Drive local awareness and sales in one of Chicago’s fastest growing, boutique retail environments. Join this session to learn what it takes to land a coveted spot on the shelves at Dom’s. We will discuss standards, criteria, and how building relationships with retailers is essential to building your brand presence.
About the Speakers:
Lauren Bijur is the Senior Category Manager at Dom’s Kitchen and Market. Lauren believes that the world is made a better place through food. With a firm belief that nutritious food is the key to good health and longevity, Lauren strives to help local, woman-owned, LGBT, and BIPOC-owned brands break into the retail market. Lauren leads the perishables team, curating a unique assortment of fresh goods and crafting an exceptional in-store retail experience. She has over 15 years of retail experience, starting her career as a shopper insights analyst for Roundy’s Supermarkets. She spent 4 years leading teams in store operations at Mariano’s and 3 years launching and managing in-store pick-up and delivery, including navigating the 2020 COVID pandemic for Mariano’s/the Kroger Company. Lauren graduated cum laude with a business degree from Washington and Lee University and holds a Master’s degree in leadership from Marquette University.
Savia Gordon has a background in Food Science & Human Nutrition working as a Food Service Director in Chicago Public Schools for 4 years prior to joining Dom’s. She started with Dom’s as a Category Management Intern in the Fall of 2021, and was promoted to both a Category Analyst and Category Manager, where she now oversees Grocery, Frozen, Dairy and GM. She has a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Illinois, and recently completed her MBA from the University of Maryland School of Business.
Celena Ruiz is the Category Manager of Meat, Seafood, Cheese, Charcuterie at Dom’s Kitchen and Market. Celena has a combined 8 years of experience in both kitchen and grocery retail. She worked in kitchen management FOH and BOH at Protein Bar and Kitchen before transitioning to Jewel-Osco during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there she worked as a Front End Manager overseeing customer service, receiving, e-commerce, and pricing. She then accepted a position as the E-commerce Manager at Dom’s where she launched and managed all third-party ordering systems in addition to DomsGO. Celena has her BA in English from Roosevelt University – a leading institution in social justice initiatives at the collegiate level. She also has her Masters from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Writing.
The Illinois Small Business Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC). Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Please contact the center at (312)421-3941.
