Maxine Clark

Maxine Clark is an entrepreneur and retail innovator known as the founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop, a concept that introduced interactive, hands-on experiences to the retail industry. Clark's early career included nearly two decades at The May Department Stores Company, where she worked in merchandising, marketing, and product development before becoming president of Payless ShoeSource. After May spun off Payless as a public company, Clark launched her own business.

Clark founded Build-A-Bear Workshop after a shopping trip with a friend's 10-year-old daughter inspired the idea of creating a store where customers could make their own stuffed animals. Build-A-Bear Workshop opened its flagship location at the St. Louis Galleria mall and expanded to nearly 500 stores worldwide, selling more than 250 million stuffed animals. Clark is also the author of the book "The Bear Necessities of Business: Building a Company with Heart."

Throughout her career, Clark has received recognition for her contributions to retail and business. She was named one of The 25 Most Influential People in Retailing by Chain Store Age and inducted into the Junior Achievement National Business Hall of Fame. Her honors include the Luminary Award for Entrepreneurial Achievement from the Committee of 200, the Customer First Award from Fast Company, and the Retail Innovator of the Year Award by the National Retail Federation. She has also been recognized by the International Toy Hall of Fame and named one of the 20 Most Influential Pioneers in Retail by Chain Store Age. Build-A-Bear Workshop appeared on the FORTUNE Best Companies to Work For list for 10 consecutive years.

Clark transitioned from her role as chief executive of Build-A-Bear Workshop to focus on improving K-12 public education and supporting women and minority entrepreneurs. She purchased a former hospital building and developed it into Delmar DivINe, a multi-use facility for local nonprofits. Clark is a founding managing director of Prosper Women's Capital, an accelerator for women-led businesses based in St. Louis.

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship recognized Clark with the Entrepreneurial Leadership Award for her achievements and dedication to entrepreneurship education. She has served on the boards of Operation Food Search, JCPenney, and Delmar DivINe, and is co-chair of the ReadyNation CEO Task Force on Early Childhood. Clark is a member of the board of directors and executive committee of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and its Goldfarb School of Nursing, and serves on the national board of PBS as vice chair. As a keynote speaker, Clark shares insights on entrepreneurship, retail innovation, customer experience, and leadership.