Name: theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers
Start: 2025-01-16T17:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-01-16T22:10:00.000Z

Friday, January 16 (UTC)

January 17

ON DEMAND

Tom Bianculli, Zebra Technologies

In this segment from the theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers event, Zebra Technologies CTO Tom Bianculli joins theCUBE’s John Furrier and analyst Bob Laliberte to map retail’s shift from AI pilots to deployment. Bianculli argues the agentic moment will reward teams that partner, pick specific use cases and prove outcomes fast. Zebra’s focus is pragmatic: on-device AI that turns photos of shelves, pallets and documents into usable context for workflows, then feeds that intelligence into generative systems that help workers move quicker with fewer errors.

The discussion also digs into what “physical AI” looks like in stores and warehouses where latency, bandwidth and privacy all matter. Bianculli outlines Zebra’s strategy around AI enablers, blueprints and companion-style experiences that surface the right interface at the moment of work. He describes retailers moving into a “show me the ROI” phase, with metrics that start with adoption and extend to unit economics. The goal is measurable labor productivity and better customer outcomes, including gains Zebra has studied with Oxford Economics, while keeping sensitive data closer to the edge when personal information is not required.

Tom Bianculli
Senior Vice President & CTO Zebra Technologies

Bob Laliberte
Principal Analyst theCUBE Research
ON DEMAND

Remington Tonar, Cart.com

During NRF's Media Week, John Furrier interviews Remington Tonar, co-founder of Cart.com. Cart.com provides unified commerce solutions, focusing on efficiency and optimization by connecting supply chain with commerce demand gen capabilities. The company has experienced growth through acquisitions and now serves middle market and enterprise brands. They differentiate themselves by bringing together functions that typically don't collaborate. Cart.com emphasizes the importance of AI and domain expertise for success in entrepreneurship, particularly in digitalizing traditional businesses. The company has a track record of taking over operations and implementing their technology for greater efficiency. While facing objections about in-house solutions, Cart.com provides evidence through client references. Ultimately, having a strong backbone and infrastructure is crucial for delivering value in the market.

Remington Tonar
Co-Founder Cart.com
ON DEMAND

Mario Ciabarra, Quantum Metric

In this interview from theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers series, Mario Ciabarra, chief executive officer and founder of Quantum Metric, joins theCUBE’s Gemma Allen to discuss the pivotal shift from traditional analytics to agentic AI. Ciabarra explains how AI is "killing the dashboard" by evolving into an intelligent analyst capable of interpreting vast amounts of data without manual oversight. The conversation highlights how retailers are using these autonomous insights to prioritize business-critical fixes – such as specific cart errors – over minor glitches, ultimately safeguarding revenue in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

The discussion also delves into the rise of the "agentic shopper," where AI agents execute purchases on behalf of consumers. Ciabarra warns that these agents lack brand loyalty; if they encounter digital friction, they immediately pivot to competitors, making seamless digital experiences more critical than ever. From the rapid adoption of AI in banking to the potential for autonomous code fixes, Ciabarra outlines a future where technology moves beyond democratizing data to "democratizing understanding," allowing brands to meet elevated customer expectations with speed and precision.

Mario Ciabarra
Founder & CEO Quantum Metric
ON DEMAND

Marina Petrova, Intentful

In this interview from theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI and Retail Trailblazers series, Marina Petrova, chief executive officer and co-founder of Intentful, joins theCUBE's John Furrier to discuss the architectural shift transforming advertising from one-way messaging into real-time, interactive brand conversations. Petrova explains how more than a century of static, one-directional marketing is giving way to AI-powered ads that respond to customers in the moment of intent — shortening the path to purchase and unlocking qualitative insights that traditional analytics could never capture.

Key themes include how Intentful's patented infrastructure creates a single AI model for each brand that maintains strict tone, voice and governance guardrails across every channel — from display ads to QR-activated billboard experiences on consumer devices. Petrova details how early customers in travel and tourism, including Visit Florida Keys and Visit Lodi, are already discovering sharp disconnects between what marketers assumed about their audiences and what real-time intent data reveals. She highlights a fundamental shift in personalization: rather than producing thousands of creative variations, brands need only one AI capable of tailoring every interaction to individual context. Recently named best ad tech startup at the Silicon Valley M&A Tech Connect by a VC nomination committee, Intentful is entering fundraising to capitalize on what Petrova describes as a land-grab opportunity. From replacing post-mortem data aggregation with live conversational engagement to building a compounding intent-data flywheel, Petrova provides a clear picture of how brands can reclaim control of their distributed identity in the AI era.

