Cynthia Hirsch Ortiz leads business development for the Manhattan office of MBH Architects, an award-winning architecture and design practice with offices across the United States and India. Cynthia’s passionate expertise in the retail design industry aligns with MBH, a firm that consistently ranks among the top ten retail architects nationwide. As the International President of the Retail Design Institute and a board member of Shop! Association, she leverages her extensive experience working on both the vendor and architectural firm sides as a balanced leader focused on providing new educational content and forming connections across all aspects of the industry.

Adimika J. Owens is Senior Director, Visual Merchandising and Design for Floor & Decor. In her role, she supports fixture and signage development, oversees the in-store visual experience, and serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Women of Distinction Leadership Program. Her all-encompassing experiential store experience was honed during her 20+ years with organizations such as Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Forever 21, and Johnson & Johnson. Adimika serves as the Vice President of the Atlanta/SE Chapter of the Retail Design Institute, on the Editorial Board of VMSD Magazine and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Bridget Thomsen is a Senior Associate of Store Design Planning at Macy’s. Working over 14 years at Macy’s, Bridget has taken on different roles within the company with projects ranging from window visual displays to vendor installs of shop in shops. In 2016, Bridget was awarded “Editor’s Choice” and “Best Overall Design” for Chicago’s Art Institute Project Windows competition for her creation of Van Gogh’s bedroom from an aerial view. In 2018, Bridget was featured as one of Design:Retail’s 40 under 40 honorees. Going beyond her office duties, Bridget is also one of the leaders for Macy’s Pride Employee Resource Group.

Matthew Conrado is a graduate of Fordham University and currently works as an associate marketing manager of strategy and innovation for the Bubly sparkling water brand.  He is widely recognized for his LGBTQ+ marketing work and was deemed an Adweek Pride Star in 2021 for his Bubly Out at Night and Drag for All Flavors campaigns. Prior to PepsiCo, he held internships at other major companies such as Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, CBS, and GroupM. He is passionate about paving a more authentic future for LGBTQ+ individuals in Corporate America and hopes to one day own his own LGBTQ+ marketing agency.