Speakers

Stephanie is Vice President, Global Direct-to-Consumer at MANSCAPED, where she has led the category creator’s rapid expansion into 40 countries and helped shape a brand that has redefined the men’s grooming category. Responsible for eCommerce, retention, customer experience, and international expansion, Stephanie builds and mentors high-performing, cross-functional teams that translate strategic vision into measurable commercial outcomes. She previously held roles at Golin, Revlon, and Sun Bum, leading global brand and market development initiatives. Stephanie brings deep expertise in scaling DTC businesses, omnichannel transformation, and building resilient teams that deliver results.

With over 25 years of marketing experience in loyalty, brand strategy, and consumer insights, Denise leads Phaedon's strategy, experience, and research team. She has spearheaded industry-leading research initiatives, including "Humanizing Loyalty" and "Sparking Consumer Participation Through Shared Values and Beliefs." Her strategic guidance serves clients across travel, hospitality, retail, restaurant, health, and wellness industries. A recognized voice in the loyalty industry, Denise is a regular presence on conference stages and as a featured webinar guest, and leads a team known for pushing the boundaries of loyalty thinking.
 
Prior to Phaedon, Denise ran her own strategy consulting practice, served as director of strategy at Optum, and spent more than a decade in loyalty and brand planning roles at Carlson Marketing. She excels at uncovering insights and actionable strategies that enable organizations to build emotional loyalty with their audiences and drive business growth. 

Sarah VanDerHart is the Customer Loyalty Insights and Strategy Leader at ITA Group, bringing more than 14 years of experience across B2B marketing strategy, experiential marketing, and marketing operations. She translates data-driven insights into results-oriented strategies that align with market trends and build emotional connections between customers and brands. As a leader of award-winning marketing teams, Sarah is known for her ability to turn complex insights into clear, actionable direction that drives growth and loyalty. She holds a degree from Iowa State University and is based in West Des Moines, Iowa. Outside of work, you’ll find her hosting gatherings with friends, running around with her husband and two daughters, or cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones.

Steering the course of operations alongside CEO Justin Howe, Heath Nielsen serves as the President of HTeaO, a position that epitomizes his dedication to orchestrating daily operations and nurturing relationships with HTeaO’s esteemed franchise owners.

With a career spanning over 25 dynamic years, Heath has led teams within renowned organizations such as Black Rifle, Starbucks, Sony, Vail Resorts, Gap, and the US Army. Throughout his journey, Heath has been driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence, a deep understanding of market dynamics, and a fervent passion for fostering growth and innovation.