How AI is revolutionizing the retail industry

Dean Sophie Leroy and keynote speaker Aseem Datar
Bill Price, Dean Sophie Leroy, Rakesh Menon, Aseem Datar, Katie Young and Surya Pathak
Bill Price, Dean Sophie Leroy, Rakesh Menon, Aseem Datar, Katie Young and Surya Pathak

On November 13, the School of Business hosted a dynamic conversation on the retail industry in our inaugural session of AI and the Future of Business lecture series. Dean Sophie Leroy opened the event with a powerful reminder that technology alone doesn’t drive innovation — people and communities do.

Keynote speaker Aseem Datar, corporate vice president at Microsoft, highlighted an AI-native future where machines handle routine tasks, freeing humans to focus on high-value work. Panelists Rakesh Menon, product leader at Amazon, Katie Young, former senior vice president at Starbucks, and Bill Price, president and founder of Driva Solutions, LLC, added rich perspectives on the evolving retail landscape. The panel, moderated by Dr. Surya Pathak, explored how AI is revolutionizing the customer journey, uncovering insights beyond traditional feedback and enabling leaders to make faster, better informed decisions in a rapidly changing market.

Thank you to everyone who joined this thought-provoking conversation. The future of retail is being shaped right now by people, innovation and the tools that connect them.