Melissa Gonzalez

Principal and Founder MG2 and MG2 Advisory

Award winning retail strategist Melissa Gonzalez is a Principal at the global design and architecture firm MG2 and Founder of MG2 Advisory, now part of Colliers Engineering and Design. Drawing from her success as a Wall Street executive and a seasoned entrepreneur who has worked side-by-side with some of the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer companies, she advises brands and retailers on how to leverage forward-thinking consumer insights with innovative strategy from concept through implementation and has advanced the industry through her work in experiential design. 
 
Continually pushing the boundaries of experiential retail, she has pioneered the integration of physical environments and cutting-edge technologies, helping companies including established brands such as Nordstrom and Victoria's Secret, and digital-first natives such as Good American and Kizik. 
 
Gonzalez authored the Pop-up Paradigm: How Brands Build Human Connections in a Digital Age, heralding a wave of pop-ups for luxury and specialty, long-lease and weekend drops. New York Business Journal named her one of “10 New York Executives to Watch in 2023,” Path to Purchase Institute included her among their 2023 Women of Excellence Winners, and Women's Wear Daily (WWD) called her one of "25 Most Influential Women Leaders of 2022.”
 
A sought-after speaker, Gonzalez has presented at SXSW, Shoptalk, Shoptalk Europe, Future Forward, World Retail Congress, NRF’s Retail’s Big Show, Retail Innovation Conference and Expo, and Vogue Business Summit. In 2024 she was the keynote speaker for the 21st Annual Retail Congress in Peru. Because of her broad scope and deep expertise, she is frequently tapped to be the moderator for prestigious brand panels or one-on-one conversations, such as her conversation with Birdies CEO Bianca Gates for the Women in Retail Leadership Circle. 
 
Gonzalez is also the creator and host of the podcast Retail Refined, which explores the future of retail and in-store technology. She has interviewed some of the most prominent leaders in retail, including the CEO of Toys R Us, the Chief Digital Officer of Ikea, and the CMO of American Eagle. Her first-to-market research is published in quarterly consumer reports that are anticipated by retail leaders and offer insights into a variety of markets such as footwear, beauty, and outdoor gear among others.
 
Gonzalez served as a resource for The World’s Best Shops, Courier Media’s latest tome, which celebrates modern retail in all its forms. She has been quoted in WWD, Business of Fashion, Retail Brew, Glossy, VMSD, Chain Store Age, Retail TouchPoints, Forbes, Frame, and The New York Times.
 
Gonzalez sees it as her responsibility to grow the next generation of industry leaders and invests time and effort to teach her staff and celebrate their successes. Many of the designers under her tutelage have gone on to win retail industry awards including VMSD’s Designer Dozen and Retail TouchPoints’ 40 Under 40 Awards.  
 
Gonzalez and her team have produced more than 200 brick-and-mortar experiences in cities across the United States, dedicated to creating immersive brand moments in a way that drives ROI and helps clients convey compelling stories. Gonzalez has not only advanced the industry through her client work, but also by sharing best practices with colleagues, contributing to industry publications and conferences, and growing the next generation of retail leaders.