Beyond the Basket:

Re-Imagining Retail & Consumer Life

Wharton Graduate Retail & Consumer Club
20th Annual Conference

Friday, February 20th, 2026 from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Convene (601 Lexington Ave, New York, NY)

REGISTER HERE!

Registration & Breakfast

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Welcome to the 20th Annual WGRC Conference

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Fireside Chat 1: Diversity & Inclusion at LVMH

9:15 AM - 10:00 AM

Corey Smith | Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion, LVMH North America

Moderated by Monisha De La Rocha | Partner, Bain & Company

Panel 1: Separating Signal from Noise in Consumer Investing

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Danielle Cerepnalkovic | Partner, Boston Consulting Group (W ’15, WG ’20, G ’20)

Joel Filippi | Managing Director, Creadev (WG ‘17, G’17)

Caroline Weintraub | Vice President, True Beauty Ventures

Anna Whiteman | Partner, Coefficient Capital (C ‘12)

Moderated by Oliver Chen | Managing Director, TD Securities (WG ‘06)

Break

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM

Panel 2: A New Wave of CPG

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Jake Bullock | Co-Founder & CEO, CANN

Kiki Couchman | Co-Founder, Sourmilk

Elan Halpern | Co-Founder, Sourmilk

Jane Kate Wong | Co-Founder & CEO, NOON World

Kristy Watson | President, Krave Beauty

Moderated by Daniel Scharff | Founder & CEO, Startup CPG (WG ‘09, G ‘09)

Fireside Chat 2: Building the Future of Retail with AI

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

Julie Bornstein | Founder & CEO, Daydream

Moderated by Barbara Kahn | Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School

Lunch & Networking

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM

Fireside Chat 3: The Journey from MBA to Founder

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Melissa Mash | Co-Founder & CEO, Dagne Dover (WG ‘12)

Panel 3: From Resale to Retail: How Premium Brands are Adapting to the Modern Consumer

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Sarah Davis | Founder, President & CCO, Fashionphile

Keri Taub Grant | Vice President, Strategy, Bloomingdale’s (C’12)

Emily Hikade | Founder & CEO, Petite Plume

Brendan Hoffman | CEO, Vince (C ‘90, WG ‘97)

Moderated by Bryan Eshelman | Partner & Managing Director, AlixPartners

Break

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Fireside Chat 4: Stewarding an Icon: Leadership and Reinvention at Revlon

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Michelle Peluso | CEO, Revlon (W ‘93)

Moderated by Patti Williams | Associate Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School

Closing Remarks

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM

Agenda

We’ll bring together industry leaders and experts to unpack how shopping and brand-building are evolving, from discovery to loyalty, in a world shaped by shifting behaviors, ever more ways to shop, and higher expectations. Expect a full day of big ideas and practical takeaways through keynotes, panels, and conversations with distinguished Wharton alumni, alongside sessions featuring the founders building what’s next. Join us for an engaging learning and networking experience that spotlights the strategies and innovations driving growth, resilience, and transformation across the retail and consumer landscape.