This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. As legacy mall staples falter and consumer expectations reset, the jewelry and piercing sector is undergoing a quiet yet consequential transformation, driven less by price or trend cycles and more by experience, trust and self-expression.

Few brands sit closer to that shift than Studs. Founded to modernize ear piercing for a new generation, the company has helped reframe what was once a commoditized, often rushed service into a design-forward, hospitality-led experience. At the center of that evolution is Anna Harman, co-founder and CEO of Studs, who has built the business around needle-based piercing, rigorous training standards and a deeply researched understanding of how Gen Z and millennials approach identity, style and retail.

Harman’s perspective comes at a moment of inflection. Claire’s recent bankruptcy filing has reignited debate about the health of the commercial jewelry industry, but as Harman explains, the decline of one dominant player doesn’t signal a shrinking market. Rather, it underscores a generational handoff. Today’s consumer is older, more informed and far less willing to compromise on safety, materials or aesthetics. They arrive armed with terminology learned online, references saved from social feeds and a clear expectation that piercing should feel personal, celebratory and well-designed.

Under Harman’s leadership, Studs has leaned into piercing as a long-term creative practice, popularizing the idea of “Earscaping” and building systems that support consistency at scale. The result is a business model that sits at the intersection of jewelry, beauty and lifestyle, shaped as much by digital communities as by in-person experience.

Claire’s bankruptcy filing has put a spotlight on the jewelry and piercing sector. What does their collapse reveal about the state of the commercial jewelry industry today?

The ear piercing market is actually booming, it’s just incredibly fragmented. Countless national retail chains and local boutiques offer ear piercings with guns (sometimes called “hand-pressurized devices”). Claire’s is still where a lot of people have their first nostalgic piercing moment, and that’s important. But once the customer ages up, typically into their late teens and twenties, they’re looking for a more elevated and personalized needle piercing experience. That’s where Studs comes in.

Beyond Claire’s, what broader consumer and retail trends are reshaping how people, especially younger consumers, approach jewelry and piercing?

We’re seeing ear piercing follow the same cultural patterns as beauty and fashion, trends now spread through social media, celebrity influence and niche communities, and customers show up wanting the looks they’ve discovered online. People arrive with specific looks they have seen online and a strong sense of how they want to express themselves.

Workplace norms have also shifted dramatically over the past decade, especially post-pandemic and as Gen Z has entered the workforce. Multiple piercings, tattoos, and more individualized style used to be considered “taboo” in many professional environments. That’s no longer the case. People are bringing their full selves to work, and Earscaping®—getting and styling multiple ear piercings—has become an accessible, expressive way to do that.

Digital behavior plays a significant role. Gen Z and young millennials research thoroughly, learn piercing terminology online and expect brands to meet them with education and transparent information about materials, healing and safety.

Where do you see the strongest demand in the jewelry sector right now, and which segments are under the most pressure?

We’re seeing the strongest demand in high-quality, everyday jewelry—pieces you can wear 24/7 without thinking twice. Our flatback studs continue to be bestsellers because they’re comfortable, secure and safe for sensitive ears. It’s a big shift away from traditional butterfly backs that poke or get caught. We’re also seeing clickers become the new go-to instead of classic hoops, especially for customers with more advanced cartilage piercings. And interest in lab-grown stones keeps rising because they offer the sparkle and longevity people want at a much more accessible price.

Because so many of our customers have five or more piercings, they’re approaching their ears a bit like a canvas. They’re not looking for matching pairs—they’re curating a whole Earscape®. That’s why we focus on singles and keep the assortment tight and intentional rather than offering hundreds of overwhelming options.

And honestly, we’re seeing this play out in real time in our studios. We’ll have customers come in and say, “I want another piercing because I just bought these amazing designer earrings and I need another spot to wear them.” Fine jewelry designers are styling their campaigns with multiple piercings and stacked looks, and consumers are coming in excited to recreate that energy. It’s been fun to watch that inspiration translate directly into behavior.

Zooming out, the broader jewelry market is definitely feeling some pressure—rising gold prices, the rapid adoption of lab-grown gems and a more discerning, research-driven shopper. Today’s customer is reading reviews, watching videos and wanting clear quality standards before they buy. The brands struggling most are the ones that haven’t adapted to that level of scrutiny.

How do you see piercing fitting into the jewelry industry’s evolution? Has it shifted from a commoditized service to an experience-driven business?

Absolutely. Piercing has become an experience people often share with friends or family, or choose to mark a moment in their lives. Expectations around safety, piercing jewelry design and overall vibe are significantly higher than they were ten or fifteen years ago.

Before Studs, there was no national brand focused on needle piercing that combined hospitality, education and design in a consistent and welcoming environment. The experience itself is now a fundamental part of how people engage with jewelry, and that shift has expanded the category overall.

Studs has branded piercing as a lifestyle and self-expression category rather than a commodity. How critical is that repositioning to your long-term success?

We saw that people were approaching their piercings as a long-term creative process.

Customers come back to Studs to build their Earscape® over time—months and years—it’s not just for a one-and-done service. We trademarked the term Earscaping® soon after we launched the business to define the art and science of decorating your ear with ear piercings and earrings. Our customers have between five and seven piercings, and once a consumer gets pierced at Studs, 40 percent return for another purchase with us.

What are the risks of scaling a service like piercing, and how is Studs navigating quality control and consumer trust at scale?

The biggest risk is inconsistency—in safety, technique or customer experience. There is no national piercing licensing process or beauty school. That’s why we built Studs Academy, our custom piercing apprenticeship program. It’s a paid, multi-week training that covers sterilization, bedside manner, precision technique and safety. We’ve trained hundreds of piercers across the country through a deeply structured curriculum to ensure an excellent piercing and hospitality experience across our studios nationwide. Taking this level of care ensures that no matter which Studs studio someone visits, they receive the same high standard of care. Trust is built through expertise, clear communication and consistent execution, and we invest heavily in all three.  

How do you think about balancing accessibility and affordability with premium positioning in piercing and jewelry?

We keep our standards premium and our pricing transparent. Piercings start at $35 for one, $50 for two and scale up, and jewelry ranges from $35 to $120+. That lets customers participate at whatever level feels right for them. Premium, to me, is about expertise and safety. Accessibility is about making it easy for people to express themselves without a massive price barrier.

Who is the “core consumer” driving growth in piercing today, and how different are their expectations compared to past generations who grew up with Claire’s?

Our core customer is in their mid-twenties— the median age is 27—and they already have five to seven piercings. While we certainly do first lobes, most people are coming in for their fifth or sixth placement, often something more advanced like a tragus or conch. They want to be pierced with a needle, not a gun, by a trained expert who takes them through a personalized consultation. And they’re looking for cute, high-quality earrings they can comfortably wear for the four to six months it takes for a new piercing to heal before they can swap jewelry.

We’re seeing Gen Z and younger Millennials drive much of the demand for personalized, identity-driven products. How has that shaped Studs’ product and service design?

We built our retail experience specifically for Gen Z and millennial consumers. Getting an ear piercing is fun and celebratory, and it’s often something people want to document and share. We designed our studios to be intentionally bright, modern and content-friendly with great lighting and mirrors because capturing content of the process is part of the ritual.

Bold and unexpected partnerships also play a big role in shaping how we meet these consumers where they are. We’ve collaborated with beloved national food brands like Din Tai Fung, Shake Shack and Van Leeuwen. And we’ve partnered with provocative internet personalities like Serena Kerrigan and DeuxMoi. These kinds of collaborations allow Studs to show up organically in the cultural conversations and viral obsessions that already resonate with Gen Z.

What lessons should other jewelry and accessories brands take from Claire’s decline? What pitfalls should they avoid?


Gen Z and millennial consumers won’t settle for outdated retail experiences. They expect expertise, transparency and environments that feel modern and intentional. They read reviews, watch videos, compare materials and look for brands that align with their values. If your retail experience is not evolving with how this generation shops, discovers and expresses themselves, you’re going to fall behind, regardless of your category.

What role do you see e-commerce and digital communities playing in an experience-based business like piercing?

Digital is really the front door for us. Most people find Studs online before they ever book, and that’s where the education begins: what a conch piercing is, how healing works, when to come in for a downsize, all of it. Social is also where our community lives and grows. People share their new piercings, ask questions about styling or healing advice and get inspired for how they might update their look next. 

I often say that no one is getting piercings to have holes in their ears: the intention is to wear cute jewelry. For customers who may not live near a Studs Studio yet, they can still shop our earrings online and keep an eye on where we’re opening new locations soon. So even though the actual piercing can only happen in person, the ongoing connection—the learning, the inspiration, the shopping—all of that is happening digitally, too. It’s a natural omnichannel loop.

How do you see the piercing and jewelry industry evolving over the next five years? What will separate the leaders from those who lag behind?

The industry will continue to professionalize. Consumers are asking for more transparency, clearer standards and deeper expertise. Brands that invest meaningfully in training, education and thoughtful design will be well-positioned. The companies that succeed will be the ones that create real connection and clarity for their customers and continually adapt to how people want to express themselves.

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. In the ever-evolving world of fashion, Nili Lotan has built a career on intuition, authenticity and cultural resonance, redefining what luxury means for a modern audience.

As founder and creative director of her eponymous brand, Lotan has spent over two decades shaping a distinct design language rooted in music, art, and personal expression. From leading design at Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne and Nautica to launching her own label later in life, she has transformed instinct into strategy, balancing creative vision with commercial success. Today, her brand spans $100 million in annual revenue, boasts an all-women executive team and counts Kendall Jenner, Dakota Johnson and Frances McDormand among its devoted clientele.

Lotan’s approach to luxury emphasizes story, experience and authenticity over exclusivity. Her recent Fall 2025 campaign, debuting at New York’s legendary Café Carlyle and featuring a live performance by iconic rock duo The Kills, exemplifies her philosophy. By weaving music, community and culture into her launches, Lotan creates emotional resonance that extends far beyond garments, making each collection a lived experience for both her audience and clients.

From her Tribeca showroom to curated holiday collections, Lotan’s vision consistently marries elegance with ease, sustainability with timelessness and intuition with strategic foresight.

You’ve said your design process is deeply intuitive. How does intuition translate into strategy when building a brand that’s both commercially successful and culturally resonant?

