Jennifer Hyman

The Fashion industry--and the e-commerce sector in particular-- is poised to benefit from the rapid rise of AI technologies by helping to narrow the “endless aisle” problem of shopping in the 21st century.  By focusing on the unique customer data advantage and fashion curation capabilities of her company Rent the Runway, Jennifer Hyman is unlocking an even greater opportunity to leverage AI in her business, where customers can rent from the world’s largest shared designer closet for their everyday lives. Hyman will discuss how businesses can effectively harness emerging technologies like AI to deepen the competitive moats of their business, enhance customer satisfaction, and ultimately improve business outcomes.

In February 2020, Rent the Runway had just come off their biggest sales year ever. Not only was it now a $1 billion business—it was a valuation fewer than 20 women-owned companies in the U.S. have ever reached.

Suddenly COVID hit the U.S. and people sheltered at home. With no need to get dressed for work, special events, or anything for that matter, nearly 70% of RTR customers paused their subscriptions overnight.

From the stage, Jennifer shares the story of how she saved her company, positioning the business strategically, financially, and culturally for a post-COVID world. She went on to successfully take Rent the Runway public just a year later, in the first-ever IPO led by a female CEO, COO, and CFO.

Jennifer managed to keep her team together and united with deep resilience and passion for the business, fighting against macro factors outside of the their control. Her story is loaded with leadership lessons that can help any team overcome even the most difficult times.

The companies that win during difficult macroeconomic climates have an extreme focus on the customer experience. This speech will dig into how to create a customer experience mindset across every division of your company.

Every executive is faced with countless decisions to which there are no good answers and often the business lies in the balance. As a founder and CEO, Jennifer Hyman will share her insights and will review some of the biggest decisions she had to make as a leader, how she made them, and the lessons she learned in the process. Through anecdotes and clear cut takeaways, she gears this conversation towards anyone thinking deeply about how to be a better leader.