In this episode of The Orbit, host Nihar Kulkarni sits down with the "wrecking ball" of the e-commerce industry, Rachel Jacobs (Founder, E-Commerce Partnerships).

Rachel is a powerhouse in the agency space, known for her no-nonsense approach to business growth. She shares her journey from agency COO—where she pioneered some of the first Klaviyo retainers in Europe—to becoming the leading connector between agencies, tech platforms, and brands globally.

If you are an agency owner stuck in the "feast or famine" cycle of project-based work, this episode is a masterclass on flipping your business model. Nihar and Rachel discuss the critical transition from time-and-materials billing to sustainable retainer models, the future of agency M&A, and why integrating AI is no longer optional for survival.

In the latest episode of the Orbit, Shopify’s Michelle Drawert joins Nihar Kulkarni to unpack how e-commerce, creativity, and AI are converging. Michelle shares her journey from early-days merchandising (think pencils and green-and-white printouts) to helping shape Shopify’s approach to intelligent commerce — where technology augments human creativity instead of replacing it.
 

A must-listen for anyone thinking about the future of retail, AI, and digital strategy.

In this episode of Interview With, Nihar Kulkarni sits down with Joe Fox, President of Growave, for a candid conversation about his unconventional journey through the e-commerce industry—from founding a digital agency in Australia to leading growth at a leading SaaS loyalty platform.

Joe shares insights on building high-trust relationships, regional differences in e-commerce culture, and why tech stack consolidation and unified customer experiences are shaping the future of digital commerce. He also gets real about retention strategy pitfalls, startup grit, and the importance of aligning your team with purpose.

Whether you’re in an agency, brand-side, or the tech world, this episode delivers wisdom, honesty, and a few laughs between old friends.

Want more of Joe and Nihar? Tune into Growave's podcast here for an episode coming out this summer!: https://www.growave.io/podcasts

🚀 From Merrill Lynch to Modern Commerce — Meet Dennis Yu, a true operator who’s pivoted from finance to retail, eComm, marketplaces, and beyond.

In this episode, Dennis shares how he hustled his way into the fashion industry, scaled growth at Society6 and Shopify, and why he launched The Other Group to guide brands navigating today’s omnichannel reality.

We get into:

⚡ Pivoting careers (more than once)

🛍️ DTC vs. Wholesale dynamics

📦 Supply chain truths post-2020

📈 Trusted partnerships in uncertain times

🤖 The AI-fueled future of video commerce

🎧 Listen in for one of the most grounded, actionable convos on what it takes to build today.

From Ramen to Roswell: The Raw Story Behind a Webby-Winning Agency

In this heartfelt (and occasionally hilarious) episode, Roswell NYC Co-Founder & CEO Hugh Lim sits down with lifelong friend and co-founder Nihar Kulkarni to reflect on the wild ride from $700 and a Brooklyn closet to building one of NYC’s top ecomm agencies.They unpack the early chaos—burnt-out hard drives, rejected job apps, freelance scrappiness—and the music, friendships, and midnight Barnes & Noble shifts that kept Hugh going. You’ll hear how Nirvana and Foo Fighters helped name the brand, what “Roswell” really means, and why the grind behind the glory matters more than the trophies.

👽 Why “Roswell”?

🎸 How a love of grunge shaped the brand

📦 The Barnes & Noble gig that changed everything

👉 Watch/listen now and get inspired by the hustle, heart, and humanity behind Roswell NYC.

From Cold Calls to Conference Halls: Building Lasting Partnerships in E-Commerce

In this episode of Interview With, Nihar Kulkarni sits down with Roddy Smith, Director of Partnerships at Clearer.io, to unpack a decade-long journey through the evolving world of e-commerce. They reflect on early challenges, laugh over shared memories from Shopify Unite, and dive deep into how the industry—and their roles within it—have matured.

Roddy shares insights into Clearer.io's product suite and the strategic pillars it supports, while both discuss the art of meaningful partnership-building in a world that often glorifies the surface-level “conference life.” If you're curious about entering the partnerships space, growing within it, or just want a behind-the-scenes look at how e-commerce relationships are built and maintained, this episode is packed with wisdom and real talk.