The Voice of Retail The Art of The Raise & The Science of ReCommerce with Emily Hosie, Founder & CEO of Rebelstork
Meet Emily Hosie, Founder & CEO of Toronto-based Rebelstork. Emily recognized a massive void in a baby retail market ripe for innovation. She leveraged her experience at TJX and Saks Off Fifth as a top buyer, building an AI-powered platform for overstock, open box and quality used baby gear. Rebelstork has saved over 150,000 pieces of baby gear from ending up in landfill, and it is just getting started!
About Emily
Rebelstork is founded and led by millennial mom, Emily Hosie, who has a track record of effecting industry-shifting growth and success in the retail space. She began her career as the Women’s Trend Buyer at Holt Renfrew and moved onto becoming the Senior Buyer in Women’s Contemporary at Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC. While there, the opportunity to learn the Off-Price business model presented itself and Emily played a very prominent role in the growth of Saks Off Fifth across North America and online. She held multiple progressive roles, including Vice President/DMM of Women’s Contemporary, as well as Vice President/DMM of Ladies Product Development. After six years, Emily moved back to her home city of Toronto to join the Canadian Division of the TJX Companies (Winners, Marshalls, Homesense), where she served as a Vice President of Merchandising.
After becoming pregnant, Emily recognized a huge void in a baby retail market ripe for innovation, and a legacy industry in need of an update. She envisioned an ecosystem that enabled the frictionless movement of Overstock, Open Box (store returns) & quality used baby gear. She built an AI- powered platform that connects brands and retailers with parents across North America. In just four short years, Emily has brought her vision to life providing brands and retailers the technology solution and selling platform to participate in the recommence economy- keeping baby gear out of landfills and instead in the homes of conscious consumers. Rebelstork has saved over 150,000 pieces of baby gear from ending up in landfill and it just getting started!
About Michael
Michael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery.
Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row.
Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast_,_ The Voice of Retail. He produces and co-hosts Remarkable Retail with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world.
Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers.
Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America.
Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.
Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.
Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.
Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.