Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders

When you're shopping for clothes, there's a checklist of things you look for: you want them to look and feel good, you want them to last a long time, you might want them ethically and sustainably sourced, and probably most importantly, you don't want them to break the bank. In 2011 one active wear company emerged that ticked pretty much all those boxes.  Adam Goldenberg is the CEO and co-founder of Fabletics. Adam is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader in the e-commerce industry with a proven track record of building multiple-billion dollar brands. In fact, alongside co-founder Don Ressler, Adam has generated over $10 billion dollars in sales through his company, TechStyle Fashion Group, which in addition to Fabletics, has launched other digitally-native fashion brands like Savage X Fenty, Just Fab, Fab Kids, Shoedazzle and Yitti.  Adam launched his first company at 16, at 19 he became the youngest ever COO of a public company. He joins us to share his thoughts on e-commerce, customer retention, sustainability, and opportunities to grow the Fabletics brand.  Highlights:Fabletics origins (2:50)Fabletics' customer base (4:48)Tech and personalization (5:55)Celebrity partnerships (7:32)Membership model (8:37)E-commerce vs. Brick and mortar retail (11:23)Amazon (13:54)Plans for growth (15:27)Sustainability (19:09)Lesson's learned (20:58)What's next for Fabletics (23:19)Links:Adam Goldenberg LinkedInFabletics LinkedInFabletics WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

The world has changed a lot in the last century, but it might surprise you to learn that the US power grid has remained pretty much the same. In this country, energy is by and large controlled by regional utilities with de-facto monopolies, and no real incentive to innovate. That inertia impacts the entire economy, as industrial projects are starved of the power they need to get off the ground. Jereme Kent is the founder and CEO of One Power Company. Under his leadership, One Power is trailblazing the creation of the customer-centric power grid of the future. Before founding One Power in 2009, Jereme led the construction of some of the world's premier wind projects. As a field engineer, erection superintendent and site manager, he has overseen more than a billion dollars in wind turbine construction. Jereme joins us to discuss how and why current US power infrastructure is falling short, and how the One Power model could both energize and decarbonize America's efforts to re-industrialize. Highlights:The state of the grid (3:09)Why we need fixes now (7:04)One Powers services (9:03)Vertical Integration (11:30)Digital Substations (13:54)Fundamental Industries (15:20)Sustainability (16:55)Net Zero (19:45)10 year outlook (21:02)Culture of innovation (23:36)One Power's priorities (25:30)Links:Jereme Kent LinkedInOne Power LinkedInOne Power WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. 

Summary:  We may not talk about them the same way we talk about basketball or baseball players, but make no mistake, dancers are elite athletes. Their training is intense, and the competition is fierce. And with Breakdancing at the Olympics, dance content flooding TikTok, and dance competition shows all over TV, there's never been more interest in the art-form. So how do you take that global phenomenon, and harness it into a global business?  Dan Galpern is the CEO of DanceOne. In 2023, the company was formed out of the merger between Break The Floor Productions and Star Dance Alliance, and it has become the premier producer of educational and competitive dance events, as well as the largest family of dance brands in the world.  Dan joins us to discuss DanceOne's plans for future expansion and growth, and how their global community is raising up the next generation of world-class dancers.  Highlights:The origins of DanceOne (3:48)Path from investor to CEO (5:41)DanceOne infrastructure (6:46)Building the DanceOne experience (8:11)The global appeal of dance (9:20)DanceOne event offerings (10:30)Growth opportunities (11:43)The power of dance (15:29)The DanceOne community (17:52)Goals for the future (20:00)Links:Dan Galpern LinkedInDanceOne LinkedInDanceOne WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. 