Marina Petrova
CEO & Co-Founder Intentful
ON DEMAND

Lindsey Peters, Celonis

What’s blocking retailers from scaling AI? That’s what theCUBE's John Furrier and Lindsey Peters, retail and consumer goods industry lead of Celonis, unpack in this theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers segment. From fragmented systems to a shortage of contextual insight, Peters outlines the operational hurdles slowing AI adoption across the retail industry. While NRF buzzed with AI excitement, Peters notes that many retailers remain stuck in pilot mode – not due to lack of ambition, but because they lack visibility into how their businesses truly run. Celonis aims to solve this through process intelligence, giving retailers the clarity needed to move from experimentation to value-driven execution.

The conversation cites real-world outcomes from companies like IKEA, which used Celonis to refine buy-online, pick-up-in-store models and reduce cancellation rates. Peters also shares how AI-augmented customer service during the holiday rush improved CX by enabling proactive outreach. With enterprise-wide deployment in focus, she emphasizes the need for IT-business alignment and explains how Celonis helps track tangible ROI from agents in live production – not just theory. For retail leaders, the message is clear: to scale AI successfully, you must first understand your business deeply.

Lindsey Peters
Retail & Consumer Goods Industry Lead Celonis
ON DEMAND

Justin Honaman, AWS

In this wide-ranging conversation, Justin Honaman, head of worldwide retail, restaurants and consumer goods go-to-market at Amazon, returns to theCUBE’s NYSE studio to share how AWS is transforming the retail landscape with AI. Speaking with theCUBE’s John Furrier, Honaman details how the sector has shifted to production-scale deployments of both generative and agentic AI, with retailers eager to unlock faster innovation, real-time supply chain optimization and deeper personalization. He outlines the growing demand for custom models, clean data pipelines and integrated application layers – capabilities AWS is delivering through its Bedrock platform and expansive partner ecosystem.

Honaman also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the last NRF conference, where AI agents dominated the agenda and global retailers sought tangible outcomes, not vaporware. He highlights surprise interest in Amazon’s Project Leo satellite network as a game-changer for rural retail connectivity, and underscores the growing executive consensus that AI is now a business imperative, not an IT initiative. As retailers recalibrate their operating models for an AI-native future, Honaman sees AWS positioned as both guide and builder of the infrastructure powering retail's next chapter.

Justin Honaman
Head, Worldwide Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Goods Business Development AWS
ON DEMAND

Jed Dougherty, Dataiku

The retail revolution won’t wait – and Dataiku is making sure it doesn’t miss a beat. At NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers, Jed Dougherty, head of AI architecture at Dataiku, joins theCUBE’s John Furrier to unpack how AI is accelerating from back-office buzzword to front-office reality.

Dougherty shares candid insight on why fewer than 10% of retailers are truly AI-ready – and what’s holding the rest back. From GenAI-powered customer interfaces to rethinking governance beyond the “Copilot for all” strategy, he outlines how trust, process alignment and strategic focus separate experimenters from AI-native enterprises. With examples ranging from Stitch Fix to Rolex, Dougherty explains why data maturity is fast becoming the new retail differentiator.

In a wide-ranging discussion, he demystifies the architecture required to support agentic AI, warns against the pitfalls of “vibe coding” on unverified datasets and makes the case for visual interfaces that empower business users. Dougherty also previews Dataiku’s investments in open source and tight integrations with players like NVIDIA and Snowflake, highlighting how the company aims to be the indispensable human layer atop modern AI stacks.

Jed Dougherty
SVP AI & Platform Dataiku
ON DEMAND

Jamie Domenici, Klaviyo

In this segment from the NYSE studio, Jamie Domenici, chief marketing officer of Klaviyo, joins theCUBE’s John Furrier to unpack why retail’s AI moment has graduated from big talk to hard delivery. Domenici describes a changed mood at NRF: retailers are no longer circling AI as a “someday” strategy. They are coming to the show ready to operationalize it, pressed by consumers who increasingly trust AI-driven recommendations and expect brands to recognize them in real time.

Klaviyo’s view of AI sees it as the connective tissue for modern commerce, where data becomes the “central nervous system” that links every customer interaction to immediate action. Domenici details how unified data, marketing and service can collapse time-to-execution from days to minutes, powering autonomous marketing and customer support through AI agents. She also argues the old MarTech stack is giving way to an autonomous CRM era, where marketers stay in control but rely on AI to surface insights, drive personalization and keep pace with a world in which “everything’s a checkout.”

