Dr. Janice Rudkowski
Assistant Professor, Ted Rogers School of Retail Management, Toronto Metropolitan University

Janice Rudkowski is an Assistant Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management at Toronto Metropolitan University.  Her research focuses on cultivating sustainable, inclusive and innovative communities that encompass people, places and businesses that contribute to healthy and vital economies and societies.  She is an educator, interdisciplinary researcher and former marketing practitioner with 18+ years’ experience managing and building brands across consumer care, toys, fashion, retail and non-profit sectors. Skilled in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, her research examines the dual ‘consumer-employee’ stakeholder phenomenon of frontline workers from an employee-based retailer brand equity perspective and how frontline workers influence their employer’s brand.  She also explores innovative retail spaces including physical and digital pop-up stores, and the evolving experiential and digital retailing landscape. She is currently exploring third places dedicated to (un)making (e.g., do-it-yourself and do-it-together retailers and workshops), including their economic and social value, influence on consumer behaviour and potential contributions towards a circular economy and society. Janice holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Fashion) from Toronto Metropolitan University, MBA (Marketing) from York University, and a Masters of Science (Business Management Research) and Doctor of Bu