Storytelling in Tech: Inside Commerce AI

In this episode of Wharton Tech Toks, host Gorav Menon (Wharton MBA ’27 and co-host of The Linen Suit & Plastic Tie) sits down with Lisa Yamner, Co-Founder & Chief Brands Officer at Daydream, for a deep dive into the future of AI-powered commerce and storytelling in fashion.

Lisa shares her journey from helping launch Google’s first political advertising initiatives and building the tech giant’s fashion and luxury vertical, to co-founding THE YES and now Daydream, an AI-native shopping platform reimagining personalized discovery. Together, they explore how conversational AI is transforming retail, why fashion is fundamentally emotional, and how personalization can move beyond algorithms into genuine taste and identity.

The conversation also dives into the tension between technology and creativity: Can AI actually enhance individuality instead of homogenizing culture? How do brands maintain storytelling and trust in an era of automation? And what happens when shopping starts to feel more like a conversation than a transaction?

From luxury’s early skepticism of digital advertising to the rise of AI personal shoppers, this episode offers a fascinating look at how technology, storytelling, and human taste are colliding to shape the future of commerce.