I’ve always trusted my intuition, and that instinct guides both my design process and how I build the brand. For me, intuition is strategy—it’s about staying true to what feels honest and authentic. Each collection evolves instinctively from how I live, what I love and the visual world around me. Even as the company grows, personal integrity and thoughtfulness remain central. My intention is to create pieces that feel effortless and empowering—clothing that carries strength, confidence, sensuality and ease. 

Luxury used to be defined by scarcity and price. What defines luxury today, in your view, and how has that changed how you design, market and lead your brand?

Luxury is about quality, honesty and practicality. Style is part of your identity—it’s self-expression and confidence. It starts with materials that age beautifully—from premium Japanese denim to luxury Italian wool and cotton. Fit is integral; there’s integrity in how something drapes, lasts and becomes part of one’s story. 

Your Fall 2025 campaign launch at Café Carlyle felt more like a cultural moment than a product launch. How do experiences like that shape the emotional connection to your brand?

That evening was about creating a space where my brand, designs and audience became part of one story. The Kills performed live, surrounded by friends, guests and rock and roll—because that’s the world I live in. When people experience a moment like that, it lingers. Wearing a piece from the collection means carrying the spirit and energy of that night, which is what makes the clothing resonate emotionally.

Music clearly plays a central role in your creative DNA. What can brands across industries learn from the storytelling power of music?

Fashion and music are in constant dialogue—both express who we are. Music carries attitude and emotion, and so does style. What speaks to me about rock and roll is the attitude behind it. It’s not so much about the music, but it’s that free spirit on stage, the fearlessness and the boldness that I’m drawn to and that inspire me. Clothes, like music, are an extension of self. Seventies rock and roll icons—Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix—embody a spirit that is imbued in my collection, from Hendrix-inspired military band jackets to ruffled Jagger shirts. It’s about sophistication mixed with effortless cool, character and freedom. Authenticity always resonates.

From Ralph Lauren to your own label, you’ve witnessed the evolution of “American luxury.” Where do you think it’s heading next?

American fashion is at an exciting moment—it’s leading the conversation globally and inspiring designers around the world. I think that influence will continue to grow, shaping what luxury means today: authenticity, wearability and a sense of ease that feels distinctly American.

Fashion is increasingly data-driven. How do you balance intuition and analytics in creative and commercial decisions?

We absolutely look at the data—it’s a useful tool, and it gives us a clear picture of how women are responding to the collection. But at the end of the day, I always come back to intuition. My instincts have guided me my entire career. I take in the information, of course, but I design from what I love and what feels true. That balance is what shapes the future of the brand.

The direct-to-consumer model has transformed fashion retail. What’s working now, and what’s losing relevance?

DTC is essential, though I remain grateful to wholesale partners. Today, it’s not just about selling clothes—it’s about building a story, a connection to the world I’ve created. Clients want to experience the brand, both in person and digitally. I’m also excited about our first stores in Seoul—Hyundai Main and Hyundai COEX—bringing the brand to a dynamic, fashion-forward market while remaining authentic to my vision.

How do you think about longevity in both brand identity and product design?

Longevity begins with being deeply tuned in to the world around us. I stay aware of how women live, what they need and how their lives are evolving. That awareness, paired with authenticity, is what keeps a brand relevant over time.

Producing much of the collection in the U.S. gives me the freedom to respond quickly. It allows me to make decisions and execute them—creatively and commercially—with agility. That flexibility is essential in maintaining a brand that feels connected to the moment. At the core, longevity comes from timelessness. I design pieces that reflect a woman’s life, not a fleeting trend. And for the brand, staying true to my voice and vision—evolving, but always in an honest way—is what creates real continuity. Consistency is what endures.

Where do you see the greatest tension between creative vision and market reality today?

The greatest tension comes from the pressure to make more—more SKUs, bigger collections, constant newness and novelty. My instinct has always been toward minimalism, simplicity and sustainability. I believe a woman doesn’t need endless options; she needs the right ones. But the market often asks for more. Staying true to my creative vision means resisting excess and focusing on what feels essential, even when the commercial landscape pushes in the opposite direction.

Your career began in major fashion houses, but you launched your own brand later. How did that shape your leadership and approach to risk?

Working in major fashion houses gave me experience and perspective—I learned what works, what doesn’t and how to lead a team. By the time I launched my own brand, I felt more confident, more mature and ready to take creative risks on my own terms. 

Your handbags are named after musical icons. What role do cultural references play in making a product feel like luxury today?

Cultural references create emotion and resonance, connecting people to a feeling or era. Looking at the attitude of these iconic musicians, I communicate their style and energy in my design language. 

Fashion brands increasingly position themselves as lifestyle curators. How do you extend the Nili Lotan world beyond clothing?

Extending the Nili Lotan world beyond clothing has always been instinctive for me. I’ve never seen the brand as just garments—it’s a visual and emotional universe shaped by the things I love, the places I live in and the sensibility I carry with me.

From my Tribeca showroom to all of my retail and residential spaces, every environment reflects my philosophy. I curate my stores the same way I curate my own homes with art on the walls, furniture I’m drawn to, textures and tones that feel honest to who I am. My world becomes the brand’s world.

I’m in direct conversation with the client—whether through the intimacy of our stores, the monthly playlists I share or the personal touch of my social media. All of it is part of inviting people into how I see and experience the world around me.

This season, I’ve extended that even further with a curated holiday story—an expression of what the holidays mean to me through both dressing and giving. At 183 Duane, we’re offering inspiration not only for how to dress for the season, but for how to give with intention.

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. In New York City’s constantly mutating dining landscape, where concepts appear overnight and disappear just as quickly, Chef Max Wittawat has managed to build something far more enduring: a restaurant that feels both distinctly Thai and unmistakably New York.

As the chef and creative force behind Bangkok Supper Club, Wittawat has translated Bangkok’s kinetic late-night food culture into a polished, modern dining experience that mirrors the energy of his hometown while meeting the realities of the city’s tightly wound restaurant economy. His approach rejects nostalgia and instead embraces a forward-looking interpretation of Thai cuisine driven by collaboration, constant experimentation and a deep respect for regional flavors.

In just two years, Bangkok Supper Club has become one of the city’s most talked-about chef-driven concepts, known for seasonal tasting menus, unexpected partnerships and a high-touch hospitality model that blurs the lines between dining and nightlife. Wittawat’s leadership is shaped by years in Thailand’s corporate hospitality world, giving him the operational rigor needed to support the creative freedom that defines the restaurant’s identity.

At a moment when “modern Asian” concepts are proliferating across New York, Wittawat stands apart by using storytelling as the backbone of his cuisine, inviting guests to understand the cultural, personal and culinary influences behind each dish. From sustainability commitments to zero-waste-inspired cocktails to multisensory late-night dining experiences, his work demonstrates how a restaurant can be both deeply rooted in culture and fully attuned to a global audience.

Bangkok Supper Club was inspired by Bangkok’s late-night dining culture. What drew you to recreate that energy in New York, and how did you adapt it to the realities of the city’s dining economy?

Bangkok Supper Club was born from my memories of Bangkok at night—the energy, the noise and the way the night seems to keep unfolding. In Thailand, late-night dining is its own culture. After dinner or drinks, you don’t go home; you go out again. Maybe to a street stall for noodles, a grill stand for skewers or a small restaurant for something spicy. Nights out are about social connection, spontaneity and sharing every moment with friends or family. That feeling of late-night gathering is exactly what I wanted to bring to New York.

For me, Bangkok Supper Club had to be a place where people come to celebrate, connect with friends and enjoy food that feels inventive but approachable. The space needed to feel alive in every way—the music, the lighting, the flow of service and the way our beverage program interacts with the food were all designed intentionally to capture that vibrancy of Bangkok, blurring the lines between dining and nightlife.

New York operates on a different pace. People plan their meals out weeks in advance, and the city doesn’t have the same late-night dining culture. My goal was to capture the feeling of Bangkok—the warmth, the continuous energy and that sense that the night is always still young. We translated that spirit into a polished, thoughtful space that fits within this city while still keeping the heartbeat of my home alive.

That balance between authentic energy and New York sensibility is what defines Bangkok Supper Club.

Late-night dining often runs counter to traditional fine-dining hours. What have you learned about balancing operational challenges—staffing, costs, turnover—with the creative freedom of that format?

One thing people are often surprised by is that Bangkok Supper Club does not operate as late as restaurants in Thailand, despite that being the inspiration for the concept. In Bangkok, late-night dining often goes into the early morning, but in New York, the economics, regulations and culture make that difficult. We blur the lines of dining and nightlife by operating closer to traditional fine-dining hours, which helps us stay consistent and protect the well-being of our team, all while capturing the spirit and energy of a late-night dining atmosphere through our food.

Operationally, we face the same challenges as everyone else, but I feel fortunate to have a core team that has been with us since day one. Turnover is naturally part of this industry, and people come and go, but the stability within our leadership team gives us a strong foundation. We built systems and staffing models that are realistic for our business, and we try not to deviate from them. That structure allows us to manage labor costs, set clear expectations and maintain quality every night.

A more casual late-night format usually has higher turnover and more flexibility, but because we aim to operate at a fine-dining level, we need to ensure our team is consistent, supported and committed. The key has been finding the balance between structure and creativity. When operations are solid and everyone feels taken care of, the kitchen and bar have the freedom to experiment, evolve and create the kind of energy that defines Bangkok Supper Club.

This balance allows us to bring the spirit of Bangkok’s nightlife to New York while still running a thoughtful, sustainable and disciplined operation.

Your partnership with 55 Hospitality is a major part of the restaurant’s success. What made the collaboration work from a business perspective, and how did you align creative and operational priorities early on?

My partnership with 55 Hospitality works because we each bring something essential to the table, allowing Bangkok Supper Club to flourish as it’s meant to. From the beginning, Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong (55 Hospitality co-founders) created a solid foundation that allowed me to focus fully on the food and the creative direction. Their strength is in running a business at a high level. They’re experts in operations, finances, marketing, logistics and all the systems that keep a restaurant stable and scalable. That foundation has allowed me to hyper-focus on continuously evolving the menu, shaping the energy of the space and leading the kitchen without being overwhelmed by every operational detail.

Early on, we made sure our priorities were aligned. We agreed that the guest experience, team culture and quality of the food would always lead the conversation. At the same time, we built clear structures around budgeting, staffing and daily operations, so the business could grow in a disciplined way. That clarity gave me the freedom to push creatively, try new ideas, develop seasonal menus and collaborate with other chefs, while knowing the financial and strategic side was being managed thoughtfully.

