David Kepron is a multi-hyphenate creative professional with a compulsive curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He merges his background as an architect, artist, educator, author and podcaster in making meaningful, empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at experience places around the globe.

He is former VP-Global Design Strategies at Marriott International where his focus was on the creation of compelling strategic design foundations within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” brands including: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio and Design Hotels. In 2020 he founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. He has taught at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.)., the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore. A frequently international speaker at conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality and emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands. In 2014 Kepron published “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brained Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World." David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” published on vmsd.com. In 2020, he launched the “NXTLVL Experience Design” podcast bringing listeners dialogues on “DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” Guests include thought leaders who are driven by a passion to challenge the status quo and create the ‘New Possible.' He is an accomplished painter and provides his original art to a growing number of international clients. David currently is a member of VMSD’s Editorial Advisory Board, a Board Member of the Interactive Customer Experience Association and the George Mason University Center For Retail Transformation.