The increasing popularity of Asian food presents many exciting business opportunities, but also some challenges. Many of these specialty restaurants are family-owned, and lack the corporate structure you'll find at larger chains. And a lot of them are located in rural places that make centralized distribution difficult. Servicing these types of businesses requires a personal touch, and a lot of relationship building to understand their individual needs. That makes the barrier to entry pretty high, and creates a pretty large moat around the companies already established in the sector. That includes HF Foods Group, led by CEO Felix Lin. HF trades on NASDAQ under the symbol HFFG and they are a leading distributor of international and specialty foods service solutions to restaurants, wholesalers and other customers in the food supply chain in the United States. Before taking on the role of CEO, Felix served as President and Chief Operating Officer of HF Foods Group and has been a key part of developing, implementing, and executing on the company's comprehensive transformation plan. Felix joins us to discuss how HF Foods Group made such strong inroads in the Asian food market, and how they plan to leverage their position in the marketplace, and smart capital allocation, to create opportunities for future growth. Highlights:The history of HF Foods (3:17)The popularity of Asian foods (4:53)Customer loyalty (5:57)Product offerings (8:02)Navigating market disruptions (10:23)Distribution networks (12:32)M & A Strategy (14:00)Outlook for the international food space (17:34)Strategic plan for HF Foods (20:04)Links:Felix Lin LinkedInHF Foods Group LinkedInHF Foods Group WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Innovating in the field of Med Tech presents a host of unique challenges. Formulating new treatments is a long and capital-intensive process. The regulatory regime for medical devices is extremely stringent. And even if you get approval, you still need to convince doctors that your treatment is safe and effective. But success in Med Tech R & D doesn't just mean profits for the company and it's shareholders, it means new treatments that can dramatically improve or even save the lives of patients. Jim Clemmer became the CEO of AngioDynamics in April of 2016, the company trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol ANGO. Prior to joining the company, Jim served as President of the multi-billion dollar medical supply segment at Covidien PLC where he directed the strategic and day-to-day operations for global business divisions that collectively manufactured 23 different product categories. In addition, he managed global manufacturing, research and development, operations, business development, and all other functions associated with the medical supplies business. Jim joins us to discuss AngioDynamics' innovative products that are helping treat a range of conditions from pulmonary embolism to prostate cancer. He also explains how their continued commitment to innovation has set AngioDynamics up for future success.  Highlights:The AngioDynamics Mission (4:03)Managing the AngioDynamics Portfolio (5:04)What sets AngioDynamics apart in the field (6:20)Meeting real-world clinical needs (7:24)AngioDynamics products (8:53)AngioDynamics approach to R&D (12:45)The impact on patients (15:36)Navigating regulation in different markets (20:06)The role of AI (21:35)AngioDynamics' balance sheet (23:01) Links:AngioDynamics LinkedInAngioDynamics WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