What makes the partnership successful is trust. They trust my vision for the food and the atmosphere, and I trust their expertise in keeping the business healthy. When those two things work together, creativity and stability become one and the same, and that is what allows Bangkok Supper Club to evolve while maintaining the excellence guests expect.

Many chef-driven restaurants struggle with sustainability once the initial buzz fades. How do you and your partners think about maintaining momentum and long-term relevance in such a competitive market?

For us, the goal is long-term relevance through continuous creation—exploring new flavor profiles and inspiration points that give guests new reasons to return. Innovation is part of who we are. This year alone, we developed more than forty new dishes through chef collaborations, seasonal tastings and specialty menus. That constant evolution keeps the experience exciting for both our guests and our team.

Collaborations are a constant source of inspiration. Partnering with chefs from spots, including Lysée, Marea and Theodora, allowed us to combine perspectives, introduce flavors people don’t typically associate with Thai cooking and build a wider creative community.

This fall, we created a three-part dinner series that put a spotlight on Bangkok’s late-night food culture, with each experience built around an entirely new menu—whether inspired by a specific region or shaped through chef collaborations. It pushed us creatively and gave guests something truly new to discover every time.

The kitchen counter tasting menu we launched this summer has also become an important creative touchpoint. Beyond offering a wide range of bites in a single meal, it gives me the chance to connect directly with guests who join us from all over the world. Those personal, more intimate interactions ground us and create a direct line from person to plate.

In a competitive market, momentum comes from staying curious, building community and never letting the restaurant stand still. As long as we keep creating and evolving, we hope that Bangkok Supper Club will remain relevant in a way that stays true to our vision.

Bangkok Supper Club feels both distinctly Thai and deeply New York. How do you balance the tension between preserving cultural authenticity and creating something new for a global audience?

For me, authenticity has always been at the heart of Bangkok Supper Club. I’m from Thailand, and after moving to New York just two years ago, sharing a real understanding and pride in regional Thai flavors and techniques continues to guide everything we do. But cooking in New York also means serving an audience that values individuality, creativity and personal expression—so the food naturally evolves through local inspiration.

I try to bring my own personality into every dish, drawing from my travels, my training and the different cooking styles I’ve learned along the way. And it goes beyond the food—the interior, the uniforms, the guest experience, even the floral arrangements all come from wanting to create a space that feels like an extension of myself. Those small touches make the experience feel both traditionally Thai and uniquely my own.

Of course, I can’t recreate Thailand exactly. We’re not in a tropical climate, and some ingredients simply don’t exist here in the same way. My goal is to honor the spirit and balance of Thai cuisine while adapting to what’s local and seasonal. I’m always exploring new ingredients and techniques that let me capture the flavors of home in a way that feels true but still fresh. The balance is about respecting tradition while embracing evolution. It’s rooted in where I come from, but shaped by the creativity and energy of New York dining.

Some restaurateurs chase scale. Others seem to pursue depth. How do you think about growth? Is there a business model for expanding without diluting the intimacy and storytelling that define Bangkok Supper Club?

For me, growth is about balance, as is a majority of what I do. Of course, we want the business to grow, but it’s just as important that Bangkok Supper Club stays special and distinctive. The intimacy, the storytelling and the connections we build with our guests and our team are what make this place meaningful, and I never want to lose that. At the same time, we need to run a sustainable business. Growth helps us support our team, create new opportunities and keep investing in creativity and innovation. Every decision we make comes back to that—how to grow in a thoughtful way without losing the heart of what we do.

The guiding principle is staying true to myself, to my flavors and to the vision I have for the restaurant. Every new idea, menu or collaboration is meant to deepen the guest experience, not dilute it. For me, growth isn’t just about adding more seats or more locations. It’s about sharing the experience we’ve created with more people while keeping it authentic, personal and intentional.

There’s a strong narrative component in your food: it tells a story without relying on nostalgia. What role do you think storytelling plays in consumer engagement?

Storytelling plays a huge role in how guests connect with what we do. Thai cuisine is full of tradition, but it’s also constantly evolving, and I want people to understand that balance. By sharing the inspiration behind each dish—why I created it, where the influences come from and how we’re reinterpreting traditional flavors in New York—guests can see that while the core tastes stay true, there’s also creativity and personal expression in every plate.

It also empowers our team. When they understand the stories behind the dishes, they can guide guests in a way that feels genuine and meaningful. Those conversations often become the most memorable part of someone’s night. We take the same approach online through our Instagram account. Showing the process behind new dishes, from the first idea to the final plate, helps people understand our philosophy and stay engaged with what we’re creating. For me, storytelling gives context. It helps us communicate who we are, celebrate Thai culture and invite guests to experience the food on a deeper level—not just through taste, but through understanding and connection.

New York’s dining scene is often described as oversaturated. How do you differentiate Bangkok Supper Club amid a wave of “modern Asian” concepts vying for attention?

Constant creativity and a clear vision. That’s really how we differentiate ourselves in a crowded dining scene. I develop three to four tasting menus a year, along with seasonal specials and collaborations, which keep the experience fresh and give guests something truly new every time they visit. Even within our own hospitality group, each Thai concept has its own identity. Fish Cheeks and Bangkok Supper Club are both Thai, but they offer completely different experiences and cuisines.

We’ve seen restaurants take inspiration from what we do, and I take that as a compliment. It shows there’s real excitement around Thai food right now, and it pushes us to keep evolving. But our focus is always on originality rather than chasing trends, making sure we hold onto our own voice in the market. In the end, standing out comes from staying true to who we are, continuing to create and innovate and offering a distinct experience guests can’t find anywhere else.

Your career spans corporate hospitality and deeply personal projects. How did your time at larger groups like Minor Food shape your leadership or your approach to building teams?

My time at Minor Food Group taught me a lot about how to run a restaurant as a business while still supporting creativity in the kitchen. Working in a larger organization showed me the importance of strong systems, consistency and clear communication. I learned how to document recipes, standard operating procedures and workflows so that anyone on the team, no matter their background, could execute the food to the same standard every time.

That experience has shaped how I lead at Bangkok Supper Club. I want my team to feel confident, supported and capable, and having solid systems in place allows them to focus on learning, experimenting and growing. It also gives me the freedom to create, explore and collaborate, knowing the foundation of the restaurant is strong.

How did you approach crafting an experience that seamlessly blends all three?

For us, the ambiance and bar program aren’t separate from the food—they’re all part of the same experience. That’s how late-night dining works in Bangkok, and it’s the feeling we want to bring to Bangkok Supper Club. We think about how everything comes together—the dishes, the drinks and the energy of the room. Our bar program works hand-in-hand with the kitchen; several cocktails use ingredients that might otherwise go to waste, turning kitchen leftovers into thoughtful, creative drinks. Being part of Mill’s Make Food Not Waste initiative this year, which allowed us to create a zero-waste-inspired dish, has only strengthened our commitment to sustainability.

The collaboration between the bar and kitchen ensures that every element complements the others. Flavors from the dishes inspire the cocktails and the drinks are designed to elevate the dining experience rather than simply sit alongside it. Beyond that, the music, the lighting and the overall energy of the room are all intentionally chosen so guests feel wrapped in a lively, immersive environment that reflects a true Thai late-night experience.

Our goal is to create a place where everything is connected: the food, the drinks and the atmosphere, so guests can feel the thoughtfulness, intention and character behind the Bangkok Supper Club experience.

How do you see Thai cuisine evolving internationally? Are there trends or directions that excite you or stand out?

It is exciting to see how much more people around the world have grown to know about Thai food. Guests are more curious and well-versed in the cuisine, which makes it even more rewarding to introduce them to dishes that go beyond the familiar. The more people understand Thai flavors, the more open they are to the ideas and creativity I bring to the table.

Globally, I see two trends emerging. One is restaurants focusing on casual Thai food, highlighting approachable street or home-style dishes. The other is chef-driven concepts that are more creative and experimental. These places may not serve a classic pad Thai, but they capture the essence of Thai cuisine by delivering the traditional flavors using local ingredients and contemporary techniques.

What excites me most is that Thai food can evolve while staying true to its balance, freshness and vibrancy. It opens opportunities to share our culture in new ways and connect with a global audience through creativity and flavor.

For emerging chefs looking to introduce regional cuisines to new markets, what’s one business insight you’d share before they open their first restaurant?

For any chef bringing a regional cuisine into a new market, the biggest piece of business advice I’d offer is this: understand the market before you step into it. If you’re lucky enough to have a great business partner, that insight and support are invaluable. If you don’t, you have to become that person for yourself by studying the landscape, observing how people are eating, and really understanding the gaps.

You can’t just be another voice doing what everyone else is doing, because you’ll get diluted fast. What guided us was knowing exactly who we are and where we could offer something genuinely different. Look for the space where your perspective adds something new, not where you’re repeating what already exists.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, how do you see the intersection of dining and cultural identity evolving, and where does Bangkok Supper Club fit in that future?

I think that the lines between dining and nightlife have blurred in such a way that restaurants aren’t where you go before you go out; they are the night out. Guests are increasingly seeking concepts that are destinations in themselves, offering an experience that combines food, beverage and vibe. This trend reflects a broader cultural shift. People want experiences that feel immersive, social and meaningful, all in one space.

Bangkok Supper Club fits naturally into this evolution of an all-encompassing experience. Our goal has always been to create a vibrant environment where Thai culture and cuisine are at the center, but in a way that feels accessible and exciting for a global audience. We bring together inventive, elevated flavors with an atmosphere inspired by Bangkok’s late-night culture, resulting in an experience that is social, immersive, and celebratory.

Looking ahead, I want to utilize Bangkok Supper Club to continue to bridge cultures by nurturing a space where dining is not just about the food on the plate, but about connection, community and the energy of shared experiences.

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. As director of trade advocacy at Bacardi, Adrian Biggs has spent over 15 years at the forefront of global cocktail culture, helping bartenders, brands and bars reimagine what luxury hospitality means in an age defined by experience, story and connection. From London to Miami, he’s witnessed the evolution of the modern bar from a nightlife destination to a creative, cultural touchpoint shaped as much by craft and atmosphere as what’s in the glass. Now, as bespoke experiences resurge and drinkers seek authenticity over excess, Biggs is helping steer the industry toward a more community-driven and inclusive vision of hospitality.