Jamie Domenici
CMO Klaviyo
ON DEMAND

Dirk Hoering, Commercetools

What does “autonomous retail” really look like when AI agents start shaping discovery, pricing and purchasing decisions? In this AI & Retail Trailblazers interview, Commercetools founder and CIO Dirk Hoerig joins theCUBE’s John Furrier to explore how artificial intelligence is redefining the future of commerce. Drawing on insights from NRF and decades of industry experience, Hoerig explains why agentic commerce marks more than an incremental upgrade. Instead, it represents a structural shift in how brands connect data, channels and customers. He outlines how unified platforms are replacing siloed systems, enabling retailers to support seamless experiences across physical stores, digital channels and emerging AI-driven interfaces.

Hoerig discusses Commercetools’ growth to more than $200 million in ARR and its role in processing tens of billions in GMV, positioning the company as a global backbone for agent-enabled commerce. He describes how AI-powered “autopilot” operations can optimize promotions, inventory and pricing in real time, while keeping humans in supervisory control. From discoverability inside ChatGPT and Google’s agentic shopping platforms to orchestrating fleets of specialized AI agents, Hoerig makes the case that execution, not experimentation, will define winners in the next retail cycle. The result is a vision of commerce as an operating system – one where data, automation and human judgment work together to drive speed, relevance and resilience at scale.

Dirk Hoerig
Founder commercetools
ON DEMAND

Diaz Nesamoney, DaVinci Commerce

In this segment from the NYSE studio, DaVinci Commerce founder Diaz Nesamoney joins theCUBE’s John Furrier to map how AI is rewiring the consumer journey from discovery to purchase. Nesamoney argues that commerce’s next battleground is data: the same retail intelligence that helped Amazon turn advertising into a multibillion-dollar engine is now colliding with surging AI-driven shopping behavior and reshaping how brands earn attention and margin.

The conversation drills into what comes after the chatbot: agentic workflows that turn recommendations into action, new “always-on” publishing models that let brands build a presence inside AI platforms and an emerging playbook for AI engine optimization beyond traditional SEO. Nesamoney also explains why integration is the hard part, why forward-deployed engineers are becoming essential and how DaVinci Commerce is building infrastructure for conversational commerce as AI platforms race to simplify transactions.

Diaz Nesamoney
Founder DaVinci Commerce
ON DEMAND

Brandon Davito, Verkada

In this interview from theCUBE’s NYSE studio, Brandon Davito, senior vice president of product at Verkada, joins theCUBE’s John Furrier to discuss the emerging concept of "physical AI" and how it is reshaping the retail landscape. Davito explains how Verkada is transforming traditional security infrastructure into a business-driving platform that goes beyond simple safety measures to unlock deep operational insights. The conversation highlights how leading retailers are leveraging computer vision and sensor fusion to understand customer flows, conversion rates and merchandising effectiveness, effectively turning loss prevention hardware into engines for profit and improved customer experiences.

The discussion also dives into the technical architecture required to scale AI across thousands of locations, focusing on the critical role of edge computing and bandwidth management. Davito outlines Verkada’s unified approach, where on-device inference handles complex tasks like facial recognition and trajectory tracking while only transmitting essential metadata to the cloud. From replacing manual "secret shopper" workflows with automated visual quality assurance to deploying AI-powered audio deterrence for perimeter security, Davito shares how large enterprises are integrating access control, environmental sensors and video to create a seamless, data-rich environment for frontline staff.

Brandon Davito
SVP product Verkada
ON DEMAND

Anne-Claire Baschet, Mirakl

Mirakl Chief Data and AI Officer Anne-Claire Baschet joins theCUBE’s John Furrier at the NYSE studio to map the shift from today’s digital commerce into what she calls “commerce 3.0” – a shopper-led era where AI agents become a new buying channel. Baschet explains why the technology itself is no longer the constraint. The hard part is aggregating data across systems, making it meaningful and delivering it where customers make decisions as new agent-driven interfaces reshape discovery, comparison and checkout.

Baschet notes the unglamorous work that makes AI useful: data foundations, real-time inventory and the operational “plumbing” that keeps retailers visible when LLMs surface only a few options. She outlines how Mirakl’s marketplace model helps retailers expand assortment, improve availability and reduce friction for both sellers and shoppers. She also shares how Mirakl is using AI and agents to streamline catalog onboarding, sharpen interoperability with emerging platforms and prepare for a future where agents act as both front-end and workforce multipliers.

