Women Of Color Retail Alliance Building A Network Of Support And Change [Interview]

Date:

Share post:

Years ago, Kimberly Lee Minor had the idea to bring together women of colour in corporate retail at the director level and above so they could build a network of support.

“Everyone I knew were onlies or firsts, and it was lonely and difficult to navigate. I set a date for market week, reached out to everyone I knew, and waited. Finally, the night of the dinner came, and there were six of us,” says Minor, President of the Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA) and CEO of Bumbershoot. 

“Fast forward to 2020, and the world is turning upside down. And while so much was changing, so much was still the same. It was time to try again. It was time to make a change. So, I reached out to several trusted colleagues who had the same desire to change the trajectory for women of color in retail, many of whom were isolated or stuck in mid-level roles with no resources on how to progress. We also wanted to help retail corporations progress in sustainable ways.

Image: WOC Retail Alliance

“In September 2020, we had our first virtual “We should know each other” networking event – we exceeded capacity. After that, we had several more gatherings and introduced our “My Leadership Journey” lunch and learn series and “Straight No Chaser”, our career development pilot program. 

We are ready to take our cohorts to new levels of career advancement and committed brands to new levels of social responsibility.”

In this video interview, Minor and Liza Amlani, Principal/Founder of the Retail Strategy Group and The Merchant Life and WOCRA board member, discuss the organization and the challenges women of colour still face in the retail sector.

The organization can be reached here: https://www.wocretailalliance.org/

Kimberly Lee Minor Bio

Kimberly Lee Minor is an accomplished executive with an impeccable record of building brands and developing strategies to keep business competitive and nimble. An executive member of leading domestic and international retailers and brand organizations, Minor is currently the President and Chief Commercial Officer at Bandier, the premier retailer destination for luxury athletic and athleisure fashion, where she oversees the direction of design, multi-channel merchandising, marketing, production, sourcing, and human resources.

Kimberly Lee Minor

Minor also serves as the CEO for Bumbershoot, a boutique consulting firm that provides C-suite leadership, cultural and market insights for inclusive, equitable, and diverse representation across brand, content, product, and customer experience. 

A Philadelphia native, Minor attended Temple University for her undergraduate studies. Upon graduating, she embarked on a 25+ year career holding major brand leadership positions at global retail and fashion organizations including Macys, LBrands, Footlocker, and Iconix.

As a fashion and retail thought leader and advocate for advancing women and people of color in the workplace, Minor serves as the founder and president of WOCRA (Women of Color Retail Alliance), supporting the careers of women of color in the retail industry through hard and soft skills training, leadership development and networking opportunities and sits on several board of director committees including BlueConic and Together Digital. 

Empowering as a leader and mentor, Minor is consistently challenging team members to surpass personal career objectives and have a positive impact on organizations.

Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and Executive Certificates in Leadership and Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Inclusive Organizational Excellence from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Liza Amlani Bio

Liza is a retail industry veteran and the go to expert in retail merchandising, product creation, and accelerating speed to market.

Liza Amlani

Liza Amlani is a 25 year retail industry veteran and works with global retailers, brands and retail tech companies to help them achieve dramatic business growth. Liza has worked with familiar brands including Holt Renfrew, Ralph Lauren Europe and Canada, Club Monaco, Nike, Walmart. 

Liza founded Retail Strategy Group in 2020. Her thought leadership is showcased in our monthly newsletter, The Merchant Life. Founders, VP’s and C-Suite executives subscribe to gain valuable insights and discover best practices. Liza is also a Talkdesk Retail Industry Advisory Board member.Liza is a respected voice on a variety of pertinent topics and is cited in Forbes, RetailWire, Retail Insider, Bloomberg, Chain Store Age, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Sourcing Journal and Footwear News. 

Liza has been invited to speak at  retail conferences across North America and often guest lectures at top Business schools across the country. She also brings a wealth of global insight to her work given the number of stamps in her passport and countries in which she has resided – Liza has moved 29 times in her life from Canada to the UK to Africa and many places in between. 