Bacardi’s newly released 2026 Cocktail Trends Report, which draws insights from over 11,000 consumers and thousands of bartenders worldwide, reveals a landscape where the definition of “luxury” is shifting, accelerated by younger generations. Gen Z drinkers—now stepping into greater financial independence—are reshaping expectations around when, where and why people drink. Their priorities lean toward connection, flexibility and what the report calls “playful luxury,” prompting brands to rethink the rituals of cocktail consumption. As economic pressures influence spending patterns across demographics, cocktails remain a resilient space for creativity and self-expression, with value increasingly defined by the experience surrounding the serve rather than exclusivity alone. Biggs sees opportunity in this transformation: a chance to elevate the bartender as storyteller, mentor and curator of human experience.

Several broader behavioral shifts have also emerged: earlier drinking occasions like “daycaps,” a growing appetite for small-format and low-ABV serves and a blurring line between daytime wellness-driven beverages and evening cocktails. The last year has seen a return to in-person, screen-light socializing as consumers seek out more grounded, communal moments and a growing influence of accessible training initiatives. Taken together, these trends point to a cocktail culture that adapts fluidly to people’s moods, values and lifestyles, reinforcing the role of hospitality as an engine of creativity, mentorship and genuine human connection.

You’ve spent over 15 years helping shape global cocktail culture. Looking ahead to 2026, what are the biggest shifts you’re seeing in how people define “luxury” when it comes to drinks?

Luxury is evolving from simply “top shelf” to deeply experiential, story-driven and meaningful. In our 2026 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report (released today), we highlight how luxury now means connection, craft and meaning more than mere exclusivity. Guests are seeking bars where the narrative behind the glass, the provenance of the ingredient, the bartender’s touch, the atmosphere, is as valuable as the spirit itself. After years of digital saturation, people are trading screens for shared sips, turning luxury bars into sanctuaries of presence and connection.

The report also spotlights “More is More Mixology,” a trend that celebrates indulgence as a form of joy and escape. It’s not about going over the top, but about experiences that are deliberate, sensory and memorable. From an edible parfum drifting over a cocktail to a small-batch Patrón served with a story, guests want to connect with the moment.

True luxury today sits at the intersection of authenticity and artistry. A $40 cocktail isn’t about showing off, it’s about savoring craftsmanship, local ingredients and the person behind the bar. That’s where the future of luxury is headed: from aspiration to connection.

Bacardi’s 2026 Cocktail Trends Report draws insights from more than 11,000 consumers and thousands of bartenders worldwide. What’s one finding that surprised even you?

One of the most surprising findings was how analog culture is a form of luxury. The report shows that 84 percent of consumers believe technology has made people less present, and that’s fueling a movement toward tactile, in-person experiences. Bartenders and bar owners are responding with screen-free nights, story-led menus and ritual-based serves that create space for genuine human interaction.

We see a cultural shift away from hyperconnectivity toward intentional, sensory-rich connection. From “reading room” happy hours in New York to micro-mix flights in Paris, people are embracing analog moments as emotional resets. It’s fascinating to see how Gen Z of legal drinking age and millennials are reimagining when and how they drink, favoring lighter, earlier-day indulgence, like St-Germain spritzes or Martini aperitifs, over late-night excess.

That balance between mindfulness and meaning is what surprised me most. It proves that cocktail culture isn’t retreating, it’s evolving. Even in a world full of algorithms, the bartender remains irreplaceable. I believe human connection will always be the ultimate luxury.

The word “luxury” is often associated with exclusivity, but the hospitality industry seems to be moving toward something more inclusive and experiential. How are leading brands adapting to that shift?

In 2026, destination bars are defined by storytelling, local identity and artistic expression. People are drawn to spaces that feel connected to their surroundings, where every cocktail tells a story about the place it comes from. One of my favorite bars in Miami is Bar Kaiju, perched on the second floor of a food hall in Little River, where the spirit of Japanese monsters comes alive in every cocktail.

At the same time, mixology is becoming more like art. Bars and brands are turning cocktails into showpieces through immersive experiences, creative collaborations and thoughtful design. A drink isn’t just something to sip, it’s something to experience. The best bars today create spaces where guests can slow down, appreciate the craft and feel curious about what story the bar or cocktail will tell next, enticing them to return.

How are younger consumers changing the economics of the luxury bar and spirits market?

Younger consumers, particularly Gen Z and younger millennials, are reshaping the luxury bar landscape by prioritizing experience, authenticity and mindful indulgence over mere status. They’re less interested in splurging to show off and more in drinks that fit their routines and micro-celebrations. Tusk Bar at the Evelyn Hotel in Miami serves Mini Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire Martinis, showcasing how bars are embracing smaller-format cocktails and shareable flights to provide value while keeping experiences approachable.

The trends report shows that there’s a 26 percent global increase in drinking premium spirits, led by the 30 to 44 age group with 31 percent, signaling that younger consumers are actively driving the market toward elevated, higher-quality drinks. 

Consumers now define luxury by the experience, the story behind the cocktail and the human touch of skilled bartenders—not by price. Bars and brands that combine craft, creativity and community see this approach drive loyalty, repeat visits and relevance with the next generation of luxury drinkers.

“Destination bars” are emerging as cultural hubs as much as nightlife spots. What makes a bar a true destination in 2026, and how do those experiences reshape expectations for the entire category?

Destination bars in 2026 are defined not just by their drink menu, but by the experiences they offer and the stories they tell. Patrons are seeking spaces where craft, creativity and community converge, whether through immersive cocktail presentations, artist collaborations, or interactive, shareable moments that turn a night out into a memory. 

Some of my favorite destination bars that transport you to a new place include Jingle Jangle at The Dead Rabbit in New York, launching Nov. 18, transforming you into a Christmas wonderland within a traditional Irish bar. Café La Trova in Little Havana, Miami, the epitome of Old Havana, with authentic Cuban uniforms, live music and an experience that fully immerses guests in Cuba. Cure in New Orleans is worth the drive, not on Bourbon Street, but delivering a true New Orleans experience while showcasing the city’s classic cocktail culture.

A third of global respondents to the report are going out earlier in the evening, indicating that consumers prioritize moments that fit into their routines over late-night excess, creating an opportunity for bars to rethink programming, presentation and social moments, offering more accessible and experiential formats that encourage connection and repeat visits.

By elevating the experience beyond the glass, destination bars reshape expectations for the industry, setting a new standard for innovation, storytelling and guest engagement. In this environment, bartenders become cultural curators, translating ingredients, techniques and human interaction into meaningful moments that define luxury hospitality.

In an era of A.I. and digital everything, the report mentions the rise of “analog experiences.” What does that mean for bar design, service and the future of the guest experience?

The rise of analog experiences reflects a growing desire to reconnect with the tactile, social and human sides of drinking, as guests increasingly seek interactions that feel personal, hands-on and immersive. Bars are responding by designing spaces that prioritize craft, atmosphere and human engagement, from screen-free zones and interactive cocktail stations to chef-driven mixology and storytelling at the bar.

At The Fort, a pickleball facility in Fort Lauderdale, guests can enjoy a full food and beverage experience from Top Chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth at the Florida Room, blending sports, dining and social connection. Across the Atlantic, Kwānt in London was designed with a cocktail omakase experience in mind, inviting guests to sit right at the bar and engage directly with the bartender as each cocktail is crafted before them.

Analog experiences allow guests to engage deeply with bartenders, ingredients and the moment itself, creating emotional resonance that A.I. and automation cannot replicate. The analog renaissance reinforces that connection, craft and community are the ultimate drivers of engagement and loyalty in 2026, making skilled bartenders central to the future of luxury hospitality.

Bacardi has been behind some of the most recognizable cocktails of the last decade, from the Honey Deuce to the Hugo Spritz. How do you balance innovation with familiarity when developing the next generation of drinks?

Balancing innovation with familiarity is all about honoring the classics while keeping things fresh and exciting. The Grey Goose Honey Deuce, the number one cocktail in sports, shows how a simple serve with a clever cultural cue like its signature honeydew balls—designed to emulate tennis balls—can become iconic. The St-Germain Hugo Spritz does the same for a new generation of spritz lovers with its light, floral profile. Both drinks strike that balance between heritage and modern appeal, proving that today’s guests love cocktails that feel both familiar and aspirational.

For me, cocktails are really about connection, creating moments where people can come together, share a laugh and enjoy something that sparks conversation. Drinks like the Grey Goose Honey Deuce or the St-Germain Hugo Spritz are not just cocktails, they’re experiences that start stories and bring people closer, whether it is at happy hour or courtside.

Consumers are becoming more ingredient-conscious and sustainability-minded. How are these priorities influencing product development and bar programs globally?

Sustainability and ingredient transparency are increasingly shaping product development and bar programs. Consumers are prioritizing locally sourced, additive-free and responsibly produced ingredients, with a third of consumers valuing local sourcing and looking for sustainably sourced components. Patrón is a great example of a brand that’s leaning into its consistent use of only three ingredients (agave, water, yeast) with its Additive-Free program. Bars are also responding with farm-to-glass initiatives, in-house gardens and artisanal preparation techniques, while also highlighting transparency and telling stories through ingredients to connect guests to flavor, origin and impact.

Bartenders are embracing these trends by experimenting with classics, new flavors, zero-waste ingredients and ferments like kombucha. Small-format cocktails, shared experiences and micro-mix flights allow bars to showcase indulgence and innovation while keeping sustainability and transparency front of mind, showing that sustainability and luxury hospitality can coexist.

Education and advocacy seem central to your role. Can you share how initiatives like Shake Your Future and Fundamentals of Bartending are shaping the pipeline of new talent, and why that investment matters now more than ever?

Bacardi programs are designed to build both skills and confidence among new and emerging bartenders. Shake Your Future empowers underrepresented or unemployed young adults to start careers in mixology, giving unemployed or underrepresented people the chance to learn the craft professionally and create a career in hospitality. This program has previously been held globally in Barcelona, Madrid, Glasgow and Paris, connecting out-of-work bartenders to top industry professionals to provide essential skills and techniques for creating the most in-demand cocktails. 

Our initiatives have real impact: 80 percent of Shake Your Future graduates globally secure careers in hospitality, showing how education opens doors and strengthens industry standards. Free Pour, our online platform, extends learning to bartenders at all levels, combining mixology techniques, category knowledge and inspiring insights for continuous professional growth.

