BRAVE COMMERCE

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Selina Sykes, Global VP of Digital, Social and AI Transformation at Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing, about how AI is transforming marketing, consumer behavior, and the way brands build trust and drive discovery.  Selina shares how Unilever is using AI to strengthen its marketing capabilities while maintaining...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Marcelo Kertesz, Chief Marketing Officer at MANSCAPED, about how the men’s grooming brand evolved from a DTC-first business into an omnichannel brand with a growing retail presence. Marcelo shares how MANSCAPED expanded its product portfolio and distribution strategy while staying true to the humor and brand...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Rochelle Wainer, Ph. D., Senior Vice President, Global Insights and Analytics at Kids2, about how consumer insights are evolving as technology changes how people research, shop, and make decisions. Rochelle shares how Kids2 combines research, behavioral data, and emerging technology to better understand parents and...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Grace Kao, Chief Marketing Officer at Snap Inc., about how changing consumer behaviors are reshaping the way brands build relationships and drive growth. Grace shares why marketing is shifting from one-way messaging toward more community-driven, two-way engagement, and what brands can learn from the rise of chat an...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Neela Montgomery, Board Director at Ahold Delhaize and Logitech and former CEO of Crate & Barrel, about what major shifts in consumer behavior mean for brands and retailers. Drawing on a career spent at the intersection of consumers, retailers, and brands, Neela shares her perspective on some of the most meanin...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Rob Master, Chief Marketing Officer at Edgewell Personal Care, about what stays constant as AI rapidly transforms the way marketers work. Drawing on his experience leading brands and teaching the next generation of marketers, this conversation explores how leaders can navigate rapid change without losing sight of t...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Nick Tran, President and CMO of First Round, a joint venture between Diageo and Main Street Advisors. The conversation centers around Nick’s perspective that the brands that stay relevant don't simply react to culture. They help create it. Nick shares why brands should look beyond traditional marketing playbooks, h...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Mindy Shaltry, VP of Omnichannel Marketing & Activation, Mondelēz U.S., and Wes Saraceni, VP of Consumer Experience U.S. at Mondelēz International, about why today's shopper journey demands closer alignment between marketing and sales. Mindy and Wes share how their partnership is helping break down organization...

On this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter are joined by Mike Westgate, Sector Lead, Retail, Global Business Solutions at TikTok, and Ben Sylvan, Senior Vice President, Connected Media Team at Keurig Dr Pepper. Bringing together both a platform and an advertiser, they offer a behind-the-scenes look at how their partnership turned Dr Pepper's viral Romeo jingle into on...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Branden Goodman, Head of Media & Marketing Capabilities, Beauty & Wellbeing US at Unilever, about how brands must adapt as algorithm-driven discovery reshapes consumer attention. Branden explains why Unilever has embraced a social-first approach, what the shift from follower-based discovery to interest-driv...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Felicia Zhang, Head of Marketing at Bar Keeper's Friend, to discuss what it takes to modernize an iconic brand while maintaining the trust that made it successful in the first place. Drawing on experience across global brands including Nike, Oreo, and Nestlé, Felicia shares lessons from her transition to a small...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Stefan Kovačević, Global Retail Media and Digital Shelf Lead at Nestlé, about how AI is changing the way consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products. As AI becomes a more active participant in the path to purchase, Stefan explores what this shift means for brands and why marketers need to rethink how they b...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Bob Liodice, Chief Executive Officer, Association of National Advertisers (ANA), to discuss the forces reshaping modern marketing. From media transparency and measurement to AI adoption and talent development, Bob shares his perspective on the challenges marketers must navigate today and the opportunities that w...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Jim Lecinski, the marketer behind the “Zero Moment of Truth” framework during his time at Google and now Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, about how AI is reshaping consumer discovery. From search and social to retail media networks and AI assistants, Jim exp...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Nicolle Pangis, VP of UCAN Advertising at Netflix, about building an advertising business inside one of the world’s most influential media companies. Nicolle shares why the future of streaming advertising will depend on stronger data collaboration, interoperable measurement, and AI-powered infrastructure. She also...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Risa Cretella, Executive Vice President, Meals & Beverages at The Campbell's Company, about what it takes to evolve iconic brands while staying competitive in fast-moving, highly commoditized categories. Risa shares how she brings an entrepreneurial mindset into a large organization, focusing on smart risk-taki...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Britt West, Chief Commercial Officer at Gallo, about what’s really behind wine’s recent decline—and what it will take to turn the category around. Britt challenges common narratives around health trends and instead points to a more fundamental issue: wine has failed to recruit the next generation of consumers. He b...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Helen Kurtz, Chief Marketing Officer at The Wine Group, about how one of the largest wine companies is navigating a category defined by intense competition and shifting consumer behavior. Helen shares how her team is accelerating speed to market, bringing new products to shelf in months, not years, while moving ear...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Lara Vandenberg, CEO and Founder of Assemble, which connects brands with senior freelance marketing talent on demand. Lara shares why traditional marketing organizational structures are breaking down, and how leading CMOs are rethinking how work actually gets done. They explore the shift from fixed roles to flexibl...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Jennifer Berry, VP of Our LEGO Agency, Commerce & Digital at The LEGO Group. Jennifer shares how LEGO is rethinking its operating model—bringing creativity, commerce, and retail together under one in-house agency to deliver more connected, audience-first experiences. They explore why consumers don’t see channel...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Amy Luke Busker, Chief Commercial Officer at Mizkan America, about what it takes to drive growth in today’s increasingly complex commerce landscape. Amy shares how expanding the commercial function beyond sales and marketing is reshaping how organizations operate, and why growth requires alignment across teams. She...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Zena Arnold, Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora U.S., about how one of the world’s most influential beauty retailers stays at the center of culture in an industry that moves at lightning speed. Zena shares how Sephora discerns which trends represent fleeting moments versus real behavioral shifts, why beauty discove...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Dipesh Patel, Senior Director, Digital Transformation & Ecommerce, Global OTC at Teva Pharmaceuticals, to discuss what it takes to drive transformation in a category where trust, accuracy, and regulation shape the pace of change. Dipesh shares how his background in mathematics and early experience in retail...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Brian Gelb, Senior Vice President of Wine and Concierge at Total Wine & More, to unpack how a retailer is gaining share while the broader alcohol market faces headwinds. Brian shares how his military background shaped an “intent-based leadership” approach that pushes decision-making down, builds ownership, a...

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Toby Espinosa, VP of Ads at DoorDash. Toby shares how DoorDash built one of the fastest-growing retail media networks, and why the next phase of growth depends on making performance comparable across platforms, partners, and budgets. They unpack the tension between local trade dollars and national media budgets, ho...