NRF Foundation Emerging Leaders

NRF Foundation Emerging Leaders Summit
Thursday Sept. 11 — Friday Sept. 12, 2025
Washington D.C.

An invitation-only event filled with networking, learning and skill building, the NRF Foundation Emerging Leaders Summit brings together 100 early retail professionals, retail leaders and subject-matter experts to provide exclusive insights and engaging professional development that will help early careerists become stronger future leaders.

How to Support

Announcing Our
2025 Speakers

Mecca Mitchell

Burlington Stores, Inc.

Senior Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Katherine Cullen

National Retail Federation

Vice President, Industry and Consumer Insights

More to be announced!

Sign-up to get updates!

Emerging Leaders Will:

Build knowledge of the wider world of retail, hearing directly from experts from various companies on what they need to know about the industry.

Cultivate an industry-wide network of mid-to-senior level peers.

Develop effective workforce navigation skills and techniques to be engaged, authentic and successful team members.

To Attend, Emerging Leaders Should Have:

Full-time employment at a retail company.

Entry-level up to manager roles in any function within the organization.

A demonstrated potential and desire to grow in a career.

A commitment to the advancement of people of color to help cultivate a dynamic retail industry where everyone belongs.

Attendees can represent either corporate, stores, or warehouse functions. They should be ambitious early retail careerists with strong leadership potential and a clear interest in development opportunities to advance their careers and networks.

An Emerging Leaders Summit 2024 speaker talks, points from a podium to a roomful of early professionals.

Provide your early professionals with the support, access, and opportunity to further themselves as leaders.

Join the NRF Foundation in our work towards a more diverse retail workforce at all levels by investing in retail's emerging leaders.

Learn How to Support Emerging Leaders

Expectations for Emerging Leaders

Attendees to the Emerging Leaders Summit should arrive ready to engage, learn, ask questions, and take learnings back to share and implement with their teams. They should also hold a clear interest in development opportunities to advance their careers and networks.

An attendee group with cross-functional backgrounds maximizes learning and networking across the broad spectrum of retail roles.

Who is an Emerging Leader?

On average, attendees had 6.5 years of work experience.

Attendees can represent either corporate, stores, or warehouse functions.

Attendees represented 18 different functions, including merchandising, supply chain, finance, marketing, and more.

Attendees should be ambitious early retail careerists with strong leadership potential.

Hear What Attendees Are Saying

The NRF Foundation Emerging Leaders Summit gave me the opportunity to learn from inspiring leaders and take those learnings into my everyday work. Networking with peers left me feeling energized and grateful to be a part of the retail industry.

Arisley Rodriguez

Walgreens

"I genuinely felt heard and supported at this event when asking questions and sharing my ideas. My confidence has grown tremendously in my ability to develop on a professional level and enhance my company's goals!"

Jayla Sanford

Kroger

"At the NRF Foundation Emerging Leaders summit, hearing leaders share real-world challenges and solutions gave me a deeper understanding of how we can impact the retail industry to be more inclusive and sustainable. The opportunity to connect with driven peers and learn from their unique experiences and perspectives was invigorating and inspiring."

Sara Montenegro

Crate & Barrel

"The NRF Foundation Emerging Leaders Summit was truly amazing as it refueled my motivation for my work in the retail industry. It truly provides you with the experience and opportunity to network with like-minded peers in the industry. My favorite part is being able to learn from the executives and experienced leaders from other companies to learn how someone at that level thinks/operates."

Alegra Gibbs

Victoria's Secret

Support and Attend

Contact Samantha LaManna for more information and sign-up details. Or use the form below to receive periodic email updates about the agenda and speakers.

	Bronze $5,000	Gold $10,000	Platinum $25,000
Retail Attendee Registrations	3	5	8
Access to Event Photos	✓	✓	✓
Opportunity for attendees to participate in a virtual post event meeting to build on the insights gained during the summit and further their professional development	✓	✓	✓
Placement of company logo on event signage and website	SELECT	PREMIER	PREMIER
Placement of company logo on digital communications (i.e. emails and programs)	SELECT	PREMIER	PREMIER
Visibility on NRF and NRF Foundation social channels (i.e. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)	SELECT	PREMIER	PREMIER
Digital Spotlight to feature your brand’s strategic impact work, success stories, or spotlight attendees on screen during program breaks	—	✓	✓
Inclusion in select press releases, recap blog post and recap video	—	✓	✓
Company executives to attend the event’s networking happy hour	—	—	2
On-stage speaking opportunity for a company executive	—	—	✓
Provide donated product or branded swag to attendees	—	—	✓
Individual passes are available for $1,500. Contact Samantha LaManna for more information.

Attendees to the Emerging Leaders Summit chill on the Eaton Hotel rooftop during a Washington D.C. sunset.

Hotel Information

The Emerging Leaders Summit will take place at the Eaton DC hotel in Washington, D.C.

A room block for attendees with discounted rates are available for the dates of Thursday, Sept. 11 – Friday, Sept. 12.

Reservations for our room block closes August 20, 2025.

Learn more about Eaton DC

Reserve Now

Experience the 2024

Emerging Leaders Summit

Emerging Leaders (2024) attendees pose for a group photo.

Halleemah Nash speaks to Emerging Leaders Summit.

Emerging Leaders Summit attendees pose for a photo during the post-summit reception.

Emerging Leaders Summit attendees having a table discussion during a session.

A summit attendee shares her thoughts during an Emerging Leaders Summit panel.

Kev Addison discusses an important topic with fellow Emerging Leaders Summit attendees.

View Photos

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Thanks to Our
2024 Supporters

Platinum

Gold

Bronze

Thank you to all our 2024 Speakers & Panelists

Nira Johri

KFC

Chief Sustainability Officer

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 11, 2024
5:00pm Reception	Reception honoring the Congressional Black Caucus
THURSDAY SEPT. 12, 2024 EATON HOTEL DC
9:30am Networking	Attendee Arrivals & Welcome
10:00am Keynote	Crafting Your Narrative: Building the Brand for the Business and Yourself
10:45am Networking	Meet Your Peers
11:00am Session	NRF Curated Content: Industry & Consumer Insights
11:45am Break	Lunch
12:45pm Panel	Leading with Purpose: Cultivating Culture as a New Manager
2:15pm Panel	Unique Experiences of Diverse-Owned Brands
3:45pm Break	Break
4:00pm Session	NRF Curated Content: Activating the Power of NRF Membership
4:15pm Session	Grassroots Advocacy
4:15pm Session	The Impact of Retail Policy
5:30pm Networking	Reception at the Moxy DC Lucha Rosa Rooftop
FRIDAY SEPT. 13, 2024 EATON HOTEL DC
8:00am Break	Breakfast
9:00am Professional Development	Early Career Mastery
11:30am Break	Lunch
12:30pm Keynote	Heart-Led Careers: Exploring Sustainability
1:30pm Panel	Navigating the AI Frontier
2:15pm Break	Break
2:30pm Panel	Unified Retail: Integrating Stores, Corporate and Warehouse for Maximum Impact
4:00pm End	End of Programming

NRF Foundation Emerging Leaders | At Work