Elivette 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.
When Elivette Sanabria began working in retail while attending college, she never imagined she would one day lead a store of her own. She was studying to become a teacher and initially viewed retail as a way to earn money while completing her education. But what began as a job developed into a career filled with opportunities to learn, lead and help others grow.
Today, Elivette is a Burlington Store Manager in Puerto Rico, a trainer for new and developing managers and a graduate of the company’s District Manager Foundation program. Along the way, she discovered that she never left teaching behind. She simply found a different kind of classroom.
When Burlington opened a store in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Elivette saw an opportunity to advance her career while moving closer to her family. Her older sister was preparing to welcome a baby, and Elivette was excited to become an aunt for the first time.
She joined Burlington as a supervisor and continued accepting new opportunities, advancing to merchandise manager, operations manager and eventually store manager. She led stores in other towns before returning to manage a location in the community where she was born and where her family still lives.
The store carries special meaning for her because she helped open it four years ago and hired its first team. “I remember I cried the entire opening day,” she said. “It was like my baby. It was something that I created.” Seeing the store ready to welcome its first customers, surrounded by associates who had worked alongside her to bring it to life, remains one of the most meaningful moments of her career.
Elivette earned her teaching degree and license, but she chose to continue building her career in retail. Over time, she realized that the skills she developed as an educator were central to the kind of leader she wanted to become.
At Burlington, she was selected to train new managers as well as assistant managers preparing for future leadership roles. She brings that same teacher’s mindset to every associate in her store, looking for strengths they may not yet recognize in themselves.
“I always see something that the associate might not even know they have, like a spark,” she said. “I try to give them assignments and different opportunities to demonstrate that they can do things they might think they are not able to do.”
That could mean moving an associate into a new area of the business or giving someone responsibility for a project that challenges them to grow. Her goal is not simply to tell people what they can accomplish; it is to create opportunities for them to see it for themselves.
One associate’s journey continues to remind Elivette of the impact she has on the staff she leads. While working as an operations manager, she helped hire an 18-year-old seasonal associate. Within a few months, Elivette recognized something in the young employee and placed her in charge of the markdown team. The associate embraced the responsibility with ownership and enthusiasm.
When Elivette later opened her current store, the associate joined her team as a customer service lead. She was subsequently promoted to supervisor and continued progressing through the company. Eventually, the former seasonal associate opened a store of her own, with Elivette by her side on opening day. “I get goosebumps just telling you this,” she said. “Those are the stories that really fill my heart and make me so happy to be here.”
In addition to training managers, Elivette participated in Burlington’s District Manager Foundation program, which brings together leaders identified as potential future district managers for formal training and development. Through the program, she learned alongside other leaders and participated in store walks with the territory team, giving her a broader perspective on the business beyond a single store.
After graduating from the program, she continued accompanying her district manager on store visits and assisting with additional assignments. For her, the experience reflects Burlington’s commitment to “investing in people” and providing employees with opportunities to keep expanding what they believe is possible.
That investment has shaped her own journey, but its greatest impact can be seen in the people she now prepares to lead others. “I enjoy seeing the people who were once seasonal associates and are now store managers,” she said. “It is so gratifying.”
Today, Elivette is helping others take steps forward in their careers. Whether she is guiding a new manager, challenging an associate to try something different or celebrating a former seasonal employee opening a store, she continues to teach one of her most important lessons: Potential can be found anywhere, but sometimes it takes a great leader to help someone see it.
Elivette 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.
