Rakesh is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management. He currently serves as the treasurer of the Apparel, Merchandising, and Design Graduate Student Association (AMDGSA). Rakesh has a master’s degree in Global Retail Management and an MBA in Marketing. With over 14 years of experience in academia and industry, including leadership roles in marketing and operations, he brings a multidimensional perspective to his research. Rakesh’s research explores consumer behavior in sustainable and circular fashion systems and investigates the role of emerging technologies in empowering rural entrepreneurs and small businesses. Driven by a passion for service and collaborative leadership, Rakesh actively pursues roles that promote student engagement, inclusive decision-making, and effective communication within the graduate community.