Our brands also bring education and advocacy to life in unique ways. For Bombay Sapphire, our ambassadors lead Laverstoke Calling, an immersive experience for top-tier trade that explores force carbonation while showcasing what makes the gin perfect for light, sparkling cocktails. Similarly, the Wset x Patrón Agave Certification Program deepens bartenders’ understanding of tequila, from agave cultivation to distillation, fueling knowledge and appreciation across the category.

Investing in education benefits both bars and brands, as skilled bartenders become authentic ambassadors who translate expertise into memorable guest experiences while reinforcing loyalty and engagement. By supporting the next generation of talent, Bacardi ensures that human connection remains at the heart of luxury hospitality.

The hospitality industry still faces challenges around retention and burnout. How can mentorship and education change that narrative for young bartenders entering the field?

Mentorship and education help create supportive environments that equip bartenders to thrive. Bacardi programs like Shake Your Future provide hands-on training, industry insight and guidance from experienced professionals, reducing uncertainty, building confidence and fostering long-term career commitment, helping prevent burnout and encouraging bartenders to develop their craft with purpose.

Ultimately, investing in education and mentorship ensures a stronger, more skilled workforce, elevates industry standards and enables bars to consistently deliver exceptional experiences. When bartenders feel supported, the entire guest experience benefits.

We’ve seen the premiumization trend accelerate across spirits. How do you distinguish between “premium” and “pretentious,” and what lessons has Bacardi learned from the evolution of consumer expectations?

Consumers today aren’t chasing status; they’re making intentional choices. When they go out, they rely on bartender recommendations and menus to guide them. Premium now means purposeful, and people are gravitating toward brands that deliver real value through quality, transparency and guidance that enhances the experience.

Bacardi reflects this mindset by supporting both bartender expertise and menu-driven choices, while introducing limited editions and rare releases for those who seek something more exclusive. It’s less about extravagance and more about intention, ensuring every pour feels genuine, crafted and never pretentious.

New York, London and Singapore have long led global cocktail culture, but many of today’s most exciting cocktail movements are happening outside of major capitals. What’s driving that decentralization of influence, and where are you seeing fresh innovation emerge?

Cocktail innovation is no longer confined to global capitals. In Arizona, Little Rituals, a sleek cocktail bar celebrated for its inventive drinks, took home the award for Best Hotel Bar at the 2025 Spirited Awards, while Cobra in Columbus, Ohio is bringing Asian American culture to life in the Midwest.

Smaller cities and communities often introduce flavor profiles and presentation styles not typically seen in major markets, enriching the global cocktail scene. Consumers are seeking authenticity and connection, choosing bars that showcase local stories, flavors and craftsmanship. Seventy-seven percent of consumers now check a product’s region of origin when reading labels, highlighting a global interest in provenance and local impact. Innovation now comes from wherever people are exploring craft, culture and community. 

How is the line between bar, brand and cultural institution blurring, and what responsibilities come with that new level of influence?

The line between bar, brand and cultural institution is increasingly defined by creativity and indulgence. Drinks are now gateways to adventure, blending bold flavors, edible parfum, slowly dissolving ingredients and immersive ‘magical’ moments that 76 percent of consumers globally say heighten their experience. With this influence, brands and bars have a responsibility to innovate thoughtfully, pushing boundaries while remaining authentic, transparent and rooted in craft, so indulgence never comes at the expense of quality or accessibility.

Consumers increasingly choose brands and bars that align with their values, from transparency in ingredients to the storytelling behind each drink. Our 2026 Trends Report highlights that 70 percent of consumers spend twice as much on brands they feel loyal to, reinforcing the importance of trust, authenticity and engagement. Bars and brands now serve as curators of culture, experiences and connection, with every interaction shaping perception and loyalty.

From fashion crossovers to art installations, collaboration has become a defining force in luxury. How is that creative exchange influencing the way bars and brands build cultural relevance?

These creative partnerships let our brands blend fashion, visual art and cultural storytelling, offering multisensory experiences that go beyond traditional hospitality. 

With more than half of Gen Z saying in-person moments are worth the effort, we’re seeing consumers seek shareable, visually striking experiences that combine culture, creativity, and social connection, leading Bacardi to tap into this trend: Dewar’s partnered with luxury crystal-maker Baccarat to create an ultra-exclusive speakeasy at the 78th Annual Tony Awards in New York, a collaboration continuing into 2026, while Grey Goose’s Hotel campaign teamed up with Zoe Saldaña to highlight aspirational destinations and luxury, turning bars and activations into hubs for cultural storytelling and immersive, Instagram-worthy moments.

For people entering hospitality today, what skills or mindsets will matter most in building a long-term career?

Working in hospitality today is about far more than mixing a great drink or crafting a menu. It’s about the connections you create with every guest and the interactions that turn a moment at a bar into a memory. Christine Kim of Service Bar in Washington, D.C., recently shared how her team embraces a “RAH” mentality, or Random Acts of Hospitality, creating surprise and delight moments that make guests feel truly valued.

At Bacardi, our training programs go beyond cocktail techniques to include customer service, presentation and visual storytelling and the art of building authentic relationships. Programs like Shake Your Future combine mentorship, business skills, personal development and mixology training to give young talent a well-rounded foundation for long-term careers. Our Fundamentals of Bartending program focuses on practical skills such as cocktail building and bar operations while also teaching confidence, presentation, presence and meaningful guest connection. Recent sessions in markets like Atlanta show the impact of equipping bartenders not just with tools, but with the skills to create genuine, memorable experiences at every touchpoint.

If you had to predict one defining bar behavior of 2026—the kind of moment that captures where culture is headed—what would it be?

In 2026, consumers are becoming more intentional about where, what and when they drink, seeking experiences that align with their daily routines and offer a reason to slow down, connect and explore new flavors together. Gen Z, in particular, is redefining drinking culture, trading late-night excess for lighter, more mindful indulgence earlier in the day. At ViceVersa in Miami, cocktails are served only until 8 p.m., with peak hours between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Their choose-your-own martin part of their menu gives guests the freedom to personalize their experience, reflecting a growing demand for customization and creativity behind the bar.

At its heart, 2026 is all about social, experiential drinking, where bartenders’ craft, creativity and storytelling bring people together for moments that feel meaningful, memorable and truly human.

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. In an industry long associated with toxic fumes, exploitative labor and narrow definitions of beauty, MiniLuxe is reimagining what luxury means: clean, ethical and empowering from the inside out. Founded more than 15 years ago with the goal of professionalizing nail care, MiniLuxe has become a case study in how design, technology and purpose can elevate even the most everyday rituals into meaningful acts of self-care.

As CEO Tony Tjan explains, MiniLuxe was built on the belief that true luxury isn’t about exclusivity but intentionality, an accessible “everyday luxury” that celebrates both client well-being and employee dignity. By investing deeply in its workforce through training, equity participation and career mobility, the company has achieved over 85 percent annual retention among hourly workers—an anomaly in beauty and personal care. MiniLuxe’s model has proven that ethics and economics can reinforce one another. From its proprietary clean lab and non-toxic product line to its use of A.I.-enabled pricing and predictive scheduling, the company’s innovations extend beyond aesthetics. Tjan sees the future of self-care as a balance between technology and humanity—where personalization, community and creative expression remain core.

At a time when conscious consumers are reshaping the definition of luxury, MiniLuxe offers a blueprint for how modern brands can scale integrity as effectively as growth. The company’s success suggests that the next generation of prestige is defined by purpose, transparency and the people behind the polish.

The nail care industry has long been fragmented and informal. What business strategies allowed MiniLuxe to professionalize the space while still remaining accessible to clients?

We founded MiniLuxe to radically transform the nail care industry, beginning with clean and ethical work practices and the empowerment of our team members—through a better and healthier work environment, practical training, economic mobility and creative self-expression. We have been able to do this with the belief that clients want a brand that stands for quality and consistency, and are willing to pay a slight premium for cleaner and better-for-you services and the ethical and empowering treatment we provide to our workers. By investing in our team members, we get long-term loyalty with over 50 percent of our hourly team members having five years or more of service (and with that are granted equity options) and an annual hourly worker retention of over 85 percent.

Luxury is often defined by exclusivity. How do you reconcile that with MiniLuxe’s positioning as an “affordable luxury”?

When we started this business 15+ years ago, my co-founders and I wanted to find something that was “Starbuck-able”—a small ritualistic personal luxury that made people feel good but was accessible to a broad base.

The price point of a coffee, lipstick or manicure makes these goods and services more recession-proof and “everyday” luxuries. Luxury is a term that goes well beyond “exclusivity,” which is a somewhat dated and narrow notion of what luxury truly means. Modern luxury is more intentional and increasingly about experiences, self-care and emotional well-being.

We were also, I believe, the first to recognize that the nail care industry was bifurcated between a very large number of mass, lower cost, traditional “corner nail salons” (think the nail salon equivalent of independently-owned quick service restaurants) and very high end and expensive day spas where you might have to spend hours wearing a robe to get your nails done (think fine dining for nails). Our belief was that there was latent consumer demand for an affordable prestige experience in the form of a new “fast casual” experience that we ended up calling MiniLuxe.

Employee retention in the beauty industry is notoriously difficult. What lessons can other service-based industries learn from MiniLuxe’s approach to talent development and equity participation?

Purpose and people are everything. You need to have clarity of your purpose or “why,” and you need to inspire your people with a job and a north star that gives intrinsic meaning. It’s key for your team members to be maniacally aligned around that north star. The lesson that I have learned over the years is that people ultimately stay or leave a company more because of the intrinsic meaning that they feel for their job. That said, we complement our efforts to deliver on our purpose with a belief that our economic success—our extrinsic rewards—needs to be shared throughout all levels of our team. When you combine a strong purpose with a commitment to share these rewards, there is strong alignment. There’s nothing magic about it, but not enough businesses do it: marrying significance with success.

One of the most fun ways that we get to celebrate our employees is when they hit certain milestones in their careers. We are proud to acknowledge our team members with equity rewards at each five-year anniversary and complement those equity option grants with other recognitions, such as having a custom nail polish color named after team members who have been with us 10 years or more. It’s great learning about the stories of why 10-year anniversary members pick the color they pick and the name for that color. One designer named a color Yun Tree, and another one Ruth. They were named after a tree in the person’s home country, and in the other case, Ruth was a lifelong client who had passed away, and the color was her favorite.

