Guild Hall Launches 'The Innovators Talk Show' with Director Andrea Grover & Malcolm Carfrae

Guild Hall will launch a new conversation series this month featuring business and cultural leaders discussing creativity, strategy, and innovation across industries.

The inaugural event of “The Innovators Talk Show” will take place Friday, Oct. 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Guild Hall, located at 158 Main Street in East Hampton. The evening will feature Andrea Grover, the organization’s executive director, in conversation with Malcolm Carfrae, founder and principal of Carfrae Consulting and former communications executive at Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

It marks the start of a new program under Guild Hall’s “Community Pillars” business membership initiative, which supports the cultural and economic fabric of the East End. Attendees will be invited to a post-talk reception for networking with local business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members.

“This series is about celebrating growth and evolution in business and staying relevant in a rapidly evolving environment,” Grover said. “We want to spark conversations that are as relevant to the East End as they are to the global stage.”

Carfrae, who founded his consulting firm in 2016, advises clients in fashion, luxury, retail, and hospitality on communication and brand-building strategies. Over two decades in corporate communications, he oversaw global branding, media, and public relations at Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, managing high-profile campaigns and strategic partnerships.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Carfrae earned a master’s degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley, and began his career in London at Bryan Morel Public Relations. He later relocated to New York, where he spent more than a decade at Calvin Klein, ultimately serving as executive vice president and chief communications officer. He went on to become Ralph Lauren’s global head of communications before launching his consulting business.

Carfrae is also co-founder of the Australian Fashion Foundation, a nonprofit that supports emerging designers, and serves as a mentor with the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Incubator Program.

Grover has served as Guild Hall’s executive director since 2016, overseeing its recent campus renovation and a slate of interdisciplinary programming. A curator and writer with more than 25 years of experience, she has led numerous arts initiatives focused on community engagement and innovation. Before joining Guild Hall, she founded Aurora Picture Show in Houston, a nonprofit moving-image art center, and held curatorial roles at the Parrish Art Museum and Carnegie Mellon University.

Tickets for the Oct. 17 event are $20, or $15 for Guild Hall members. Admission is free for members of Community Pillars, the organization’s business membership program.

Tickets and additional information are available at guildhall.org.