Techstars Startup Week Seattle 2017

What’s the next big thing in retail? When you are caught up in the day-to-day operations of your retail business, it can be easy to feel left behind when trends emerge. Major players like Amazon and Whole Foods make big moves that send ripples through the retail sector, but that’s not always a bad thing for smaller businesses. Join retail experts Christine Guillot and Joanna Rutter for a podcast-style conversation on retail intelligence and industry trends, especially as we prepare for the upcoming holiday season. Take a deep dive beneath the retail news headlines to learn what direction the industry is heading and what that means for small and startup retail businesses.

In a world where shopping is increasingly done online, it isn’t that in-person retail design is dead; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. People are craving a special experience, which means innovative design is more vital than ever. We want to be transported to a different time and place, even to become a character in a story. We don’t just want to collect a piece of merchandise, we want to take with us a memento of our experience. A holistic design approach is key to creating a unique environment and forging a special bond between the space and its visitors. Join Charles in a lively discussion about creating an inviting and memorable design experience for your customers, and how to take those ideas into the future of retail.

Did you know that almost nine out of every 10 in-store dollars you make above or below your average is due to the weather? Don't be a weather-reactive retailer — though gray days and heat waves are out of your control, you can still be one step ahead of Mother Nature by planning inventory and staffing around foot traffic trends. Discover how retailers have used data to do more than simply react to weather events and leave with a plan of your own to turn rainy days into growing seasons for your business.

For some makers and small-batch manufacturers, success in a side hustle means scaling it up to become a full-time gig. For others, it means making the side hustle a viable business while still keeping your day job. No matter how you approach it, a successful side hustle takes careful planning and management of your operations and practices. During a panel discussion and breakout sessions, hear from each creative entrepreneur about how they have made their side hustle a success, and what success looks like for each brand.

Molly Moon’s founder, Molly Moon Neitzel will speak alongside the company's Culinary Manager, Leslie Mutuku about sustainable sourcing and manufacturing practices. Molly Moon’s prides itself on sourcing local, organic, and/or fair trade ingredients for their year-round and seasonal flavors. The iconic Seattle ice creamery also puts extreme care into how each flavor and topping is made in each of its six kitchens around the Seattle area. Molly Moon’s employs six pastry chefs who are the top talent in their field to produce classic and adventurous flavors that showcase the Pacific Northwest. Molly and Leslie will tell stories about finding ingredients and farm relationships they’ve cultivated over the years, and then open it up to a generous Q&A session for attendees to ask whatever they’ve always wondered about how Molly Moon’s makes the most delicious ice cream in Seattle!