Digital has changed the landscape of retail, and colleges and universities are beginning to find innovative ways to reflect that in their curriculum. Brian Walker speaks to Professor Kirthi Kalyanam of Santa Clara University, a leading academic with research and expertise in retailing, internet, and multi-channel marketing, to learn how classrooms are evolving to keep pace with a changing industry. Together, they discuss the role of education post-pandemic and how businesses can better support the retail talent pipeline from classroom to career. They cover a broad range of topics in this conversation, including: - The evolution of retail and e-commerce, and how that’s been viewed within academia. - How the pandemic has impacted students, not only in the classroom, but also in their ability to prepare for the future ahead. - The importance of training students on the platforms and technologies used in retail today. - What businesses can do to better support the classroom to career pipeline for students. This episode offers many fascinating insights into how modern business and academia overlap, and how education must evolve at the same rate as the e-commerce industry in order to thrive in the new landscape. If you’re looking for ways to help the next generation of bright business minds, Dr. Kalyanam shares some invaluable insights in this episode that you won’t want to miss. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Dr. Kalyanam a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkalyanam Learn more about the Retail Management Institute’s Digital Merchandising Certification program here: https://www.scu.edu/business/retail-management-institute/digital-merchandising-certification/