Dr. Danielle Sponder Testa is a researcher, educator, and industry strategist whose work emphasizes futures research across fashion, retail, and the creative industries. Drawing on executive leadership experience with global retailers, forecasting organizations, and academic institutions, she developed a research methodology, SMACKES, that connects scholarly inquiry with industry application.

Her scholarship investigates shifts in retail and creative practice. Additionally, her practices continually explore how forecasting can move beyond prediction to become a rigorous research process that informs innovation, product development, consumer understanding, and organizational strategy. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, she works to advance forecasting as both an academic discipline and a professional practice.

Dr. Testa is Associate Professor at Arizona State University’s ASU FIDM, Founder of The Forecast Lab, and Founding Professor for Fashion Scholarship Fund’s FSF University. Prior to joining Arizona State University, Dr. Testa held leadership roles in merchandising, retail strategy, and trend forecasting with international organizations including Forever 21, WGSN, and Topshop. Her professional experience spans North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, where she led merchandising initiatives, market expansion strategies, and consumer-focused retail planning across diverse global markets.