Anne-Claire Baschet
Chief Data & AI Officer - Agentic Commerce Mirakl
ON DEMAND

Akash Gupta, GreyOrange

In this interview from theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers, Akash Gupta, co-founder and chief executive officer of GreyOrange, talks with theCUBE’s John Furrier about AI’s operational proof points. Gupta explains how GreyOrange’s AI orchestration spans supply chain and store operations, turning real-time signals into coordinated action across robots, people and sensors. The result, he argues, is an emerging “operating system” for retail that connects once-siloed nodes into a single, end-to-end decision engine.

Gupta walks through how AI reasoning can translate events and local context into tasks for associates and automated replenishment from warehouses. He also maps the next wave of physical AI, where robotics takes on the repetitive work and frees staff for higher-value customer interaction. Along the way, Gupta shares the scale behind GreyOrange’s models, from hundreds of millions of AMR miles to rapid growth across thousands of locations and a fast-expanding network of “agents” powering modern commerce.

Akash Gupta
CEO GreyOrange
ON DEMAND

Clint Sharp, Cribl

Clint Sharp, CEO of Cribl, discusses the growth and success of the company. Cribl has experienced significant expansion over the past few years, with a hundred million in revenue, 800 employees, and 130% net dollar retention. The company focuses on helping customers manage their growing data through data movement, collection, and storage. They are planning to release a Lakehouse offering for real-time analytics. Sharp emphasizes the importance of data tiering and fit-for-purpose solutions in the IT and security data space. Customers are seeking cost-effective ways to retain and access data for regulatory and business needs. Cribl aims to be a critical infrastructure for telemetry data, providing value to customers by focusing on their unique data challenges. The company is looking to expand its product offerings and continue serving a large market. Sharp remains focused on customer needs and staying goal-oriented as the company grows. Cribl primarily serves large enterprises, including half of the Fortune 50 and 25% of the Fortune 500.

Clint Sharp
Co-Founder & CEO Cribl
ON DEMAND

Thea Myhrvold, Getbee

In this interview from the theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers event, Thea Myhrvold, CEO and co-founder of Getbee, joins theCUBE’s Gemma Allen from the New York Stock Exchange to unpack why the next era of digital commerce may feel less like a funnel and more like a conversation. Myhrvold explains how Getbee brings live, one-to-one video selling into e-commerce journeys, aiming to recreate the trust and nuance of an in-store associate for high-consideration purchases across categories such as skincare, luxury and electronics.

Myhrvold also lays out how “qualitative” conversational data can complement the metrics of scroll-based shopping, giving brands richer insight into what shoppers ask, hesitate over and need before they buy. The discussion spans the rise of livestream commerce, the emergence of brand-led ambassador networks and the enterprise realities that come with scaling a human-centric model, from compliance to go-to-market cycles. She closes with a candid look at “people powering AI” and what it will take to expand representation in retail tech, from capital allocation to everyday mentorship.

Thea Myhrvold
Founder & CEO Getbee
ON DEMAND

Mario Ciabarra, Quantum Metric

Quantum Metric, a company targeting large businesses with complex problems, including airlines, banks, and telcos, partners with Google Cloud to offer technology that sets them apart in the market. Their focus is on providing insights to different teams within organizations by breaking down data silos and making data meaningful to everyone. Quantum Metric's value proposition lies in helping businesses quickly identify and address issues in customer experiences, such as cart abandonment, by observing digital journeys and pinpointing friction points. Their AI technology automates tagging processes, eliminating the need for manual tagging and ensuring up-to-date data collection even as websites change. By using generative AI, Quantum Metric aims to personalize interactions with customers, predict loyalty, and improve overall experiences. The company emphasizes the importance of using data to drive action and listening to customers effectively in the digital age, with a focus on humanizing data-driven interactions to improve customer experiences without being intrusive.

Mario Ciabarra
Founder & CEO Quantum Metric
ON DEMAND

Bianca Anghelina, Aily Labs

In this interview from the theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers event, Bianca Anghelina, founder of Aily Labs, joins theCUBE’s John Furrier to unpack how “decision intelligence” is moving from static dashboards to always-on, agent-led guidance for enterprise leaders. Anghelina explains Aily’s AI mobile app approach and why the next wave of value in retail will come from connecting data across the value chain then putting agents to work as decision advisers with measurable P&L impact.

The discussion digs into what it takes to operationalize agentic AI beyond chatbots, from inventory allocation that adapts in real time to the emerging role of AI as a “virtual employee” that frontline teams can collaborate with. Anghelina shares how retailers can use agents to improve sell-through on new launches, forecast seasonal demand more accurately and create a feedback loop between shop-floor signals and supply decisions. She also reflects on Aily’s founding story and the practical lesson that execution, not strategy, is where AI’s gains become undeniable.

