Marketing, MAC Cosmetics)
Two of beauty's sharpest marketing minds on how brands create cultural relevance in 2026. Parlux builds celebrity fragrance empires — they understand velocity and the mechanics of fame-driven commerce. MAC has been a cultural institution for decades, built on community, self-expression, and resonance that outlasts any single trend cycle.
The question isn't whether culture matters — it's how fast you need to move, and which levers actually work. This session gives you two different answers to that question.
Why it matters: Cultural relevance is the new distribution. Brands that understand how to earn cultural attention — not just buy media — will outperform those still running the old playbook.
Best for: CMOs, brand marketers, creative directors, anyone whose job is to make people care.
Session 4: "Move From AI Experimentation to Mature AI Operating Models and Consumer Experiences"
Mimi Ruiz (VP, Ecommerce, Columbia Sportswear)
Most companies are stuck in AI pilot mode — running experiments, building decks, but not changing how the business actually operates. Ruiz is running AI at scale across Columbia Sportswear's ecommerce operation, and this session is about what happens after the experiment.
How do you build AI into your actual operating model, not just your innovation deck? How do you move from "we have an AI project" to "AI is how we work"? That's the transition most retail organizations are struggling with right now.
Why it matters: The gap between AI experimentation and AI operations is where most companies stall. This session addresses that gap directly.
Best for: CTOs, VPs of ecommerce, operations leaders, anyone responsible for scaling AI beyond the pilot phase.
Want to continue the conversation? Future Commerce is co-hosting an executive dinner with Klaviyo on the evening of May 20th — an intimate gathering for the leaders behind sessions like these. Register for the Executive Dinner →
Session 5: "Apply AI to Understand Demand and Optimize Pricing in Real Time"
Amy Sullivan (VP, Buying & Private Brands, Stitch Fix)
Stitch Fix has been at the intersection of AI and retail longer than almost anyone. Sullivan leads buying and private brands at a moment when real-time demand sensing and dynamic pricing are becoming operational realities, not vendor promises.
This is where AI meets margin. Not in marketing automation or content generation, but in the core commercial decisions — what to buy, how to price it, and when to move.
Why it matters: Pricing is the highest-leverage decision in retail. AI-driven pricing is shifting from "interesting" to "necessary." Sullivan's perspective on how this works in practice is rare.
Best for: Merchandising leaders, buying teams, pricing strategists, CFOs, anyone responsible for margin management.
Session 6: "Strategies to Drive Growth and Increase Market Share Despite a Challenging Business Environment"
Tanya Golesic (CEO, Mackage) & Jed Berger (Global President & CEO, Kenneth Cole Productions)
Two brand CEOs on the same stage talking growth strategy when the macro environment isn't cooperating. Golesic scaled Mackage into a global luxury outerwear brand with a distinctive, design-led identity. Berger is leading Kenneth Cole's next chapter — reinventing a heritage brand for a new generation.
No theory, no frameworks. This is what growth looks like when consumer confidence is shaky, costs are rising, and market share has to be earned, not inherited.
Why it matters: Growth in a down market is a different discipline than growth in a rising one. These two CEOs are living it.
Best for: CEOs, presidents, general managers, brand leaders navigating growth in a tough macro.
Session 7 (DTC Symposium): "Drive Profitable Growth Through Wholesale and Retail Optimization"
Katia Unlu (Chief Commercial Officer, Boll & Branch) & Declan Duggan (SVP, Sales & Distribution, BERO)
This one's on the DTC Symposium track on May 21. The DTC-to-wholesale playbook is the single most relevant strategic question for the brands in this room. Boll & Branch built a premium DTC bedding brand now expanding into retail. BERO is Tom Brady's wellness brand scaling distribution fast.
Two different categories, same challenge: how do you grow beyond DTC without losing what made you special? The margin structure, the brand control, the customer relationship — all of it gets tested when you add wholesale. This session is where you learn how to navigate that.
