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The RMI is partnering with leading retail and technology experts to offer an innovative and cutting-edge certification program in Generative AI in Retail.
Are you ready to shape the future of retail with AI?
AI is redefining how consumers discover, shop, and engage with brands. From personalized recommendations and visual search to conversational agents and intelligent supply chains, AI is revolutionizing every step of the retail journey. This certification equips you with the knowledge, tools, and hands-on experience to understand and apply AI technologies across the retail value chain from customer engagement and merchandising to logistics and operations. You’ll explore how Generative AI enhances product discovery, personalization, and decision-making on retail platforms, and how agentic AI systems are transforming the roles of retailers and customers alike. Participants will gain exposure to both demand-side and supply-side applications, learning how AI enables marketplaces, supply chains, and predictive analytics that drive modern retail. By the end of the certification, you’ll be ready to apply AI strategically in retail, create intelligent retail solutions, and lead innovation in the future of digital commerce.
What's In It For You?
Specific Benefits
- Learn how AI and GenAI are revolutionizing modern retail experiences.
- Gain hands-on experience building mini GPTs and retail-focused AI agents.
- Understand both demand-side and supply-side use cases of AI in retail from product discovery to supply chain optimization.
- Differentiate yourself with an exclusive SCU certification recognized by industry leaders.
- Explore how agentic AI systems are reshaping merchandising and customer interaction.
After completing this course you will:
- Understand how AI is transforming retail strategy, operations, and customer experience.
- Learn how to design and deploy simple AI-driven tools to enhance merchandising and sales.
- Gain familiarity with real-world AI frameworks used by leading retailers.
- Be equipped to discuss the future of retail innovation powered by Generative AI.
- Receive a LinkedIn-verified certificate showcasing your AI-in-retail expertise.
The GenAI in Retail Certification is a hands-on, applied program that teaches students how generative AI is actually used in modern retail and merchandising roles. Students learn to work with large language models, no-code AI tools, and creative AI to support real tasks such as assortment planning, promotions, content creation, and shopper engagement—while understanding the limits and responsibilities of using AI in business.
Retail is rapidly adopting generative AI, and employers now expect graduates to be comfortable using these tools as part of everyday work. This certification focuses on practical skills, not just theory—how to design effective prompts, evaluate AI outputs, and translate results into business decisions that drive impact.
By completing the certification, students graduate with a portfolio of hands-on projects and a clear signal to employers that they are ready to apply AI responsibly in retail environments. It is designed to complement the Retail Studies Minor by connecting core retail concepts with the technologies shaping the future of the industry.
An overview of what five sessions of this program will cover . . . .
- Session 1 (Monday, Jan 26, 2026 | 6:30–7:45 PM) – Foundations of Generative AI & Productivity
Learn what generative AI is, how large language models and image models work. You’ll also see how AI productivity tools are already being used in everyday workflows to save time and improve output quality by Jodi Goldsberg, Director, Global Business Applied AI (GBAI) Google. - Session 2 (Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026 | 6:30–7:45 PM) – Prompt Engineering for Merchandising Tasks
Understand different types of prompt engineering techniques—zero-shot, few-shot, role-based, and guardrailed prompts—and when to use each for merchandising tasks such as assortment analysis, promotions, pricing, and content creation. You’ll build a reusable prompt library you can apply across roles. - Session 3 (Tuesday, Mar 10, 2026 | 6:30–7:45 PM) – AI in Consumer Shopping & Retail Merchandising
Explore how shoppers actually use AI today, from conversational search and recommendations to personalized shopping experiences. Through real retailer case studies, you’ll learn how AI influences consumer behavior and where its use in merchandising makes sense—and where it does not. - Session 4 (Thursday, Apr 22, 2026 | 6:30–7:45 PM) – Hands-On Workflows with GenAI
Experience the full capability of AI tools in action. You’ll see an end-to-end retail workflow that combines no-code tools, text generation, and image generation to support tasks like assortment decisions, product content, and promotional visuals. - Session 5 (Monday, May 18, 2026 | 6:30–7:45 PM) – Capstone: AI in Action
Apply everything you’ve learned in a team-based capstone project. You’ll design and present a GenAI solution to a real retail problem, demonstrating how AI can be used responsibly to drive merchandising decisions and business impact.
Our Instructor
Jodi Goldberg is a senior product and retail leader at Google, where she currently serves as Global Director of Product Strategy. With over 13 years at Google, Jodi has held leadership roles spanning product strategy, product marketing, industry partnerships, and revenue growth—working at the intersection of AI, ecommerce, and enterprise productivity.
