Kristen Stevens, GMM/vice president at QVC and Herb Landsman, executive vice president (retired) at The TJX Companies, Inc., will be honored for their philanthropic endeavors by the Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) during its annual Housewares Cares Gala on Monday, March 18 during The Inspired Home Show 2024 in Chicago. The event is sold-out.
Stevens will receive the Humanitarian of the Year Award and Landsman the Lifetime Humanitarian Award.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Gala will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. The reception will feature tasting stations by James Beard all-star chefs Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill and a James Beard Award winner; Lamar Moore of Bronzeville Winery; and Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde Restaurant and Pastificio and a James Beard Award winner. Proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), HCF’s legacy charity, as well as the James Beard Foundation, Feeding America and The Jimmy Fund.
Since the first gala in 1998, HCF has raised more than $55 million and has been credited with donating more than $32 million to BCRF, along with significant contributions to more than 25 other charitable organizations. BCRF was founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993. Ms. Lauder, a champion for advancing the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer, passed away in November 2012 in New York City.
Since 2000, HCF has funded 130 BCRF research projects. Over the years, housewares-supported breast cancer advances have included:
- New targets for aggressive triple-negative breast cancers.
- Immunotherapy strategies to prevent and treat metastasis.
- Liquid biopsy technology to detect inherited forms of breast cancer.
The star-studded evening will include a live auction along with the honoree tributes. QVC program host David Venable will emcee the program.
The Honorees
After a 33-year career, Herb Landsman recently retired from the TJX Companies as executive vice president/merchandising at TJX/HomeGoods. From 1989 to 2005 Landsman served as SVP/MM for TJ Maxx /Marshalls before moving to HomeGoods in 2005. He began his career at Shillito’s Department Store (a division of Federated) in 1968 as a 16-year-old stock boy and in 1984 left Shillito-Rike’s as MM/Housewares to become the VP/Merchandising at Brookstone. In 1989 he moved to the TJX companies, where he would spend the rest of his career.
In addition to his deep industry involvement, empathy for people and love of product through uniqueness, innovation and driving profitable business, Landsman is very active in non-profit advancement, serving on the board of directors of the Housewares Charity Foundation; the National Center for Race Amity; Triangle-Inc.; Empowering Adults with Disabilities; and the Greater Boston Food Bank. He is also involved with Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund, the TJX Multi-Cultural Coalition and the Boston Women’s Exchange.
Landsman’s personal passion is for his family, golf, the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots, the Boston Celtics, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Reds. He has sung the National Anthem at Fenway Park twice. In addition, he holds the 1980 Thanksgiving Day/post-turkey bowl record in Cincinnati for consuming 19 White Castles in one sitting.
Kristen Stevens is vice president/GMM of Home, Culinary and Electronics at QVC. Since joining QVC in 2021, she has led a team of home merchants focused on finding new, innovative products for the video commerce retailer, and connecting with the highly loyal QVC customers through exciting programming and events. Prior to QVC, Stevens worked at Sam’s Club as vice president/DMM, Home, Hardlines and Automotive, and vice president of Global Sourcing since 2012. She began her retail career in 2000 at Walmart in various home buying positions and leading the Home Merchandising Strategy team.
QVC launched Living for Giving with the Housewares Charity Foundation in 2021, a campaign benefitting Feeding America. By combining the reach of QVC with the generous donations of vendors across the home and housewares industries, this initiative has provided millions of meals through local food banks throughout the U.S. For the past two years, Stevens has continued to champion the Living for Giving partnership and Feeding America has recognized QVC and the Housewares Charity Foundation as “Leadership Partners” for their contributions to help fight hunger.
Stevens currently serves on the board of the Housewares Charity Foundation, is an active member of Women in Retail and has spent many years volunteering as a Girl Scout Troop leader and Cheer Mom.
To sponsor an ad in the gala journal, make a donation or learn more about the HCF, its honorees and its charities, please visit HousewaresCharity.org or contact Paul Murphy at 508.272.0717 or [email protected].