Why it matters: The DTC-only era is over. The next phase is DTC-plus — and the brands that figure out wholesale and retail optimization will be the ones that survive and scale.
Best for: DTC founders, heads of sales, commercial leaders, anyone building a channel strategy beyond .com.
The Full Agenda
For the complete Lead Summit 2026 agenda, including session times, room assignments, and the full speaker lineup, visit the official agenda at summit.the-lead.co/agenda.
We'll be updating our picks as additional speakers are confirmed and the agenda evolves. Check back, or subscribe to our newsletter to get our session recaps delivered to your inbox during and after the event.
For the full picture on The Lead Summit 2026 — dates, logistics, who attends, and our executive dinner details — visit our complete Lead Summit guide.
Future Commerce will be covering The Lead Summit 2026 on-site with podcast recordings, session analysis, and real-time reporting. Get it all — subscribe to our newsletter.
The Lead Summit 2026 agenda features over 150 speakers across two days at Pier 36 in NYC. That's a lot of programming to sort through, and not all of it will be relevant to you.
We've gone through the confirmed agenda and pulled the sessions that Future Commerce thinks will have the most impact on how retail leaders will think and operate in the year ahead. These are the ones we'll be covering on-site, recording reactions to, and referencing in our post-event analysis.
Build your schedule around these. Skip the rest without guilt.
How We Picked These Sessions
Our selection criteria:
- Operational relevance — Does this session address a real strategic challenge, or is it a keynote built for applause?
- Speaker credibility — Are these people running things, or talking about running things?
- Trend signal — Does this session point to where commerce is heading in 2027 and beyond?
- Unique perspective — Can you get this insight somewhere else, or is this a rare pairing of speakers?
With that framework, here are our seven picks across the two-day agenda.
Session 1: "Facilitate Agentic Product Discovery Through Content and Community"
David Baker (CRO, Beekman 1802)
Beekman 1802 built a cult DTC brand that crossed into mass retail — and now Baker is exploring how agentic AI changes the way consumers find and choose products. This isn't about chatbots on your homepage. It's about what product discovery looks like when AI agents are doing the browsing, filtering, and recommending on behalf of consumers.
Baker's perspective is uniquely valuable because Beekman 1802 succeeded by building content and community before most brands understood why it mattered. Now he's applying that same lens to agentic commerce.
Why it matters: Agentic AI is the next frontier of product discovery. The brands that understand how to surface in AI-driven workflows will have a structural advantage over those still optimizing for traditional search.
Best for: Heads of ecommerce, digital product leaders, DTC founders, anyone thinking about what discovery looks like post-search.
Session 2: "Early Lessons on Activating Commerce within Gen AI Platforms"
Colleen Waters (VP, Ecommerce, Steven Madden)
Most brands are still figuring out what gen AI means for their .com. Steven Madden is already testing commerce inside gen AI platforms — and Waters is bringing the early data on what's working and what isn't.
This is a first-mover session. The insights here won't be available in a case study for another 12 months. If you're evaluating where to place your next digital bet, start here.
Why it matters: Gen AI platforms are becoming commerce surfaces. The brands that learn to activate inside them early will define the playbook everyone else follows.
Best for: VP Ecommerce, digital marketing leaders, innovation teams, anyone allocating budget across emerging channels.
Session 3: "Master the Modern Cultural Landscape Through Velocity, Resonance or Celebrity"
Dan Manioci (SVP, Global Consumer Engagement & Digital Marketing, Parlux) & Rachel Lockett (VP, Marketing, MAC Cosmetics)
Two of beauty's sharpest marketing minds on how brands create cultural relevance in 2026. Parlux builds celebrity fragrance empires — they understand velocity and the mechanics of fame-driven commerce. MAC has been a cultural institution for decades, built on community, self-expression, and resonance that outlasts any single trend cycle.
The question isn't whether culture matters — it's how fast you need to move, and which levers actually work. This session gives you two different answers to that question.
