For more from NRF 2018: Retail’s Big Show on January 14 – 16 in New York City, visit the official recap.
Few people are as tenacious as entrepreneurs. Sunday at NRF 2018: Retail’s Big Show, a panel of self-starters shared their stories, from Michael Lastoria creating a culture of positivity and personal empowerment through an “anti-establishment establishment” at &pizza to a celebration of adults “playing like kids” at Museum of Ice Cream, co-founded by Manish Vora. The panel was moderated by Rachel Shechtman, founder and CEO of STORY.
&pizza, Lastoria said, promotes inclusivity and pride in the local neighborhoods its 30-plus shops serve; the organization regularly works with small, like-minded businesses in a program it calls “Little Giants.” Museum of Ice Cream, meanwhile, has resonated with consumers’ desire for authentic experiences — more than 500,000 people visited last year despite the company’s never having spent a dime on advertising and marketing.
Rounding out the panel were serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore and Dan Levitan, co-founder and partner of the consumer-facing venture firm Maveron. Kilgore has created one distinct brand after the next — first with the spa Bliss, then Soap and Glory, followed by FitFlop and most recently the model-disrupting Beauty Pie, a direct-to-consumer luxury line of cosmetics. And as an investor with a long track record of backing startups like zulily and eBay, Dan Levitan knows what it takes for a good startup to thrive.
Watch the video below to see what businesses Lastoria, Vora, Kilgore and Levitan admire as they look to the future of retail.
Read more about these rock star entrepreneurs in STORES Show Daily.
Rock star entrepreneurs and the next generation of retail
For more stories from NRF 2018: Retail’s Big Show, visit the official recap page.