When we experience buyers remorse about an item, what do we do? We return it. Either in store, or through the mail. But what happens to those products after we send them back? Surely they're repackaged and restocked, right? In a lot of cases, no. Many vendors aren't equipped to process those returns, and they can end up being sold in bulk at a loss, or worse, dumped in a landfill.Sender Shamiss has made it his mission to prevent that from happening. He's the co-founder and CEO of ReturnPro, a global reverse logistics platform that works with the world's largest retailers and vendors to solve the significant problem of merchandise returns. Today, we discuss the complexity of restocking returned items, the prevalence of fraud in merchandise returns, and how ReturnPro leverages innovative tech solutions to lessen that nearly 900-billion-dollar burden on the retail industry. Highlights:What happens to returned items? (3:14)Why have retailers ignored the issue? (7:18)ReturnPro's services (8:56)Working with big and small retailers (10:57)Recovering value from returns (13:27)The role of tech (16:22)Returns ending up in landfills (19:02)The impact of tariffs (22:08)Links:Sender's LinkedInReturnPro LinkedInReturnPro WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Major sporting events used to be clustered among a handful of TV channels. Now following your favourite team might require subscriptions to a whole litany of cable and streaming services. Which is to say nothing of all the licensed content you'll find spread out across social media platforms. In such a complex media ecosystem, how do organizations even begin to think about licensing their media assets? And how do they calculate their worth?Doug Perlman is the founder and CEO of Sports Media Advisors. SMA advises sports properties on their media strategies and rights negotiations. Doug has negotiated tens of billions of dollars in rights fees for some of the largest sports properties in the world, including the NFL, NASCAR, US Soccer, and the Ryder Cup, among others. Doug joins us today to discuss recent trends like the rise of streaming, the popularization of sports betting, and the emergence of AI, and all the unique challenges and opportunities they present for different leagues and organizations. Highlights:Doug's early career (3:00)Working for the NHL (4:40)Founding SMA (7:53)SMA's services (9:31)Negotiating rights deals (13:55)Cord-cutting (17:16)Impact of sports betting (18:35)Women's sports (19:37)AI in sports (20:58)Advice for young people trying to work in sports (26:12)Links:Doug Perlman LinkedInSMA LinkedInSMA WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Putting together an IPO is no easy feat. Just getting your finances in order can be a herculean effort. Add in the laundry list of compliance requirements, and it simply becomes too much for most firms to handle on their own. That's especially true for young companies in emerging industries like biotech or AI, where corporate governance may have taken a backseat to product development. Enter, Mike Aiello. He's the CEO and managing partner at Centri Business Consulting, one of the country's fastest growing accounting and advisory firms. Mike founded Centri in 2011 with a focus on capital markets, transactions and emerging growth organizations. It has since grown from its Philadelphia, mid-Atlantic roots to eight offices nationwide, with around 250 staff providing support to more than a thousand companies. Mike walks us through the massive undertaking that is IPO preparation, and how Centri guides their clients through that process. He also shares his thoughts on the current state of IPOs and SPACs, and explains why he feels optimistic for the future of capital markets.Highlights:Mike's path to founding Centri (3:14)Centri's menu of services (6:26)The state of the IPO market (8:34)SPACs (12:09) Getting ready for an IPO (13:56)Working with AI companies (15:39)Recruiting talent from 'The Big 4' (18:05)Importance of corporate culture (19:22)Priorities for growth (21:57)Upcoming 'Capital Markets Conference' (25:28)Links:Centri LinkedInCentri TwitterCentri WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Summary:  It's early in the 2025 reporting season, but new trends in the restaurant and foodservice space are already emerging. 2024 was a difficult year and the industry is still adjusting—navigating the same pressures of inflation, labor costs, and economic shifts, plus some new challenges. Consumer habits continue to evolve, and technology is playing a bigger role than ever.  Today we're joined by Michael Halen, the Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. At Bloomberg, Michael publishes company-specific and industry-focused research on everything from how new government policies will impact business to the shifting demographics that affect consumer behavior. Michael makes frequent appearances as a TV and radio guest and is the host of Bloomberg Intelligence’s restaurant-focused podcast titled Choppin’ It Up.  In this episode, Michael breaks down the biggest takeaways and predictions for 2025. As we enter the new year, what’s setting the winners apart? Which trends have staying power, and what can last year’s challenges tell us about the road ahead? And most importantly, what should restaurant leaders be looking out for to stay ahead of the curve?  Highlights:Michael's path to his role at Bloomberg (3:08)The winners and losers from the last few years (6:01)Regional differences in consumer behavior (7:53)Impacts of inflation on the restaurant industry (9:22)The role of strategic pricing (11:41)The role of AI and automation (16:12)Make America Healthy Again (18:30)Recent trends and what they say about the future (23:48) Links:Michael Halen on LinkedInBloomberg Intelligence LinkedInBloomberg Intelligence WebsitePodcast: Choppin' it Up by Bloomberg IntelligenceICR on LinkedIn ICR on XICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFIT and a leader in connected fitness, dives into the revolution of personalized fitness experiences. He discusses how technology and AI are transforming the fitness landscape, making customization accessible for everyone. Kevin also explores iFIT's innovative training methods, which leverage biometric data and content to adapt workouts in real time. He highlights the cultural shifts necessary for scaling businesses and how consumer control in health management is reshaping the future of wellness.