Why it matters: Cultural relevance is the new distribution. Brands that understand how to earn cultural attention — not just buy media — will outperform those still running the old playbook.
Best for: CMOs, brand marketers, creative directors, anyone whose job is to make people care.
Session 4: "Move From AI Experimentation to Mature AI Operating Models and Consumer Experiences"
Mimi Ruiz (VP, Ecommerce, Columbia Sportswear)
Most companies are stuck in AI pilot mode — running experiments, building decks, but not changing how the business actually operates. Ruiz is running AI at scale across Columbia Sportswear's ecommerce operation, and this session is about what happens after the experiment.
How do you build AI into your actual operating model, not just your innovation deck? How do you move from "we have an AI project" to "AI is how we work"? That's the transition most retail organizations are struggling with right now.
Why it matters: The gap between AI experimentation and AI operations is where most companies stall. This session addresses that gap directly.
Best for: CTOs, VPs of ecommerce, operations leaders, anyone responsible for scaling AI beyond the pilot phase.
Want to continue the conversation? Future Commerce is co-hosting an executive dinner with Klaviyo on the evening of May 20th — an intimate gathering for the leaders behind sessions like these. Register for the Executive Dinner →
Session 5: "Apply AI to Understand Demand and Optimize Pricing in Real Time"
Amy Sullivan (VP, Buying & Private Brands, Stitch Fix)
Stitch Fix has been at the intersection of AI and retail longer than almost anyone. Sullivan leads buying and private brands at a moment when real-time demand sensing and dynamic pricing are becoming operational realities, not vendor promises.
This is where AI meets margin. Not in marketing automation or content generation, but in the core commercial decisions — what to buy, how to price it, and when to move.
Why it matters: Pricing is the highest-leverage decision in retail. AI-driven pricing is shifting from "interesting" to "necessary." Sullivan's perspective on how this works in practice is rare.
Best for: Merchandising leaders, buying teams, pricing strategists, CFOs, anyone responsible for margin management.
Session 6: "Strategies to Drive Growth and Increase Market Share Despite a Challenging Business Environment"
Tanya Golesic (CEO, Mackage) & Jed Berger (Global President & CEO, Kenneth Cole Productions)
Two brand CEOs on the same stage talking growth strategy when the macro environment isn't cooperating. Golesic scaled Mackage into a global luxury outerwear brand with a distinctive, design-led identity. Berger is leading Kenneth Cole's next chapter — reinventing a heritage brand for a new generation.
No theory, no frameworks. This is what growth looks like when consumer confidence is shaky, costs are rising, and market share has to be earned, not inherited.
Why it matters: Growth in a down market is a different discipline than growth in a rising one. These two CEOs are living it.
Best for: CEOs, presidents, general managers, brand leaders navigating growth in a tough macro.
Session 7 (DTC Symposium): "Drive Profitable Growth Through Wholesale and Retail Optimization"
Katia Unlu (Chief Commercial Officer, Boll & Branch) & Declan Duggan (SVP, Sales & Distribution, BERO)
This one's on the DTC Symposium track on May 21. The DTC-to-wholesale playbook is the single most relevant strategic question for the brands in this room. Boll & Branch built a premium DTC bedding brand now expanding into retail. BERO is Tom Brady's wellness brand scaling distribution fast.
Two different categories, same challenge: how do you grow beyond DTC without losing what made you special? The margin structure, the brand control, the customer relationship — all of it gets tested when you add wholesale. This session is where you learn how to navigate that.
Why it matters: The DTC-only era is over. The next phase is DTC-plus — and the brands that figure out wholesale and retail optimization will be the ones that survive and scale.
Best for: DTC founders, heads of sales, commercial leaders, anyone building a channel strategy beyond .com.
The Full Agenda
For the complete Lead Summit 2026 agenda, including session times, room assignments, and the full speaker lineup, visit the official agenda at summit.the-lead.co/agenda.
