Fashion executive · Board chair · Mom of two
Chief Merchandising Officer. Chief Mothering Officer. Board Chair of Chamber of Mothers, Board Member of RAISEfashion, NICU parent advocate, and the writer behind The Corporate Mom, That Cares.
About
“I’m not balancing. I’m making choices. Intentional ones.” From The Corporate Mom, That Cares
I’ve spent more than 20 years buying and building fashion assortments, from couture at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman to Holt Renfrew and, since 2013, Shopbop. Today I lead merchandising there: buying, planning, the fashion office, private brands, and a workflow automation team that rethinks how the work gets done.
I’m also a wife and a mom of two boys. My younger son was born at 25 weeks and spent 87 days in the NICU. That changed what I do with my voice. I chair the board of Chamber of Mothers, serve on the board of RAISEfashion, and write for women who want to climb without losing themselves.
Articles and press
FW26 · Latest feature
Motherly, Mothering America column. By Cassie Shortsleeve. September 30, 2026.
“There are basic things that we all deserve to have. Once my eyes were open to it, I couldn’t unsee it, and it pushed me hard to say: Everybody deserves better.”Stephanie, in Motherly
Speaking
Keynotes, fireside chats, and panels on merchandising, style, and leading as a working mother.
Podcasts
Conversations about retail, leadership, and motherhood.
Writing
My Substack and Instagram, started in early 2026.
Real talk on leadership, career, and motherhood, written from the seat of someone who went from assistant merchandise planner to the C-suite while raising two boys. Life isn’t perfect. I share what is working, what didn’t, and the trade-offs in between.
Read and subscribe on Substack ↗ @thecorporatemomthatcares on Instagram ↗
Signature ideas
The frameworks I come back to at work and at home, and share on Instagram.
One protected hour every Friday to learn something new, with one topic each quarter. This quarter it’s systems thinking. Over a year that adds up to more than a full work week of growth.
You don’t find time for learning. You make time for it.
My mom was home for every drop-off and pick-up. I’m not. But what I remember most isn’t the hours she spent with us. It’s the notes she tucked into our lunchboxes. Kids remember how you made them feel, not how much time you logged. My version of the lunchbox note is a Tuesday morning dance party in the kitchen, and telling my boys at bedtime, “I thought about you today. Here’s when.”
Quality over quantity. Intention over perfection.
How I’m teaching my sons to ask for a popsicle, and the same skill that got me my first raise as an assistant buyer:
The worst they can say is no.
Strategic calendar blocks, clear trade-offs, and one hack that turns my afternoon commute into working time. That’s how I leave the office when I need to and walk in the door ready for my kids and husband.
I leave on time because I protect my time.
See the hack on Instagram ↗Selected work
Launches and teams I have led in merchandising.
Launched in February 2025 with Le Bop, followed by State & Lake and Madelynne.
Coverage in The Zoe Report ↗Brought beauty to Shopbop with a curated mix of established and emerging brands, as a natural extension of the fashion offer.
Coverage in Beauty Independent ↗Expanded activewear with a campaign and interactive workouts built around how customers wear it every day.
Coverage in WWD ↗Stood up a small tech team inside merchandising to redesign how work gets done across the organization, including with AI.
Boards and advocacy
A national nonpartisan nonprofit working for paid leave, affordable childcare, and maternal health. I joined in 2024.
chamberofmothers.com ↗Building sustainable pathways for independent designers and students from communities historically excluded from the fashion industry.
Board announcement on Instagram ↗ Quoted in The Business of Fashion ↗Speaking up for the health care, paid leave, and mental health support NICU parents need, including on Capitol Hill in support of federal NICU leave.
My letter on Dear NICU Mama ↗Contact
For speaking, press, podcast, and board inquiries.
