The NRF Foundation Executive Mentor Experience presented by American Express, is a unique, small group networking experience, connecting you to the next generation of retail. You’ll share insights and answer questions - and our college students will receive invaluable career advice.
You’ll check in at the registration desk outside the Broadway Ballroom on the 6th floor by 8:15 a.m.
NRF Foundation Executive Mentor Experience
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
8:15 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
Marriott Marquis Times Square, NYC
Inside the Broadway Ballroom, more than 1,000 retail students seated at 100 tables will be waiting for you. You’ll get your first table assignment. Then, you and your fellow mentors will enter the room – and the NRF Foundation Executive Mentor Experience begins.
Our professional facilitator, Matt Meuleners of FOCUS Training, will guide everyone, prompting the roundtable questions between each mentor rotation. There are six rounds, each lasting 15 minutes. At the end of each round, students remain at their same tables - you’ll rotate to a new table. Each round starts with a new question designed to kick off the conversation with a new group of students. We’ll share the questions with you ahead of the event so you’ll be ready - and ready for the questions from our students.
"Reflecting on my experience as a mentor at the “NRF executive mentorship event,” I can confidently say it was both rewarding and invigorating. I was excited by the fresh energy and ideas that emerged from each table conversation. It was a wonderful opportunity to share insights, provide guidance and witness the enthusiasm of the next generation of leaders in the retail industry."
– Ron Brown, Vice President of Community Impact, Target
Connect with the future of retail at NRF Foundation New York: Student Program 2026.
Be a mentor at the NRF Foundation Executive Mentor Experience presented by American Express.
