The next era of retail is experiential.
The strongest operators are re-segmenting their business around seasons, moments, and experiences instead of square footage and overhead. Ownex is where that shift gets worked out in public: the talks, the training, and the AI tools, shared free.
Business is re-segmenting around experience.
The math that built modern retail is breaking. What replaces it is smaller, more seasonal, more human, and run by better software.
Experience over inventory
People show up for what they can touch, try, and feel. The sale follows the moment, not the floor plan.
Seasons over calendars
In much of this industry the revenue lives in a ninety day window. The operation, the staffing, and the spend should live there too.
Automation over overhead
AI runs the back office so people can run the experience. Lower fixed cost makes every season worth showing up for.
Max is taking this argument to stages across the industry right now. The details land on those stages first, then here.
Bring this conversation to your stage.
Max Materne speaks to rooms of operators, dealers, and manufacturers about the experiential era of retail and how AI actually works. Plain language, operator math, no vendor pitch.
Recent and upcoming
Your business's agentic operating system is here.
Log in to access Deal Builder, operational dashboards, and the tools we're building for the future of business operations. Free to create an account — start operating differently this week.
- Deal Builder. Multi-SKU deals — unit, trailer, accessories, F&I — one contract, one signature.
- Operational dashboards. Live RO counts, callbacks, grosses, RECT — numbers your team actually uses, not a vendor's roll-up.
- Free to create an account. No sales call required. See the platform for yourself before we ever talk.
The Dealer Lab Podcast.
Real dealership experiments. Unfiltered conversations about what's working, what's broken, and what the future of the dealership looks like.
Ep 28 
Ep 27 
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Ep 25 
Ep 24 
Ep 23 Where you've seen Ownex.
We don't just talk about change — we present it on the biggest stages in the industry and back it up in the press.
AIMExpo
Presenting the DELV framework and agentic operating systems to the powersports industry's largest trade event.
Accelerate Conference
Keynote on lifecycle management and the future of business operations in a post-digital retail landscape.
MRAA
Partnering with the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas to bring modern operating strategies to marine dealers.
Powersports Business
Featured in multiple articles on business modernization, customer lifecycle value, and the operator-first movement.
Read the articles →DealerNews Podcast
Guest appearances discussing why the industry needs to rethink retention and how DELV changes the conversation.
NVIDIA Partnership
Building fully agentic operating systems for modern businesses — powered by NVIDIA's AI infrastructure.
The team behind Ownex.
Max Materne
Lifelong operator turned industry reformer. 20+ years of hands-on experience running and transforming businesses.
max@ownex.io
Danny French
Operations specialist who ensures the Ownex model works at scale — from one-store pilots to multi-state rollouts.
danny@ownex.io
Justin Watson
Drives partnerships and growth across the Ownex network. Every new business starts with a conversation with Justin.
Mark Jacobs
Architects the systems that allow Ownex to scale — both internally and across every business in the network.
Marc McAllister
Manages brand and vendor partnerships — building the commercial fabric that powers modern business operations.
Rob Locke
Leads the technology vision behind Ownex. Builds the platform your team operates on every day.
Contact us.
Tell us about your store. One of our operators — not a sales rep — will be in touch within one business day. Or start free on the platform right now.
