Berns & Co. held its fifth annual Retail Influencer CEO Forum in New York City, featuring brand leaders and their culture partners. The speaker lineup included New York Knicks center and 2026 NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns, Academy Award–winning actress and entrepreneur Halle Berry, Zac Posen, Danny Meyer, Sara Foster, and senior executives from Gap, Ulta, Stitch Fix, Glance, and L Catterton, who shared their insights at the invitation-only event exploring the “Culture Economy,” where AI, commerce, and entertainment converge.

“The retail industry is at an important intersection—where AI meets human connection—and the smartest brands understand they need to leverage both to build authentic connections with consumers,” said Stacy Berns, Founder and President of Berns & Co. “This year, our Forum brought together the brand leaders behind some of the most exciting partnerships in retail to explore the convergence of AI, commerce and entertainment and understand what is driving the ‘Culture Economy.’”

Speaker highlights included:

• Karl-Anthony Towns, professional basketball player for the New York Knicks, the 2026 NBA Champions, and six-time NBA All-Star; Naveen Tewari, Founder and CEO of InMobi and Glance; and Eric Donado, Managing Director, AI Investments, at L Catterton, who discussed AI, entertainment, and how athlete-investors are changing the brand partnership game.
• Halle Berry, actor, director, advocate, and founder of women’s midlife wellness brand Respin, virtually joined Lauren Brindley, Chief Merchandising and Digital Officer of Ulta Beauty, for a conversation about how Ulta is partnering with founder- and celebrity-led brands to define the future of women’s health and beauty.
• Sara Foster, Co-Founder of Favorite Daughter and Executive Producer of Nobody Wants This, and Matt Baer, CEO of Stitch Fix, discussed how they are using data insights and cultural collaborations to reach new customers.
• Faby Torres, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Gap, and Zac Posen, Executive Vice President and Creative Director of Gap Inc. and Chief Creative Officer of Old Navy, shared how marketing and creative are working together to keep Gap firmly at the center of the cultural conversation.
• Hospitality legend Danny Meyer, Founder and Executive Chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group, shared leadership insights on building a winning culture from his latest book, What Could Possibly Go Right?, which will be published on September 29.

Joanna Coles, Chief Content and Creative Officer of The Daily Beast, emceed the event, while Stephanie Mehta, CEO and Chief Content Officer of Mansueto Ventures, parent company of Inc. and Fast Company, and Sheena Butler-Young, senior correspondent at The Business of Fashion, moderated.

More than 125 C-suite leaders across retail, fashion, beauty, technology and entertainment attended, alongside leading investors, analysts and members of the media. The Retail Influencer CEO Forum was established by Berns & Co. in 2022 as an intimate gathering designed to bring senior industry leaders together to share candid conversations, build relationships and foster industry partnerships. Previous years’ speakers have included Martha Stewart, Bobbi Brown, Ashley Graham, Mindy Grossman, and Andy Dunn.

Image credit: Shane Drummond/BFA