News Director
Fast Company
Christopher Zara is the news director for Fast Company, where he oversees daily coverage of everything from Big Tech to small startups, company culture, innovation, design, retail, travel, finance, and any topic in the Fast Company universe.
Zara has years of experience as an editor and a reporter who writes about business, technology, media, culture, theater, and sometimes the intersecting worlds of all five.
Zara is especially passionate about chronicling the changing dynamics of work. His award-winning memoir, Uneducated (Little, Brown), tells a highly personal story about the education divide and his attempts to navigate the white-collar world without a college degree.
Zara's work has also appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Wired, Condé Nast Traveler, Vice News, and many other publications. He lives in New York City and has nothing bad to say about the guy who just shoved him on the subway.
Tuesday Jan 13
8:45am - 9:15am
Vusion Theatre
Gary Vaynerchuk — serial entrepreneur, brand builder and CEO of VaynerMedia — joins the NRF 2026 Main Stage to challenge, inspire and energize the retail industry. In this no-holds-barred fireside chat, Vaynerchuk will share his unfiltered take on what it takes to win in today’s attention economy, where consumer expectations shift overnight and brand loyalty is earned in seconds. He’ll unpack how retailers can harness emerging platforms, AI, influencer culture and content at scale to stay relevant and drive growth. Expect sharp insights on leadership, marketing and customer obsession — delivered with Vaynerchuk’s trademark energy. Whether you’re a legacy retailer or a disruptive startup, this session will push you to think bigger, move faster and connect more authentically with the people who matter most: your customers.