We'll be updating our picks as additional speakers are confirmed and the agenda evolves. Check back, or subscribe to our newsletter to get our session recaps delivered to your inbox during and after the event.
For the full picture on The Lead Summit 2026 — dates, logistics, who attends, and our executive dinner details — visit our complete Lead Summit guide.
Future Commerce will be covering The Lead Summit 2026 on-site with podcast recordings, session analysis, and real-time reporting. Get it all — subscribe to our newsletter.
The Lead Summit 2026 agenda features over 150 speakers across two days at Pier 36 in NYC. That's a lot of programming to sort through, and not all of it will be relevant to you.
We've gone through the confirmed agenda and pulled the sessions that Future Commerce thinks will have the most impact on how retail leaders will think and operate in the year ahead. These are the ones we'll be covering on-site, recording reactions to, and referencing in our post-event analysis.
Build your schedule around these. Skip the rest without guilt.
How We Picked These Sessions
Our selection criteria:
- Operational relevance — Does this session address a real strategic challenge, or is it a keynote built for applause?
- Speaker credibility — Are these people running things, or talking about running things?
- Trend signal — Does this session point to where commerce is heading in 2027 and beyond?
- Unique perspective — Can you get this insight somewhere else, or is this a rare pairing of speakers?
With that framework, here are our seven picks across the two-day agenda.
Session 1: "Facilitate Agentic Product Discovery Through Content and Community"
David Baker (CRO, Beekman 1802)
Beekman 1802 built a cult DTC brand that crossed into mass retail — and now Baker is exploring how agentic AI changes the way consumers find and choose products. This isn't about chatbots on your homepage. It's about what product discovery looks like when AI agents are doing the browsing, filtering, and recommending on behalf of consumers.
Baker's perspective is uniquely valuable because Beekman 1802 succeeded by building content and community before most brands understood why it mattered. Now he's applying that same lens to agentic commerce.
Why it matters: Agentic AI is the next frontier of product discovery. The brands that understand how to surface in AI-driven workflows will have a structural advantage over those still optimizing for traditional search.
Best for: Heads of ecommerce, digital product leaders, DTC founders, anyone thinking about what discovery looks like post-search.
Session 2: "Early Lessons on Activating Commerce within Gen AI Platforms"
Colleen Waters (VP, Ecommerce, Steven Madden)
Most brands are still figuring out what gen AI means for their .com. Steven Madden is already testing commerce inside gen AI platforms — and Waters is bringing the early data on what's working and what isn't.
This is a first-mover session. The insights here won't be available in a case study for another 12 months. If you're evaluating where to place your next digital bet, start here.
Why it matters: Gen AI platforms are becoming commerce surfaces. The brands that learn to activate inside them early will define the playbook everyone else follows.
Best for: VP Ecommerce, digital marketing leaders, innovation teams, anyone allocating budget across emerging channels.
Session 3: "Master the Modern Cultural Landscape Through Velocity, Resonance or Celebrity"
Dan Manioci (SVP, Global Consumer Engagement & Digital Marketing, Parlux) & Rachel Lockett (VP, Marketing, MAC Cosmetics)
Two of beauty's sharpest marketing minds on how brands create cultural relevance in 2026. Parlux builds celebrity fragrance empires — they understand velocity and the mechanics of fame-driven commerce. MAC has been a cultural institution for decades, built on community, self-expression, and resonance that outlasts any single trend cycle.
The question isn't whether culture matters — it's how fast you need to move, and which levers actually work. This session gives you two different answers to that question.
Why it matters: Cultural relevance is the new distribution. Brands that understand how to earn cultural attention — not just buy media — will outperform those still running the old playbook.
Best for: CMOs, brand marketers, creative directors, anyone whose job is to make people care.
Session 4: "Move From AI Experimentation to Mature AI Operating Models and Consumer Experiences"
Mimi Ruiz (VP, Ecommerce, Columbia Sportswear)
Most companies are stuck in AI pilot mode — running experiments, building decks, but not changing how the business actually operates. Ruiz is running AI at scale across Columbia Sportswear's ecommerce operation, and this session is about what happens after the experiment.
