design:retail - April 2017 - 49

049
MELISSA GONZALEZ
CEO and Founder
The Lionesque Group
Age 39

JULIE FISHER

Senior Shopper
Marketing Manager
E. & J. Gallo Winery
Age 39

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From her home office in Louisville, Ky., Fisher leads the shopper marketing team
for the well-known California-based winery. She supports the central United
States region for E. & J. Gallo Winery and works with major retailers, like Kroger,
Target and Walgreens, by providing shopper insights for Gallo's products and
recommendations for category solutions. Recently, she has been focused on
redesigning the way consumers shop for adult beverages, especially in
complicated categories like wine. She also has helped lead the Path to Purchase
Marketing Study at E. & J. Gallo Winery.
My favorite movie: "The Wizard of Oz."
I'm inspired by: Creative risk takers. I love it when people have no fear of failure.

GERMANA GIOGLIO

Senior Project Coordinator
FRCH Design Worldwide
Age 37
The Italian-born Gioglio studied architecture at
universities in Milan and Valencia, Spain, before
bringing her talents to New York. She first
worked at Peter Marino, where she was exposed
to high-end retail before moving to FRCH Design
Worldwide in 2015. Colleagues say she is a great
left brain/right brain designer who is able to
merge function and aesthetics in all of her
projects. Recent work includes Neiman Marcus
Ala Moana in Honolulu, Liverpool and a new
concept for Waterford.
My happy place: My family's beach house in Liguria, Italy.
Pet peeve: Slow walkers.
I'm inspired by: Materials, classic architecture and the big Italian designers from
the 1950s and '60s.

Gonzalez founded The Lionesque Group in
2009 with the vision to specialize in pop-up
architecture. Her forward-thinking niche
idea has paid off, resulting in more than 100
pop-up retail experiences in New York, Los
Angeles and Puerto Rico, among other
locales. Some recent clients include Arianna
Huffington/Thrive Global, Carbon 38 and
Marc Jacobs. Colleagues note that her
award-winning work has changed the way
people think about pop-up design. In
addition, she is the author of "The Pop-Up
Paradigm: Building Human Connections in
a Digital Age," and is the chief pop-up retail
architect of 22 City Link, the country's first
fully integrated smart city, located in
Loudoun, Va.
My favorite book: "The Mastery of Love"
by Miguel Ruiz.
Dream job: Can I say being an Oscar
award-winning actress?
My guilty pleasure comfort food: Kit Kats.
When I was little, they called me the "Kit
Kat kid."

Dream job: Yog
on a tropicaal isinstructor
land.
MELISA FLICKINGER
Senior Visual
Design Manager
Vera Bradley
Age 36

Vera Bradley is known for its bold-yet-classic accessories, so it is
fitting that it turned to someone like Flickinger, who has an interior design background, to expertly
craft its store environments. Flickinger has been with the accessories retailer for more than four years
and helped propel Vera Bradley's new look, which aligns the stores to its new product designs while
honoring the brand's heritage. Recent projects include opening Vera Bradley stores in New York's SoHo
district, Orlando, Fla.'s Disney Springs and Hawaii's International Market Place in Waikiki.
My next project: Remodeling multiple locations.
My favorite book: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.

NIKKI FRANCISCO
Director of Design
Sargenti Architects
Age 31

With nearly five years under her belt at
Sargenti, Francisco has led her team to
create numerous experiential
environments that create excitement
for brands while staying true to their
original design intent. She brings
additional experience to the table with
her vast knowledge to complete
value-engineering alternatives.
Francisco recently designed the
prototype for NYX Cosmetics and is
currently working on a complete
redesign and build out of Excellent
Stores Limited in Trinidad and Tobago.
My favorite book: "Tuesdays with
Morrie" by Mitch Albom.
My first job: Working with my
dad, who's a general contractor.
I'm inspired by: Badass,
hardworking women!

AUSTIN HAHN

Founding Partner
CaliChi Design Group
Age 38
After working in far-flung offices for a traditional,
national civil engineering firm, Hahn and his partner
teamed up in 2009 to start CaliChi Design Group to
focus on national retail work that could be delivered
more effectively and cost efficiently for their clients.
While growing his business, Hahn continues to mentor
young engineers in Chicago and partners with Gensler
to support its Big Ed Bowl every year in Chicago,
benefitting the Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research; and the Gensler Cup golf
tournament benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Greater
Dallas. In recent years, Hahn has worked on a wide
array of retail projects ranging from Starbucks and
Planet Fitness to Crate & Barrel and Mercedes-Benz.
My first job: A "gopher" on a residential
construction project (my parents' house).
Dream job: Comedy screenwriter.
My favorite place in the world: Santorini, Greece.

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