Project Team
Michael Ferraro
executive director, FIT DTech Lab
Michael Ferraro is the executive director of the FIT DTech Lab. DTech is a public/private partnership whose mission is to engage faculty and students to solve industry problems using design and technology. The strategic goals of DTech’s experiential learning are accomplished through projects that empower entrepreneurs and engage industry. Creative technologist, researcher, artist, and educator, Ferraro’s career spans the worlds of software development, virtual reality media production, fine art, commercial entertainment, and higher education. He came to FIT from Lehman College/CUNY where he spent 12 years as an associate professor in the digital media program of the art department. Ferraro earned his MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and his BFA from Syracuse University.
Judith Bowens
managing director, FIT DTech Lab
Judith Bowens is the managing director of the FIT DTech Lab, where she manages DTech business operations and project initiatives. Bowens began her retail career at Barneys New York, where she held positions of increasing responsibility in stores and the corporate office and was named vice president, stores in 1997. With extensive experience optimizing the retail space, Judith innovated systems and processes, talent development, client experience, revenue growth, P&L, multi-unit expansion, and change management. She holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Valerie Steele
director and chief curator, The Museum at FIT
Judith Bowens is the managing director of the FIT DTech Lab, where she manages DTech business operations and project initiatives. Bowens began her retail career at Barneys New York, where she held positions of increasing responsibility in stores and the corporate office and was named vice president, stores in 1997. With extensive experience optimizing the retail space, Judith innovated systems and processes, talent development, client experience, revenue growth, P&L, multi-unit expansion, and change management. She holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Cathleen Sheehan
acting chair, Fashion Design MFA
Cathleen Sheehan is a fashion industry veteran, multi-disciplinary strategist, professor and acting chair in FIT’s School of Graduate Studies, MFA Fashion Design. Voted “Best Dressed” in her class at Harvard Business School, where she also earned an MBA, Sheehan possesses a rare combination of creative and analytical skills. In her consulting business and as President and co-owner of ESP Trendlab, she has successfully advised hundreds of global brands, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on design, product, and market strategies to leverage core strengths and opportunities within the dynamic fashion, beauty, tech, and retail landscapes. Sheehan got her start in fashion at Escada, where she led a corporate strategy program and helped acquire, launch, and build several luxury brands. Prior to joining Escada, she worked at the Big Four accounting firm KPMG. She regularly speaks at international trade shows, design conferences and universities. Sheehan holds a master of business administration from Harvard University.
Bambuser
INDUSTRY PARTNER
A worldwide leader in interactive live video shopping, Bambuser is the platform of choice for companies such as Moda Operandi, Farfetch, and Clarins that are seeking deeper connections with customers across digital platforms.