Shelby Walsh

Shelby Walsh is a consumer insights expert, keynote speaker, and business strategist known for her work in trend forecasting and innovation strategy. Beginning her career at Trend Hunter as an intern, Walsh contributed to the company's growth, eventually serving as president. During her tenure, she collaborated with clients such as Adidas, IBM, Disney, and Samsung, delivering custom trend research, keynote presentations, and workshops focused on consumer insights, marketing, and business innovation. She played a key role in expanding Trend Hunter from a startup with three employees to a company with 80 employees, serving more than 700 clients across various industries.

Walsh was instrumental in the development and expansion of Future Festival, Trend Hunter's flagship innovation conference series. She led its growth from a single Toronto event to a series spanning 20 cities and seven countries, attracting thousands of senior executives in consumer insights, marketing, and innovation. The event has been recognized by brands such as Netflix and Nestlé for its impact on innovation planning. Walsh also managed the launch of the bestselling book "Exploiting Chaos," which achieved significant downloads and video views, further establishing her expertise in trend analysis and business strategy.

Her work has been recognized by Marketing Magazine's Top 30 Under 30 and WXN's Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. Walsh has been featured on BNN, in TIME, Financial Post, and maintains a regular column in The Globe and Mail small business section. Additional recognition includes being named a Change Agent by Canadian Business, one of 10 Women Taking Tech by Storm by Notable, and one of 15 Women to Watch by Social Media Week. She has also been featured in the New York Times as a trend and consumer insights expert, providing insights on retail, lifestyle, technology, and marketing trends.

Following her time at Trend Hunter, Walsh has worked as a freelance business strategist and consultant, advising organizations on consumer research, revenue development, and brand strategy. As a keynote speaker, she addresses topics including business strategy, corporate leadership, female leadership, innovation, and marketing. Walsh's career demonstrates the value of data-driven insights and the application of trend intelligence to drive business transformation.