Melissa Gonzales

A former Wall Street Executive, Gonzalez is the founder of The Lion’esque Group, a firm of pop up shop experts who have produced more than 100 retail experiences in New York City, Los Angeles, and the Hamptons. Some of her clients include major brands such as COTY/Marc Jacobs, CAT Footwear, J. Hilburn, and Food52, and she reflects on her work in her book, The Pop-Up Paradigm: How Brands Can Build Human Connections in a Digital Age. In 2015 she was awarded Innovator of the Year for pop-up retail experiences by Retail Touchpoints. A true visionary, Gonzalez is also the co-founder of THE MARKET at the Roger Smith Hotel, and an advisor to start ups, TheStoreFront.com and Fotofwd. She is also a guest blogger on pop-up and immersive retail strategies for various outlets, and holds a degree from Pennsylvania State University.