HOW WE BUY
Join us on September 7th at PLATFORM to discuss How We Buy in Los Angeles.
LA's consumers are sophisticated. They expect engaging experiential retail and they want consistency across multiple market channels. They're motivated by products with a social and environmental story and they make the most of their time with convenient distribution models. "How We Buy" will explore the ways that these trends influence the social and behavioral changes among Angelinos and how the concept of time affects consumer decision making.
How We Buy is the fifth event in the Radical Optimism series and is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
OUR SPEAKERS
IRFAN KAMAL | ASPIRATION
VP OF MARKETING
Irfan Kamal was formerly the Executive Vice President for Strategy, West and for Data, Global at Ogilvy & Mather. There he led and executed on integrated and data-driven marketing projects for clients including BlackRock’s iShares campaign. He was previously the CEO and Founder of a social-network based health and wellness startup. Irfan was also previously an adviser to Jeff Bezos and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Bezos Expeditions. He is a graduate of Princeton University with an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
ARIEL KAYE | PARACHUTE
FOUNDER AND CEO
Ariel Kaye is the Founder and CEO of Parachute, the fast-growing home essentials brand based in Venice Beach. Long intrigued by the interplay of design and wellness, Ariel established Parachute to fulfill consumers’ needs for high quality bedding and a good night’s sleep.
Within two years, Forbes declared that “Parachute Wins Over Millennials Tired Of Chain Store Bedding.” The brand has been called one of the “25 Hot Los Angeles Startups to Watch” by Business Insider, and has been featured in notable publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest and ELLE DECOR.
Prior to launching Parachute, Ariel spent ten years working in brand development and advertising in New York. Her experience yielded invaluable insight to consumer purchase behavior and the public’s growing interest in quality, craftsmanship and social responsibility – now tenets of the Parachute brand.
Ariel earned a Master's Degree in Media Studies from the New School, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Gallatin School at NYU. She is also a certified yoga instructor and aspiring surfer.
JOSEPH MILLER | RUNYON
PRESIDENT
Joseph Miller is the President of Runyon, a real estate firm that develops dynamic real estate projects and provides management and advisory services to select clients in the Los Angeles area. Joseph recently completed Culver Centrale, the first and only new construction mixed use project in Downtown Culver City.
Prior to starting The Runyon Group, Joseph was a member of the acquisitions and development team at The KOR Group, a privately held real estate development firm in Los Angeles. Outside of his work at Runyon, Joseph is involved with several community and philanthropic ventures. He is the Chairman of the Board of New Los Angeles Charter School and currently serves on the Boards of The Society of Young Philanthropists and Camp Ramah in California.
OUR MODERATOR
HAL HERSHFIELD | UCLA ANDERSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MARKETING AND BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING
Hal Hershfield is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Decision Making at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. In his research, he examines the ways that people consider their future selves, and how feelings of connection to these distant selves can impact saving decisions, retirement choices, and ethical decisions. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in psychology and English, and a PhD in psychology from Stanford University.
Hershfield publishes in top academic journals and also contributes op-eds to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other outlets. He consults for companies such as Prudential, Principal Financial Group, and Droga5. The recipient of numerous teaching awards, Hershfield was recently named one of “The 40 Most Outstanding B-School Profs Under 40 In The World” by business education website Poets & Quants in 2017.
ADDRESS
PLATFORM - 8850 WASHINGTON BLVD CULVER CITY CA
HIGHLIGHTS FROM "HOW WE MAKE"
