NXTLVL Experience Design

Thomas Dijkman is a Senior Retail Consultant at Q&A Retail, a Netherlands-based retail consultancy. He is also Co-chair of the “Young Ebeltoft” initiative, a global collective of next-generation retail thinkers within the Ebeltoft Group. In Ep.89 of the NXTLVL Experience Design - "UNLOCKING GEN ALPHA: INSIGHTS INTO NEXT GEN GLOBAL CONSUMERS," host David Kepron and Dijkman explore findings from global research by the Ebeltoft Group on Generation Alpha. Dijkman spotlights how young people think and shop and what retailers must do to engage with them.

Charles Leon couldn't just sit still when the COVID pandemic had us all locked up in our homes. He had to get out and walk. And so he did, with sketchbook in hand. Drawing was a passion he put to good use discovering the city he loved and lived in, London. But it was more than simply drawing the buildings on the streets where he wandered, it was a learning process beyond their history. He discovered their stories as well as his own and published his sketches and watercolors in a 5 volume series of books.

Louisa Whitmore is a TikTok phenom (louisatalksbuildings) who comments on architecture around the world. She started posting content about buildings she loved, as well as those she loved to hate, when she was a young teenager and now has close to 400K followers. Her no-holds-barred, some times hilarious personal user-experience point of view architectural critiques reach thousands. She was chosen to host a multi-episode documentary series "The Nature of Design" on biophilia in architecture and sees her posts as making an easy access forum to discuss architecture.

Mardi Najafi, RDI, IDC has had a colorful and accomplished professional journey leading to his current role as Principal, Chief Creative Officer, and Retail & Hospitality Practice Lead at SDI Design. Mardi is passionate about pushing the boundaries of design to craft immersive, transformative environments that captivate audiences. In this episode host David Kepron and Mardi talk about life's moments of serendipity, how whey influence a professional path, design education and how design in integral to positive experiences.

Ron Thurston's life mission is to celebrate, elevate, and empower the people and spirit of the retail industry. With over three decades of leading retail stores and operations for top American brands like Gap, West Elm, Apple, Tory Burch, Bonobos, and Saint Laurent, Ron has honed an extensive skill set in retail strategy, management, and innovation. He is moving the retail mindset from 'accidental' to 'proudly intentional' about choosing a career in retail, whether it is as part of a leadership team to the best stock person there ever was.

Angela Gearhart spent 20 years with Sleep Number Corporation where she was the VP Connected Brand Experience changing the way customers buy beds by integrating relevant technology to enhance emotional connections to the brand and its products. She is deeply connected to the retail industry through multiple industry associations and is now the Executive Practice Director, Connected Customer Experience at AAG Consulting Group. In the upcoming episode of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast "Ep. 69: Keeping Retail Relevant with Emotional Connections and Engaging Tech" host David Kepron and Angela talk about how well-integrated technologies foster long-term connections to brands and their products.

Nicole Malachowski understands speed, like mach 2 speed. As a former F-15E fighter pilot and former member of the USAF Thunderbirds she is battle savvy, knows her way around expensive tech and has taught fleets of other pilots that protect freedom. Her intelligence and experience has also landed her a position in the Executive Office of the President as a Commissioner on The President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. It wasn't a dog fight that ended her active military career but something that could sit on the head of a pin. In the "blink of a bite" a tick shifted her life trajectory and she now is an internationally sought after keynote speaker and advocate for education on tick-borne illnesses.

Laura Inserra is a world-renowned leader in sound healing and founder of Chambers of AWE, LLC. She describes herself as a 'sound alchemist,' a multi-instrumentalist, educator, and multimedia producer. She lives and creates at the confluence of global music, ancient wisdom traditions, and cutting-edge technology. In Ep.65 of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast - "A Structured Improvisation With A Sound Alchemist" - host David Kepron and Laura Inserra dig into the healing power of music, ancient traditions and creating sound journeys that transport participants into experiences that are transformative.