The number of hourly-working nail designers who have been with us for 10+ years is around 10 percent of our team, and those who have been with us for five years plus represent about 50 percent of our team.

As consumers become more conscious of the ethical footprint of the products and services they use, how does MiniLuxe turn “ethical and clean” into a business advantage rather than just a marketing claim?

Clean and ethical nail care was the founding principle and strategy of differentiation for MiniLuxe. When we started the business, we pioneered elements like a proprietary Clean Lab with surgical grade sterilization, we utilized our founders’ backgrounds in science from Harvard to help develop better-for-you products; built the pedi stations with no whirlpools (to avoid bacteria risk), created immaculate waxing rooms with strict clean protocols, and we committed to the ethical and fair treatment of our workers. Since founding MiniLuxe, we have paid out nearly $150 million in fair and ethical wages to our nail designers, and we also decided from the outset not to offer acrylic nail services (which were and are a popular segment of nail services, but are simply not good for you and our workers’ health). Other large company investments included when we decided to pull all OPI and Essie and develop our own line of MiniLuxe 8-free polishes and nail treatments, including our Environmental Working Group (EWG)-certified and best-selling cuticle oil, all made in the USA to ensure full oversight and transparency at every step.

What is most rewarding are the memories and stories that we have heard from our clients and team members about what our clean and ethical standards have meant for them. One of the most common comments from first-time clients is, “Oh my God, there is no smell!”

One memory that still moves me was the first time a client told us confidentially that she was going through cancer treatment and that this was the only place that she and her doctor felt safe for her to go for a mani-pedi, which meant that much more to her during a challenging period. We have since heard similar testimonies from various at-risk patients. The disclaimer here is, of course, that patients should check with their doctors what is safe or not safe for them to do while undergoing treatments, but to be seen as the better-for-you and safer choice for many is meaningful.

Another surprise call once came from the head of one of the most prestigious hospitals in the Boston area. One of our nail designers had recently joined their team as a newly minted phlebotomist. The director wanted to personally call me to share how amazed she was that we had nail designers with such depth of knowledge of key hygiene protocols and how personable this particular worker was with her infectious hospitality. We’ve also had our designers tell us that they feel very safe while pregnant, versus how miscarriages are a common risk in several salons that don’t follow hygiene protocols.

Technology is at the core of your model, from A.I.-enabled pricing to digital-first booking. How do you see technology shaping the future of luxury personal care services?

A.I. has many applications in personal care and candidly will likely have its largest impact in more staid and archaic industries. Within the world of personal care, we see A.I. having a role in predictive yield management, dynamic pricing, training and the overall client experience, especially in the area of personalized recommendations.

At MiniLuxe, we are big believers in using technology to give our nail designers greater autonomy and more time to focus on what they do best, honing their craft. Technology also eases the stress of scheduling and coordination, allowing our designers to work more efficiently.

MiniLuxe operates at the intersection of wellness, beauty and luxury. How do you differentiate in a crowded beauty market that increasingly blurs these categories?

Our biggest differentiator is the clarity of our purpose—to empower our communities through self-care and self-expression, with an anchored purpose that allows us to create differentiation across our brand, culture, technology and overall platform systems.

Overall, the types of businesses and business transformations that have intrigued me are where capital and entrepreneurship can be used as a force for good and where you can apply design and technology to archaic industries. The nail industry is only beginning the birth of its innovative phase. 

On a personal level, I have a deep appreciation for Japanese- and Scandinavian-inspired design with pops of whimsy. We have tried to have the MiniLuxe brand echo some of that aesthetic, and it has been equally important to have a view of simplicity for the technology that we are bringing into the business, from our app, to our booking systems, to digital payment and inspiration mood boards for nail designs.  

In a time when some consumers are cutting back on salon visits, what makes the nail care category resilient, and what does that say about the evolving definition of discretionary spending in the luxury market?

As long as modern nail care has been part of the American landscape (since the early to mid-1970s), nails have shown incredibly resilient and steady growth outside of “black swan” events like Covid-19, which temporarily shut down the industry. Nail care is the most democratized entry point of beauty and self-care services, making it an affordable luxury like a movie ticket or lipstick (e.g., the lipstick index) in good times and bad. And in some cases, it can even have the contrarian impact of increasing sales during a recession as consumers shift spending from more expensive self-care and beauty services to more affordable experiences such as nail care.

MiniLuxe has developed proprietary clean products alongside its salon business. What role does vertical integration play in building a defensible and scalable brand?

Vertical integration is an important part of any defensible and scalable brand, but it usually comes at a later stage of development for companies. We are being selective where we vertically integrate and are most focused at this time on delivering 10x betterment of our client experience.

Today, we integrate proprietary MiniLuxe products seamlessly into the overall brand experience, prioritizing better-for-you, clean formulations in-house. We maintain control over quality, innovation and consistency. For example, we have been early in the identification of ingredients that we don’t believe should be in nail care products. None of MiniLuxe’s branded products has, for example, TPO, which has been a hot topic in the news. Any time we evaluate a third-party product, we make sure that it meets our internal standards of safety by being toxic-free or only trace (i.e., non-harmful levels) of anything we have on our ingredient watch list.

The clean beauty market can be murky, with many products claiming to be “clean.” By pursuing EWG certification, one of the most rigorous standards, we ensure that our clean beauty claims are backed by real, verifiable standards in products such as our Cuticle Oil. We scale thoughtfully, ensuring new products, like our recently launched hand cream, are naturally incorporated into our nail care rituals, enhancing the client experience at every touchpoint.

How has digital and social media marketing changed how luxury beauty brands like MiniLuxe connect with customers compared to a decade ago?

No different than any other brands. End-users have shifted to their phones and other screens for the “social proofing” of their choices. With that said, nail care is a fairly intimate experience where the provider is touching and holding your hands (and waxing even that much more) so there is as much influence in the moment with what a trusted provider might recommend for healthier nails, color selection, nail art design or post-waxing care.

At MiniLuxe, we embrace digital shifts by using social media and online video to highlight our artistry and tell stories that are authentic and in a personal voice. From showcasing our designers across different markets to sharing nail art and wellness routines, we create content that both inspires and educates, while reflecting the trust clients experience in the salon. We focus on original ideas, not just pushing products, making the social media experience feel more personal. This approach brings the intimate, in-person experience online, letting us connect with audiences in real time and show visually what we do best. 

Scaling ethical values—whether wages, benefits or hygiene standards—can be difficult when expanding. How do you ensure consistency across regions as MiniLuxe grows?

One of our board members once said, “Show me a good studio/store and I’ll show you a good studio/store leader.” It again comes down first and foremost to having as many A-leaders in our studios. We don’t always get it right but we are intentional, patient and very greedy about who we hire, promote and develop as our studio leader, operating or franchise partners.

In addition to getting great people who can lead in the studio, we do everything possible to build a strong culture and systems. Our systems span the range from how to properly shape and color a nail to monitoring key performance indicators of the business to how best to position and execute on a new product or service for launch. When you pair a strong leader with strong systems, you don’t guarantee success, but you sure increase the probability of it. Furthermore, none of these systems is static, and there is an interdependency between developing great systems and great people. What do I mean by that? Our team of operating partners, studio leaders and nail designers acts as a neural learning network to improve our systems. It’s like a living and breathing Slack learning channel that shares ideas, provides feedback, hacks and ways to improve on any system or aspect of our business.

Do you see your employee equity and ownership model as a template that could transform other low-wage, high-turnover industries?

I see broad employee ownership as an economic tool that goes well beyond retention and the potential, if used more broadly, to narrow the income inequality gap that we have in this country. There are two great financial innovation tools for the broader base of Americans to generate wealth. 

One, the home mortgage, which allows one to have a leveraged way to build long-term equity value that outstrips the cost of the borrowed capital. And two, equity ownership that complements a W2 check. The latter has long been used as a tool for executives and higher-ranking employees, but in my vie,w should be used more broadly across businesses that have liquid stock appreciation potential. 

Imagine if just a fraction of the successful big-box retailers and large retail chains that employ hundreds of thousands of hourly workers shared just a little of their equity gains with those floor workers. Even if a very small portion of that equity pool was reserved for special or emergency needs of the core base of hourly workers (at MiniLuxe, we have a small but important emergency resiliency fund), that would be a positive advancement of overall workforce engagement and security.

What consumer trends—whether in wellness, sustainability or design—are most likely to reshape the beauty and nail care industry over the next five years?

Increasing integration of A.I., technology and design into more human-centric elements of wellness that cannot be digitized will shape the future experiences of self-care. While there are exciting developments in robotics and other technology, which will take some share from the marketplace (no difference from home-based massage chairs), there will, for the foreseeable future, be a market for human-to-human connectivity and real-world experiences. In fact, as technology and A.I. become more pervasive, the luxury of self-care may be that which is done IRL by real humans in an intentionally well-designed space.

Many luxury sectors are exploring personalization powered by A.I. and data. Do you see a role for hyper-personalization in nail care, or is consistency and standardization more valuable?

The two are not mutually exclusive. There is no one use case for getting your nails done. For example, if there is a special event, one might want to have highly customized nail art or an expression of nail design that reflects their fandomship for a team, character or other affiliation, but day-to-day, that same person might value super consistent standardization of their go-to simple classic nude or neutral nail look.

Again, as stated above, hyper-personalization is reshaping luxury beauty, and Paintbox’s custom press-ons are a direct response to the growing demand for bespoke experiences. Each set is handcrafted by a designer, using techniques like freehand drawing, 3D elements, gradients, intricate patterns and gem work, turning nails into wearable, reusable works of art. As elaborate press-on nail looks make waves on red carpets, Paintbox brings that same level of luxury and personalized creativity to everyday clients.

Looking ahead, what does the “future luxury salon” look like, and how might MiniLuxe be shaping that vision?

The future luxury salon will consider nail care across its multiple dimensions of consumer value: self-care, self-expression and community connection. I see nails as the “new face” with endless possibilities and spaces that elevate nails from what may be viewed by some as trivial beauty to a new category of accessory, identity and expression—a safe space (that 1×1 cm canvas of a nail plate) to make a statement about your individuality.

