NTWRK, North America’s leading live video commerce platform, announced today the appointment of Colby Black, former Executive Director of Buying and Marketplace at Urban Outfitters, as Chief Merchandising Officer.

Black joins NTWRK after eight years in leadership roles at Urban Outfitters and over 16 years of experience in global merchandising, brand development and digital commerce. At Urban Outfitters, Black helmed global partnership initiatives, including the introduction of several international brands to North America, the expansion of Urban Outfitters into overseas markets and the resurrection of nostalgic brands like FILA and Champion into the modern sphere. He was a key player in the launch of URBN’s first marketplace integration, which yielded tremendous growth and diversified UO Inc.’s product-selling points to incorporate experiential marketplaces.

Black was also directly responsible for the launch of Without Walls, UO’s activewear sub-brand that launched in 2013 and marked a shift in activewear as daily wear, as well as the sourcing and scaling of emerging brands like Chinatown Market, Carrots and Monkey Time. Behind iconic designs for Justin Bieber’s Purpose Tour and The Weeknd’s Starboy merchandise, Black has left a lasting impression not only on contemporary society but also innovative business practices.

As NTWRK’s first Chief Merchandising Officer, Black will oversee all merchandising strategies across the company. Black will utilize his wealth of industry expertise and insight to carry out the execution of daily product drops and digital festivals as well as implement NTWRK’s new global initiatives, including cultural tentpoles events, retail holidays and city guide editorials.

“Colby is a key addition to our NTWRK team, and we are confident in his demonstrated expertise in marketplace strategy and execution,” says Aaron Levant, CEO of NTWRK. “The role of Chief Marketing Officer is a tremendous responsibility for our rapidly growing industry, and Colby’s unparalleled acumen in retail and culture is in perfect alignment with NTWRK. It is an honor to bring Colby on board, and we look forward to NTWRK’s sustained growth with this new addition.”

ABOUT NTWRK

NTWRK is the definitive mobile-first video shopping platform that seamlessly blends entertainment and commerce, giving brands, artists, and personalities the ability to create original content and sell exclusive products to NTWRK’s global audience. The innovative model of daily exclusive product drops, live videos, engaging hosts, native purchases and social distribution creates a high energy and wide-reaching experience for partners and users. NTWRK was founded in October 2018. Additional information about NTWRK may be found at thentwrk.com | Instagram: @NTWRK | App: iOS, Android