How do you build AI into your actual operating model, not just your innovation deck? How do you move from "we have an AI project" to "AI is how we work"? That's the transition most retail organizations are struggling with right now.
Why it matters: The gap between AI experimentation and AI operations is where most companies stall. This session addresses that gap directly.
Best for: CTOs, VPs of ecommerce, operations leaders, anyone responsible for scaling AI beyond the pilot phase.
Want to continue the conversation? Future Commerce is co-hosting an executive dinner with Klaviyo on the evening of May 20th — an intimate gathering for the leaders behind sessions like these. Register for the Executive Dinner →
Session 5: "Apply AI to Understand Demand and Optimize Pricing in Real Time"
Amy Sullivan (VP, Buying & Private Brands, Stitch Fix)
Stitch Fix has been at the intersection of AI and retail longer than almost anyone. Sullivan leads buying and private brands at a moment when real-time demand sensing and dynamic pricing are becoming operational realities, not vendor promises.
This is where AI meets margin. Not in marketing automation or content generation, but in the core commercial decisions — what to buy, how to price it, and when to move.
Why it matters: Pricing is the highest-leverage decision in retail. AI-driven pricing is shifting from "interesting" to "necessary." Sullivan's perspective on how this works in practice is rare.
Best for: Merchandising leaders, buying teams, pricing strategists, CFOs, anyone responsible for margin management.
Session 6: "Strategies to Drive Growth and Increase Market Share Despite a Challenging Business Environment"
Tanya Golesic (CEO, Mackage) & Jed Berger (Global President & CEO, Kenneth Cole Productions)
Two brand CEOs on the same stage talking growth strategy when the macro environment isn't cooperating. Golesic scaled Mackage into a global luxury outerwear brand with a distinctive, design-led identity. Berger is leading Kenneth Cole's next chapter — reinventing a heritage brand for a new generation.
No theory, no frameworks. This is what growth looks like when consumer confidence is shaky, costs are rising, and market share has to be earned, not inherited.
Why it matters: Growth in a down market is a different discipline than growth in a rising one. These two CEOs are living it.
Best for: CEOs, presidents, general managers, brand leaders navigating growth in a tough macro.
Session 7 (DTC Symposium): "Drive Profitable Growth Through Wholesale and Retail Optimization"
Katia Unlu (Chief Commercial Officer, Boll & Branch) & Declan Duggan (SVP, Sales & Distribution, BERO)
This one's on the DTC Symposium track on May 21. The DTC-to-wholesale playbook is the single most relevant strategic question for the brands in this room. Boll & Branch built a premium DTC bedding brand now expanding into retail. BERO is Tom Brady's wellness brand scaling distribution fast.
Two different categories, same challenge: how do you grow beyond DTC without losing what made you special? The margin structure, the brand control, the customer relationship — all of it gets tested when you add wholesale. This session is where you learn how to navigate that.
Why it matters: The DTC-only era is over. The next phase is DTC-plus — and the brands that figure out wholesale and retail optimization will be the ones that survive and scale.
Best for: DTC founders, heads of sales, commercial leaders, anyone building a channel strategy beyond .com.
The Full Agenda
For the complete Lead Summit 2026 agenda, including session times, room assignments, and the full speaker lineup, visit the official agenda at summit.the-lead.co/agenda.
We'll be updating our picks as additional speakers are confirmed and the agenda evolves. Check back, or subscribe to our newsletter to get our session recaps delivered to your inbox during and after the event.
For the full picture on The Lead Summit 2026 — dates, logistics, who attends, and our executive dinner details — visit our complete Lead Summit guide.
Future Commerce will be covering The Lead Summit 2026 on-site with podcast recordings, session analysis, and real-time reporting. Get it all — subscribe to our newsletter.
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