In addition to individual expression, the future nail studio will equally embrace the role that nail care has played over the decades as a mini-moment of joy and self-care. What will change is the form factor in which we deliver both expression and care, whether that be reimagined chairs, cocooned nooks or areas that use A.I. to digitally inspire one’s creativity. We will also be more expansive in our view of nail trends, bringing more east-to-west trends and catering to a modern global citizen and more conscious and intentional consumer. Exciting times ahead!

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where leaders and innovators distill years of experience into clear, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. At the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg (FMDG) Music School in New York City, executive director Dr. Rob Derke is advancing a vision that has redefined what accessibility in the arts can mean for over a century.

Founded in 1913, FMDG has built a legacy of excellence in music education for blind and visually impaired students, one grounded in specialized expertise, technological innovation and a deep commitment to community. As one of the only institutions in the nation to offer a fully accessible, lifelong music curriculum, FMDG serves as both a school and a cultural hub, where artistry and inclusion evolve side by side. Under Dr. Derke’s leadership, FMDG is transforming from a local institution into a global center of excellence in accessible music education. From pioneering braille transcription and adaptive technology programs to collaborating with universities and the Recording Academy on accessibility standards, the school is expanding its reach without losing sight of its purpose. Each initiative reflects a clear through line: accessibility isn’t a constraint on artistic potential—it’s a foundation for innovation. For Dr. Derke, FMDG’s mission-driven approach to growth is shaping the next generation of musicians, underscoring why accessibility must be understood not just as an ethical obligation, but as an essential driver of creativity, sustainability and economic value in the arts.

The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg (FMDG) Music School has been a leader in accessibility in music for more than a century. What makes its model so unique—and so enduring?

For more than 100 years, the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School has stood as a beacon of possibility for blind and visually impaired musicians. This century-plus history of institutional knowledge and pedagogical refinement has created an organization that is irreplaceable.

What truly distinguishes FMDG is our comprehensive, lifespan approach. While most programs serve a single demographic, we welcome everyone from elementary-age children through senior citizens, creating a multigenerational community where families remain connected for decades. Students don’t just learn instruments; they gain technology proficiency, develop self-advocacy skills and acquire the confidence needed to navigate higher education and career pathways.

Our depth of expertise is fueled by staff with specialized training that typical music teachers rarely possess. We maintain in-house braille music transcription services, large print production and accessible technology training, creating a learning ecosystem that serves students, universities and performance institutions nationwide. Our braille music library, second only to the Library of Congress collection, is now housed at the New York Public Library for public access.

You’ve spoken about formalizing FMDG’s role as a global resource. What does building a “center of excellence” in accessible music education actually look like in practice?

FMDG’s transformation from local institution to global center of excellence requires a phased approach. Our recent designation as a Recording Academy Accessibility + Disability (RAA+D) Community Partner will spur workshops, panels and events reaching a global audience. Our higher education initiative, supported by the Lavelle Fund and National Endowment for the Arts, leads a consortium of the nation’s top conservatories to design the sector’s first guidelines ensuring blind and visually impaired students receive the same opportunities as their sighted peers.

We’re building relationships with agencies nationwide to reach thousands of students with little to no access to comprehensive, accessible music education through online group classes, private lessons, courses in theory and appreciation and on-site workshops. We’re also aiming to engage with Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI) programs so future preK-12 teachers have tools to bring accessible music education into classrooms.

Looking ahead, we’re excited about partnering with technology companies to advance accessible music tools and adaptive instruments. However, these opportunities will never dilute our primary focus on NYC area students in the classrooms and rehearsal studios that produce some of the finest musicians heard on world-renowned stages.

Many niche institutions struggle with scaling without diluting their mission. How are you thinking about expanding FMDG’s reach while preserving its deep focus?

Protecting FMDG’s mission while scaling depends on building mission integrity into every organizational system. We focus exclusively on blind and visually impaired learners, maintain an accessibility-first approach with individualized instruction and place student dignity at the center. These principles can never be compromised for growth or revenue.

The members of our board, staff and faculty with lived experience of vision loss have real decision-making authority. We consult them on all policy changes from the ideation stage, and we’re willing to walk away from opportunities that don’t align with our mission. We only expand where documented needs exist, and partnerships must meet our high ethical standards. Members of our community have been part of FMDG for decades, so any signal of mission drift will be heard loud and clear.

Whether in the arts, education or beyond, what lessons could other specialized organizations take from FMDG’s approach to growth?

FMDG occupies a unique position: our funders know exactly why they’re critical to our success. Typical arts organizations must identify what might motivate each donor—older music? New music? Specific artists? With FMDG, donors immediately understand how their support impacts our community members.

Organizations face constant pressure to broaden scope for more funding. Yet our history of exclusively serving musicians with vision loss has created irreplaceable expertise that generalists cannot match. Deep specialization builds community trust, measurable outcomes, and a defensible market position, making our narrow focus a superpower, not a limitation. This allows us to direct creativity and energy toward growth that reinforces our ecosystem rather than depleting it. Mission-driven scale means becoming more of what we are, not less.

There’s often a notion that accessibility is purely a moral imperative, rather than a business one. What do funders and policymakers miss about the ROI of accessibility in arts and culture?

When accessibility is dismissed as charity or compliance, funders and policymakers might miss the economic returns that ripple far beyond the disability community.

The global disability community represents 1.3 billion people controlling $13 trillion in disposable income. In the United States, 61 million disabled adults, plus families and friends, create a 150-million-person market with $490 billion in annual disposable spending. Yet most arts organizations capture less than 5 percent of this market—not because disabled people don’t want cultural experiences, but because those experiences remain inaccessible. The disability community’s attendance at performing arts events is 14 percentage points lower than the 37.3 percent overall attendance rate, despite having comparable disposable income.

Research shows the disability community exhibits up to 4 times higher brand loyalty than general consumers, and businesses championing disability inclusion generate up to 30 percent higher profit margins. Accessibility efforts also drive innovation for all. Over half of Americans use subtitles regularly, benefiting from captioning in loud environments, for language learning or hands-free operation.

The most distressing consequence of inaccessibility is increased social isolation. The mortality risk of social isolation costs the healthcare system $6.7 billion annually. Nearly 50 percent of adults with visual impairments experience moderate or severe loneliness, with socially isolated individuals incurring 50 percent higher healthcare costs. Arts education becomes preventive healthcare, potentially reducing downstream costs substantially.

What are the most persuasive metrics or outcomes you’ve seen when it comes to demonstrating the value of inclusive programming?

The most persuasive outcomes are what we see in students’ and families’ faces as they take the stage with confidence and musical artistry. Students remain for decades. Parents of former students still volunteer because of community kinship. I’m only the seventh Executive Director in 112 years, and many funders have been our biggest supporters for decades.

In business metrics, our students achieve approximately 70 percent employment, double the 36 percent baseline for visually impaired adults. If each employed graduate generates $50,000 annually in earned income versus $18,000 in disability benefits, it creates a net economic gain of $32,000 per person per year, or $960,000 over a 30-year career. 

Government funders value payback calculations. FMDG students attend higher education at twice the average rate of students who are blind. If comprehensive training costs $60,000 total over four years and graduates earn $50,000 annually, they generate $29,000 in annual public returns. With $18,000 eliminated from disability benefits, $8,000 in tax revenue and $3,000 in reduced healthcare costs, the investment breaks even in just 2.07 years.

How do accessible arts programs strengthen participation as well as institutional sustainability and stakeholder buy-in?

These outcomes form a reinforcing ecosystem. Stakeholders stay engaged longer and become vocal advocates because accessible organizations inspire fierce loyalty, creating predictable recurring revenue and reducing donor acquisition costs. Our 85 percent to 90 percent year-to-year student retention reflects both programmatic success and financial sustainability.

Organizations known for inclusive practices attract exceptional staff who stay longer and reduce turnover costs. Staff trained in accessibility develop sophisticated problem-solving skills that make the entire organization more adaptable. This builds trust, which leads to creative problem-solving and novel stakeholder coalitions that exponentially increase our resources, networks and advocacy.

When we faced facility threats after parting ways with Lighthouse, staff members, board members and accessibility-focused organizations mobilized stakeholders who brought genuine community power and critical donor support. The ecosystem’s strength was a determining factor in FMDG’s rise to even greater heights after becoming an independent school.

Where do you see the biggest gaps in accessibility in arts education today, and how can institutions realistically begin to close them?

The most profound gap is in specialized pedagogical knowledge. Music teachers often receive little to no training in teaching students with vision loss during pre-service education. I’m continually amazed at how many musicians are surprised to learn about braille music. Although our braille transcription services are partially funded by several donors, braille music and large print materials remain prohibitively expensive and difficult to access for many students around the country. Most publishers don’t provide accessible formats, forcing teachers and students to pay transcription costs or forgo repertoire entirely. This creates educational inequality where students with disabilities access a fraction of the musical canon available to their sighted peers. 

The biggest challenge in closing these gaps occurs when taking geography into account because thousands of K-12 students across the country simply have no access to the type of accessible music education that FMDG provides. Our online programming and collaborations with state agencies will certainly address these opportunity gaps, provided that donors recognize how we are uniquely positioned to address this critical need.

The fundamental gap is universal design thinking, whereas accessibility must be embedded from inception and not added retroactively. Many institutions approach accessibility as ad hoc accommodations, retrofitting services after designing programs for non-disabled students. This creates parallel systems where disabled students receive “modified” experiences marked as lesser. Institutions can shift this by requiring accessibility review at the program design stage. When developing new curricula, ensemble configurations or performance opportunities and venues, consider how blind or low vision students can fully participate before launching, not after someone requests an accommodation.

Are there policy shifts you believe would accelerate accessibility in arts and education at scale?

Accreditation agencies should ensure all teacher certification programs include disability pedagogy and accessible instruction as core competencies. The Higher Education Opportunity Act should mandate that federally funded institutions demonstrate accessibility integration across teacher preparation programs. This would transform the field from the ground up while incurring minimal cost.

On the state level, vision-related agencies should recognize arts education as legitimate vocational goals eligible for full funding, similar to STEM fields. Arts and culture industries recently grew at twice the rate of the U.S. economy, adding $1.2 trillion and representing 4.2 percent of GDP. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act should explicitly include arts careers in competitive integrated employment definitions, unlocking millions in existing funding without new appropriations.

However, policies must recognize the unique trajectory of people in the arts. Many artists experience seasonal work or financial ebbs and flows from one year to the next. Policymakers should recalculate multi-year benefits cliffs and asset limits that penalize disabled individuals for pursuing arts careers with variable income. When benefits loss outpaces income gain, it creates strong disincentives for career advancement.

