Bio

Ann Lopatin Cantrell is a fashion, retail professional since 1996 specializing in Product Development and Merchandising at Ralph Lauren, Coach, Brooks Brothers and Talbots with several years of consulting as well as full time work. Ann opened her dream store, Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store, a modern general store, in 2007 in Boerum Hill Brooklyn and doubled in size when the store moved to Park Slope in 2013. The ecommerce site blueribbongeneralstore.com launched in 2008 and was listed in People Magazine’s Style Watch as a top ten destination on the web for Holiday Gifts. ABRGS was named New York Magazine's Best of New York and Time Out New York's Best Shops (as well as many other press outlets). Additional locations- Pop Up Shops for Holiday on Upper West Side of Manhattan and Greenwich, CT. Featured in National American Express Commercial for Small Business Saturday, CNBC and Fox News. Quoted in numerous publications as well as an advocate for Independent Businesses. Simultaneously, Ann is also an Associate Professor in FIT's Fashion Business Management Department teaching several classes including Sustainability in Fashion Merchandising (Course Coordinator), Fashion Forecasting for Merchandisers, Computer Aided Product Development, Leadership Development for Retailing, Contemporary Retail Management, specifically teaching Management Skills for Retail World; Introduction to the Fashion Business, and Small Store Fashion Retailing. She's a committee member of several college wide committees including Chairperson of Faculty Senate Committee on Sustainability and President’s Council on Sustainability. Specialties: Sustainability, Retail, Product Development, Manufacturing, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Small Business, Teaching and Consulting work.