Lindner students network, absorb evolving retail industry in New York City
National Retail Federation Foundation’s program attracts a range of business majors
Last month, 13 students from the Carl H. Lindner College of Business attended the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation’s Student Program in New York City to learn about the retail industry, meet recruiters, and hear from retail executives in marketing, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, merchandising, technology, talent and diversity and inclusion over the course of four days.
The NRF Foundation’s Student Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as educators and staff, from U.S. colleges and universities. Most of the Lindner students attended free of charge thanks to the NRF Foundation’s Ray Greenly Scholarship Fund, which covers program costs for participants in technology and supply chain-oriented areas of study. The 2023 event consisted of two days of conference programming; visits to companies like Amazon, Nordstrom, Target and more; and a chance for Greenly Scholarship recipients to interact with executives during private breakout sessions.
I made several professional connections that may spark job or mentorship opportunities! Just learning and listening to the experiences of the attendees was so valuable.
Ben Smith, BBA ’24
The Lindner students in attendance represented majors in marketing, business analytics, information systems, industrial management and operations management. Shreeya Julakanti, BBA ’25, recalled an exchange with an executive from AT&T that showcased the retail industry’s wide reach.
“My initial question was, ‘What is AT&T doing at a fashion conference?’ And it's so interesting because he was talking about this intersectionality between technology, fashion and shows. His job was to provide technology for all of the fashion shows that happen in Europe,” said Julakanti, majoring in finance and operations management and pursuing a fashion studies minor. “I knew that fashion wasn't siloed, but hearing him talk about it was really interesting to learn about the more niche aspects of this industry.
“There are more opportunities than I first perceived, and I feel like there's more aspects and more avenues that I can go down with the majors that I have.”
Lindner Career Services Assistant Director Kate Huestis (second from left) with Lindner marketing students. Photo courtesy of Keith Sun.
The employment possibilities available post-graduation were the central takeaway for Courtney Street, BBA ’24, a marketing and operations management double major.
“When most people hear of supply chain, they don't automatically think of retail,” Street said. “I love that this conference showed me I can be in a supply chain-related role, while still in an industry I love!”
Courtney Street, BBA ’24
Keith Sun, director of experiential learning for Lindner Career Services, joined Lindner’s future business problem solvers in New York City — along with Kate Huestis, assistant director, Lindner Career Services — to gain a better perspective on the retail industry and its career possibilities.
“I was able to have direct conversations with different professionals in retail, other educators similarly supporting students, and recruiters hoping to hire students into early career opportunities,” Sun said.
Ben Smith, BBA ’24, ventured to New York City to explore opportunities in retail operations. A double major in accounting and operations management, Smith attended seminars in operations, merchandising, design and more, and learned from previous NRF attendees and retail executives who discussed the current and future retail market and covered topics on diversity, career acceleration and sustainability.
Ben Smith, BBA ’24
“I met hundreds of other students from across the country and globe. The networking opportunities at this event — including executive roundtables and exclusive career fair access — were unbeatable,” said Smith, who is also working on a certificate in business analytics. “I made several professional connections that may spark job or mentorship opportunities! Just learning and listening to the experiences of the attendees was so valuable.”
Julakanti encouraged students to attend the NRF Foundation’s Student Program next year and reiterated that there are more opportunities in the fashion industry than “what they’re showing you on a screen.”
“You don't need to be in a specific major. You don't need to be a design major and you don't need to be a marketing major to enter this industry,” Julakanti said. “You need to be able to find the right people to talk to you about the opportunities, and I think NRF provided that.”
Featured image: Lindner Career Services Director of Experiential Learning Keith Sun (third from left) with Lindner’s Ray Greenly Scholarship students. Photo courtesy of Keith Sun.
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