You bring three decades of experience as a musician, educator and nonprofit leader. How does that background shape your vision for FMDG’s next chapter?

My vision emerges from a life spent navigating borders and perspectives. I began as a musician deeply rooted in jazz tradition, but growing up in NYC allowed me to perform across genres, with gigs at the Apollo, CBGBs, Carnegie Hall, Nuyorican Poets Café, the Palladium and many others. Extensive international travel that ranges from Soviet-era East Germany to the Middle East and Asia, combined with designing music education programs in dozens of schools across the country, taught me that holding multiple perspectives simultaneously offers clarity rather than confusion.

We’re not simply teaching blind students to participate in a sighted world’s music culture. We’re building an institution that recognizes the disability perspective as generative. My trajectory from jazz clubs to organizational leadership matters because FMDG’s growth strategy requires leadership that can simultaneously speak to artists about aesthetic excellence, to funders about ROI and sustainability, to policymakers about systemic change, to the disability community about authentic representation and to educators about pedagogical rigor.

We exist because institutional systems have excluded people who are blind or visually impaired from full cultural participation. We’re proving that exclusion was never about capability; it was about design. Our students’ lived experience of musicianship already contradicts dominant narratives about disability as limitation. My vision for FMDG’s next chapter is about making this counter-narrative undeniable at scale.

What challenges keep you up at night as you work to expand the school’s impact? Looking ahead, what does success look like for FMDG?

Our organization requires exceptional educators who possess musical expertise, specialized vision loss pedagogy skills and genuine disability justice values. As we scale, maintaining this quality bar presents challenges, but we’re mitigating them by building relationships with higher education institutions where we can share expertise with teachers preparing to enter the field.

We must also navigate regional variation in funding policies, threading the needle to ensure our programming aligns with agency requirements and regional foundation priorities. Individual donor support is critical, allowing us to meet student needs as opportunities arise.

Success means multiple things. For students and teaching, it means making ableist narratives about limitation impossible to sustain. Practically, it includes securing a new home for our school in NYC, where we can thrive while cementing our national presence. Personally, it means building an institution so embedded with distinctive values that it survives well into another century. Organizationally, success is when other specialized organizations study FMDG’s scaling approach to replicate in their domains, demonstrating that mission and growth aren’t contradictory.

For leaders outside of the arts, what’s one takeaway they can apply from FMDG’s journey about scaling impact without losing sight of mission?

FMDG’s century of impact comes from refusing to dilute our focus of exclusively serving musicians of any age and proficiency level who are blind and visually impaired. This has created irreplaceable depth that generalists cannot match. Counterintuitively, narrowing scope increases impact. Deep specialization builds community trust, measurable outcomes and defensible market position that gives us a competitive advantage. The key to growth is multiplying expertise, not just services. Serve your community so extraordinarily well that the possibilities you’ve proven become undeniable.

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. At a time when loneliness is being called a public health crisis and nearly half of U.S. adults say they struggle to make friends, Liv Schreiber is proving that connection can be designed. And that joy is contagious when done right. As founder and CEO of Camp Social, a fast-growing community and events platform, Schreiber has built a business around something most of us crave but rarely prioritize: real human connection.

Her approach is anything but ordinary. Camp Social doesn’t rely on contrived icebreakers or staged exclusivity. Instead, it invites people to show up solo and leave with a sense of belonging, whether through group hikes, paddleboarding sessions, yoga flows or roundtable dinners. Ninety-nine percent of attendees come alone, and 100 percent leave with new friends. For Schreiber, the formula is simple but intentional: create an atmosphere that’s warm, energetic and safe enough for people to drop their guard.

From navigating intergenerational friendships to balancing the reach of digital platforms with the depth of offline experiences, Schreiber’s work is a reminder that social connection is a skill—and a business—worth cultivating.

What key ingredients make people feel safe and open at social events?

It starts with making people feel comfortable being themselves in a new environment. That means creating an atmosphere that’s warm, low-pressure, and welcoming, like freshman year of college, where everyone’s somehow in the same boat. At Camp Social, we do this through small details: encouraging people to come solo (99 percent arrive solo and 100 percent leave as friends), bonding over fun activities like paddleboarding, yoga and hikes instead of cringey group icebreakers, shared meals at roundtables, uplifting music, leadership staff and I demonstrating how excited we are to have our campers with us.

The goal is to make it easy for people to talk, laugh and connect, without overthinking it, feeling like they’re at home, not visiting.

How do you curate a crowd without making it feel curated?

I focus on vibe over visuals. It’s not about everyone dressing the same or looking the same. In fact, our wide range of ages and diversity are something I’m most proud of. We attract the vibe we put out: we want people who are kind, open, enthusiastic. 

People you’d want next to you at a campfire or a dance party. It’s less about exclusivity and more about creating a room full of people who make each other feel good and come in with open, positive, excited attitudes.

What has building Camp Social taught you about female friendship, and what are we still getting wrong?

We’ve been taught that friendships should feel effortless, but real connection takes intentionality. Camp Social has shown me that most women want deeper friendships; they just don’t always have the time or space in their day-to-day lives. So we created a space where you don’t have to play it cool or play a game at all. You can show up, be yourself, and know that everyone else is looking to connect, too. It’s instant.

How do you balance digital reach with offline authenticity?

Social media gets people in the door, but what makes them stay is how they feel once they’re there. The offline experience majorly exceeds the online hype. That’s how it should always be. The American Psychiatric Association’s 2023 poll found 30 percent of adults experience loneliness at least once a week, and 10 percent feel lonely every single day, with adults 18 to 34 most affected. We need to feel joy and community in real life!

Thoughtful moments, epic goodies, good conversation, unexpected fun, that’s what keeps it real. When people leave saying, “I feel like I just made 100 new best friends,” that’s the win. And that’s what builds real community, not just a following. I’m uninterested in catfishing.

What advice would you give someone who’s moved to New York and doesn’t know how to make friends?

First of all, you’re not alone. A lot of people feel that way (1 in 2 adults in the U.S.), that’s why I started my businesses. Most people are just waiting for someone else to make the first move. So be the one who reaches out. Say yes to things. Invite someone for coffee, even if it feels awkward. You don’t need a million friends, you just need one incredible person. And if you don’t know where to start, that’s literally why we built Camp Social. You have to be a villager to have a village, so make sure you feed the flame once it starts.

The Camp Social audience is anyone young at heart. What is so special about intergenerational friendships, and how should you go about making intergenerational connections

Intergenerational friendships are the secret sauce no one’s talking about! They stretch your perspective and bring a kind of grounding that same-age friendships sometimes can’t. Having a friend who’s 20 years older than you reminds you that things you’re stressing about might not matter in the long run, and having a younger friend keeps you curious and plugged in.

 A 2023 Journal of Social and Personal Relationships study found that adults with meaningful intergenerational relationships reported higher levels of life satisfaction, emotional regulation and even cognitive function. Another survey by Generations United revealed that 92 percent of Americans believe intergenerational relationships reduce loneliness, and only 26 percent say they have them regularly. That gap says everything. We need Camp Social.

What’s special is that both people bring something valuable to the table: stories, wisdom, humor, new references, new ways of thinking. It’s like finding prequels and sequels of your favorite book that you didn’t know you needed.

People must drop the assumption that friendship has to look a certain way. Stay open to connection in unexpected places, a coworker, a neighbor, someone at your gym or your mom’s best friend. Friendship is about shared energy and a mutual willingness to show up for each other.

Some of the most meaningful connections I’ve seen at Camp Social have been between people with totally different backgrounds, careers, and ages. That’s the beauty of it: we’re all just humans looking for people who get us. If you’re lucky, sometimes, that person who gets you isn’t in your age bracket. That’s the beauty.

Camp Social has grown quickly in a notoriously hard-to-scale space: human connection. What strategies have been most effective in translating something so personal into a sustainable, growing business?

Camp Social grew fast because I never treated it like an “event.” It feels like family, and I treat my campers and staff like family. We have created moments—charcuterie boards and firepits at sunset, letters-to-themselves stations and friendship bracelets, dance parties at dinner, customization of individual schedules and outdoor movie nights—that made women feel seen and part of something bigger than themselves. Word of mouth is our best growth channel. Every camper has become a brand evangelist because they weren’t just attending, they were belonging. 

That intimacy scales when you build systems around it—surveys, bunk assignments, diligently trained staff who are an extension of me—so that every woman still feels like she got a personalized, magical experience, even at a 1000-person scale. The number of attendees and popularity don’t and will never matter to me. It’s the quality of experience that I’m responsible for.

Have you faced moments when scaling threatened to dilute the “magic” of Camp Social? How did you protect the integrity of the experience while growing?

Of course there were moments where I worried, but I just created what I wanted to experience and removed what would stress me as a consumer. To protect the “magic,” I doubled down on small touches—welcome notes, intentionally curated bunkmate pairings, surprise activations that feel intimate and are only brands that I actually use and love. Saying no to what doesn’t align, no matter the dollar offer. 

The bigger we got, the more important it became to weave in micro-moments of intimacy and say no to the big guys that don’t align. Every human touch point matters, and scaling didn’t mean diluting. It meant more designing for intimacy at scale. It is a responsibility I’m grateful for. 

Are there lessons from Camp Social that could translate into corporate or workplace culture? How can companies make teams feel more connected and creative?

Camp Social proved something I think every company should pay attention to: connection fuels creativity. People do their best work and stay longer when they feel emotionally safe and socially plugged in—without being attached to work 24/7. Provide communal meals that aren’t “networking” but true bonding. Activities that the company can offer for employees in their downtime or during lunch. Camp Social is proof that when you build infrastructure around belonging—and back it with intentional leaders and staff, productivity and retention follow.

In your view, what’s the future of community-driven brands? Where do you see this space heading in the next five years, and how will Camp Social evolve to meet it?

We’re in a loneliness epidemic, but also a renaissance of community. The future belongs to brands that don’t just sell a product—they create belonging. In five years, I see community-driven brands blending IRL and digital seamlessly, offering memberships, products, retreats and always-on touchpoints that extend beyond one-off transactions. For Camp Social, that means scaling into memberships, global retreats and digital platforms where the magic of connection continues year-round. It’s not just camp. It’s a lifestyle. I’m glad the business world is finally listening.