Liza has recently been named one of RETHINK Retail’s Top Influencer of 2022 and you can find her on all social platforms under @themerchantlife.

The Video Interview Series by Retail Insider is available on YouTube.

Connect with Mario Toneguzzi, a veteran of the media industry for more than 40 years and named in 2021 a Top Ten Business Journalist in the world and the only Canadian – to learn how you can tell your story, share your message and amplify it to a wide audience. He is Senior News Editor with Retail Insider and owner of Mario Toneguzzi Communications Inc. and can be reached at mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.

Like, Share and Subscribe to Mario Toneguzzi on YouTube!

Follow Mario:

Also check out the other series offered by Retail Insider, including The Weekly podcast and The Interview Series, which are both available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Simplecast and other podcast players.

Follow Retail Insider:

Share your thoughts!

Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary, has more than 40 years experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, faith, city and breaking news, and business. He is the Senior News Editor with Retail Insider in addition to working as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

More From The Author

RECENT RETAIL INSIDER VIDEOS

Advertisment

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe

* indicates required

Related articles

West Edmonton Mall Continues to Expand Luxury Retail with Addition of Moncler; Tiffany Marks 10 Years

Italian luxury brand Moncler is the latest to join the massive shopping centre with retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and Gucci. The mall’s first luxury store, Tiffany & Co. is also marking 10 years. 

Canadian Consumers to Prioritize Brick-and-Mortar Retail into December [Report/Interview]

Electronics are among the top gifts, with moderate growth in the restaurant and grocery sectors expected while also noting a controlled promotional approach due to slowing inflation.

Salesforce’s Rob Garf Discusses Canadian Retailers’ Strategies Amidst Q3 E-commerce Slowdown [Report/Interview]

Garf discusses a report showing a 9% decline in Canadian e-commerce growth, indicating a consumer expectation for discounts in the upcoming months. He discusses a consumer shift and how retailers can address it.

Early Signs Point to a Strong Holiday Shopping Season in Canada Despite Economic Challenges

Reports indicate that last Saturday and Sunday saw the biggest surge in consumer spending so far, with predictions made as we head into December.

Specsavers Set to Reach 100 Canadian Locations in Early 2024, Expanding into New Markets [Interviews]

The eyewear retailer, which entered Canada in 2021, is rapidly expanding and looking to gain market share from established players.

Burton Snowboards Transforms Toronto Flagship for [ak] Collection as Brand Looks to Expand [Interview/Photos]

The high-performance AK collection is a new focus, with Burton planning to grow its retail presence in Canada with more stores in key markets.

Liz Rodbell Returns to Hudson’s Bay as President and CEO Following Sophia Hwang-Judiesch Departure 

Rodbell led Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor from 2013 to 2017, and she returns at a challenging time for HBC. 

Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket Adding Tenants as Area Sees Rapid Population Growth [Interview]

The super regional centre, considered the leader north of Toronto, is adding new retailers and concepts to attract consumers.

Lullaboo Nursery and Childcare Centre Expanding into Non-Traditional Locations Including Shopping Centres [Interview]

The company's CEO says that finding space is a challenge for the childcare concept, which is seeing significant demand from parents.

Gucci Opens Impressive Main Floor ‘World Of’ Boutique Concession at Holt Renfrew Calgary [Photos]

The approximately 4,000 square foot space houses the Italian luxury brand’s full collection for women and men. 

Lina’s Market Opens 1st Food Hall in Calgary [Interview/Photos]

The innovative space combines a grocery store, café, and food hall with nine diverse stations, introducing a fresh dining experience and contributing to the growing trend of European-style market halls in Canada.

PwC Survey Shows Canadians Ready to Boost Holiday Spending Despite Economic Challenges [Interview]

Canadian consumers are gearing up for a resilient holiday season, with a survey revealing an increase in holiday spending compared to the previous year — that includes a notable resurgence in in-store shopping, particularly among Gen X and Gen Z.