Throughout her career, she has led cross-functional teams responsible for building and scaling AI-enabled tools used across Google’s sales and product organizations, advising global retailers on consumer trends, and shaping go-to-market strategies for large, complex businesses.
Beyond Google, Jodi is deeply engaged in the startup and academic ecosystems. She has served as an advisor to Google for Startups, CapitalG, and multiple early-stage companies, and is a Senior Fellow & Advisory Board Member at the Retail Management Institute at Santa Clara University, where she supports the institute’s strategic direction and industry partnerships.
Jodi brings a rare combination of industry depth, product leadership, and practical AI perspective, making her a valued voice on how modern organizations adopt AI to improve productivity, decision-making, and everyday work.
Our Faculty
He has served as Faculty Director of the Executive MBA program, a visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, a guest faculty in the Stanford Executive MMP program, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of SpinCircuit Inc, a provider of supply chain integration services to the electronics industry and served on the Board of Directors for Overstock.com.
Dr. Kalyanam advises early stage startups and designed and delivered the first Retail University program at Google and today is developing the 3rd generation of this program. It is through his strong connections, he is able to engage industry collaboration for RMI and the retail studies program.
Kirthi finds inspiration in Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial spirit, expanding the boundaries to connect ideas, and organizations through RMI’s retail study students and transformative programming. He is committed to discovery through the blending of the retail and technology industries.
He received his Ph.D. in business administration from the Krannert School of Management, Purdue University.
Dan Demeyere is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at ThredUp, where he leads product, engineering, data, and platform teams for one of the world’s largest resale and recommerce marketplaces. With 15+ years at ThredUp, Dan has played a central role in scaling the company from early-stage startup to a public company.
As CPTO, Dan is responsible for aligning product strategy, technology execution, and marketplace economics, ensuring that ThredUp’s platform delivers sustainable growth across supply, demand, pricing, and operational efficiency. His leadership spans Product Management, Engineering, Infrastructure, Data Science, and Growth bridging deep technical execution with business outcomes.
Previously, Dan served as Chief Product Officer, where he led Product and Engineering through ThredUp’s IPO, and as VP of Engineering, where he scaled customer-facing platforms and core infrastructure. Across these roles, he partnered closely with finance and executive leadership to optimize unit economics, forecasting, and marketplace levers while maintaining high engineering velocity.
Dan began his career as a hands-on engineer and progressed through every layer of technical leadership Full Stack Engineer, Lead Engineer, Director of Engineering bringing a builder’s mindset to executive decision-making. His background gives him a rare perspective on how technology, data, and product strategy intersect in modern retail and ecommerce platforms.
He is widely respected for translating long-term vision into execution, building high-performing teams, and scaling complex systems that power data-driven retail marketplaces.
Hiring managers from a variety of industries share their thoughts on the Certification difference.
Absolutely - Gen AI has the potential to lead an eCommerce operation so this specialty is often critical to operating a successful business online. As a hiring manager, I would definitely interview an applicant with a certification in Gen AI.
High. It tells me they are serious and curious, which are two very important qualities, especially in digital. Between two resumes, where experience was equal, if one had additional certifications and the other did not, I would choose the one with, every time.
I was working on filling an internship position. There were several qualified applicants whom I believed could do the job. A deciding factor for me was that one applicant had gone out and gotten certified in a few areas including Google Analytics. In my mind this person had a better base of knowledge and a willingness the extra mile.
Absolutely. The digital field has become increasingly competitive. Certifications like this definitively demonstrate that an applicant has built up some skills prior to their first day on the job.
Industry Leaders in AI involved in Curating this Workshop . . .
Bloomreach Clients
Gen AI Leaders 2
Bloomreach Clients
Gen AI Leaders
Bloomreach Clients
Gen AI Leaders 6
Gen AI Industry Leaders 7
Gen AI Industry Leaders 8
Gen AI Industry Leaders 9
Gen AI Industry Leaders 10
"Having the right item, at the right place, at the right time is the ultimate driver of success in retailing, and AI promises to be a game changer in delivering the best outcomes for customers. Retailing has always been a blend of art and science, and the successful merchant leaders of tomorrow will need to be skilled users of AI tools while keeping the customer at the center of everything they do."
"We are using AI as an exceptional tool to strengthen our human capital"
AI can safely and significantly accelerate the workflows of buyers and purchasing teams—helping them meet real personal needs. But it must be applied with care. This workshop highlights where AI delivers the most value, makes its pitfalls explicit, and shows how to avoid them.
Frequently Asked Questions
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