Ebony is one of five retail store leaders the NRF Foundation is showcasing in 2027.
Our five honorees embody their brand’s values, inspire their teams, and make meaningful impacts on their customers and communities.
Community has always been at the center of Ebony Davis’s leadership. As store manager of Pandora Harlem, the neighborhood where she was born and raised, Ebony has built connections that extend far beyond the store’s walls. From championing the creation of the Pandora Harlem charm to fostering lasting relationships with customers, she leads with a deep commitment to the community she calls home.
Ebony’s retail career began when she was in college. Motivated by the responsibility of becoming a parent, she entered retail seeking stability and opportunity. She soon discovered a career where she could connect with people, develop her skills, and make an impact.
Over the next two decades, she built her experience as a retail leader before a friend encouraged her to apply for a role at Pandora Harlem. “They need a leader,” Davis recalled her friend telling her. “They need someone who eats, breathes and sleeps Harlem. They care so much about the community.” The opportunity immediately resonated with her. “I love my community,” she said. “I’m always finding a way to volunteer or give back to the community.”
When Ebony arrived at Pandora Harlem, she spent her first 30 days just listening. She met with customers and team members to better understand the store, the community, and what matters most to the people it serves. One message came through again and again: they wanted a Pandora charm that represented Harlem. At the time, Ebony wasn’t sure how, or even if, it could happen. “I just knew it mattered to the community,” she said. “If there was a way to make it happen, I wanted to be part of it.”
Inspired by the community’s enthusiasm, she advocated for a Harlem charm and collected feedback from customers, associates, and community members who wanted to see their neighborhood represented in Pandora’s collection. It was an opportunity to celebrate the pride, culture and history of Harlem through a piece that customers could connect with personally.
Support for the idea continued to grow throughout the community. Ebony partnered with one of the store’s most loyal customers, Miss Lisa, who helped launch a petition in support of the charm. She carried the petition throughout Harlem, gathering nearly 3,000 signatures from community members who wanted to see the design become a reality. Today, the Pandora Harlem charm is available for customers to purchase, turning a community-driven idea into a lasting symbol of neighborhood pride.
As the store is rooted in the community, many customers return regularly, forming connections that extend beyond a single visit. “Because we’re in a community where people live and we do see the same customer multiple times a day or a week, we get to build those relationships,” she said. “I think that’s what I love about working here. It’s really a community.” She even tells us how her most loyal customer, Miss Lisa, celebrated a milestone birthday at the store after hours with a few of her close friends. “These are the moments that mean the most,” Ebony said. “It’s about making people feel special and creating experiences they’ll remember.”
Ebony is passionate about her work and wants to build genuine relationships with her customers. “When someone walks into your store, they’re coming in for that interaction,” she said. “Forget the product. How do I leave this lasting experience where they want to come back?”
She leads and manages the store by focusing on supporting and developing the people around her. “You can manage a business, you can manage numbers. But when it comes to people, it’s being that leader.” Ebony sees leadership as working alongside her team and helping them navigate challenges. “It’s standing on the front line with them,” she said. She strives to create an environment where associates feel supported and empowered to succeed.
One person she has had the opportunity to watch grow is Tiana, an assistant store manager on her team. The two first worked together at UGG in 2013 before reconnecting years later at Pandora. Since then, Tiana has become one of the district’s top assistant store managers, supporting store openings and traveling as an NSO manager. “Watching her blossom…to watch her do these phenomenal things, that is fulfilling,” Ebony said.
Ebony encourages young associates and future leaders to identify “their reason”—what motivates them—before pursuing leadership roles. “Find the reason you want to do it,” she said. While advancing in your career and achieving financial success are important, so is finding a deep passion for the work. “It has to be more than success or pay,” Ebony said. “You have to do it with your heart in it.”
She believes aspiring leaders should focus on serving others, building relationships, and creating meaningful experiences for both customers and team members. Leadership is ultimately about making a difference in people’s lives, whether that means helping a customer celebrate a special moment, supporting an associate’s career growth, or strengthening connections within the community. “It has to be something that drives you in order to be successful in this,” she said.
Ebony is one of five distinguished retail store leaders the NRF Foundation is showcasing in 2027. We are shining a spotlight on leaders driving team growth and development, leading high-performing stores, and are demonstrating excellence through both business results and people-first leadership.