Bianca Anghelina
CEO & Founder Aily Labs
ON DEMAND

Ben Parkes, Similarweb

In this interview from the theCUBE + NYSE Wired: AI & Retail Trailblazers event at the New York Stock Exchange, Ben Parkes, head of Advisory Services at Similarweb, joins theCUBE’s Gemma Allen to unpack what NRF week revealed about the next phase of AI in retail. Parkes explains how Similarweb tracks real-world online behavior across social, gen AI and retail sites to map modern customer journeys end to end. He also weighs the implications of fast-moving platform shifts including Google’s latest announcements, Walmart’s growing influence in AI-driven referral traffic and the steady compression of discovery and conversion into a tighter shopping funnel.

The conversation turns to agentic commerce and why the most successful AI may be the kind consumers barely notice. Parkes argues that 2025 has been a year of AI research behavior and that real purchasing adoption may follow, as retailers learn where prompts translate into transactions. He also explores how Similarweb is evolving from dashboards to action through MCP-style integrations, what the rise of GLP-1 demand signals can teach retailers and CPG brands and why aggressive advertising can reshape loyalty as quickly as it builds it.

Ben Parkes
Head of Advisory Services Similarweb
ON DEMAND

Larry Lunetta, HPE

Larry Lunetta, VP of HPE Networking, discussed the importance of networking in the retail industry at NRF Media Week in NYC. The focus was on AI, IoT, and edge computing transforming retail. A strong network infrastructure is needed for tracking merchandise with RFID, enhancing user experience, and improving security against cyber threats. AI in networking and network security for AI were emphasized, highlighting the need for efficient management systems and security measures. The conversation covered challenges and opportunities in interconnected systems in retail, with networks crucial for seamless operations. Networking plays a vital role in the industry's digital transformation. Customers are adopting private 5G solutions, while service providers at Mobile World Congress seek support for delivering products. End-to-end workflows and Polyglot protocol are important. HPE has a strong history in networking and AI's role in networking is growing. The impact is evident across industries, from apps to distributed computing platforms. TheCUBE covers these topics comprehensively.

Larry Lunetta
VP Networking HPE
ON DEMAND

Renen Hallak, Vast Data

The interview at the New York Stock Exchange focused on NRF and retail innovation, with Renen Hallak, CEO of Vast Data, discussing the company's growth and success. Vast Data has evolved its products into an operating system for the AI era, with a partnership with Nvidia proving crucial. The importance of a shared data plane for AI agents was stressed, as well as the market shift towards AI optimized infrastructure. Simplicity and security are key for enterprise adoption of AI, with a need for clear boundaries within departments. Building new applications is vital for utilizing AI effectively, and resilience is a challenge for large enterprises like JP Morgan Chase. Standardization in AI deployment is increasing as companies learn from experimentation, with a focus on robotics challenges and building ecosystems to enable efficient AI solutions. Building a community to support AI development is essential for fostering innovation.

Renen Hallak
Founder & CEO VAST Data
ON DEMAND

Melody Meckfessel, Jasper AI

Melody Meckfessel
CTO Jasper AI
ON DEMAND

Jen Jones, commercetools

Jen Jones
Chief Marketing Officer commercetools
ON DEMAND

Nikhil Simha, Zipline AI

Nikhil Simha
CTO Zipline AI
ON DEMAND

theCUBE Pod

Dave Vellante
Co-Founder & Co-CEO SiliconANGLE Media, Inc.

John Furrier
Co-Founder & Co-CEO SiliconANGLE Media, Inc.
ON DEMAND

Duncan Angove, Blue Yonder

Duncan Angove
CEO Blue Yonder
ON DEMAND

Bharat Guruprakash, Algolia

Bharat Guruprakash
CPO Algolia
ON DEMAND

Tom Bianculli, Zebra Technologies

Tom Bianculli
Senior Vice President & CTO Zebra Technologies
ON DEMAND

Alex Bouzari, DataDirect Networks

Alex Bouzari
CEO DDN
ON DEMAND

Stephen Orban, Google Cloud

Stephen Orban
VP of Migrations, ISVs & Marketplace Google Cloud
ON DEMAND

Leslie Lorenz, Snowflake

Leslie Lorenz
Head of Retail Snowflake
ON DEMAND

Alan Baratz, D-Wave

Alan Baratz
President & CEO D-Wave