Founder Peter Schauben to Receive 2026 Industry Achievement Award

The president of sales rep agency Schauben & Co and founder of Gift for Life will receive the honor during the Retailer Excellence Awards June 24 in Dallas.

ATLANTA — Jan. 14, 2026 — Gift for Life, a charitable organization made up of volunteers in the gift and home industries, is proud to announce Peter Schauben, president of sales rep agency Schauben & Co and founder of Gift for Life, as its 2026 Industry Achievement Award recipient.

The award recognizes overall excellence and contribution to the gift and home industry – whether as a thought leader, standard-bearer or overall industry influencer.

“Peter Schauben is the very heart of Gift for Life,” said Emalee Hoffman, chair for Gift for Life. “As the founder of GFL, his vision and leadership over the past 30 years have helped raise a truly life-changing amount of money for charity, transforming countless lives through generosity, compassion, and purpose. His impact reaches far beyond his professional achievements — Peter has shaped the culture of giving within our industry, and we are incredibly proud to honor him as the 2026 Industry Achievement Award recipient.”

Gift for Life announced Schauben as the honoree during its Home vs. Hunger “Party with a Purpose” fundraising event at Atlanta Market.

“Receiving the 2026 Industry Achievement Award is deeply meaningful to me,” said Peter Schauben. “Founding Gift for Life was never about recognition — it was about creating lasting impact through generosity and community. I am grateful to everyone who has walked alongside me on this journey, and I hope you will join me in celebrating this honor by donating to World Central Kitchen through Gift for Life and helping us continue to make a difference.”

Schauben will receive the honor at the 75^th annual Retailer Excellence Awards, hosted by wholesale publication Gifts & Decorative Accessories, Wednesday, June 24, in Dallas in conjunction with the Total Home & Gift Market. The award has been presented at the REAs since 2009.

Donations in celebration of Schauben’s honor will benefit World Central Kitchen and can be made online at giftforlife.org/donate.

Schauben has been a pillar of the gift and home industry, with a career that began in California’s retail gift market in 1971. In 1975, he expanded into the wholesale arena, building expertise in sales management with a focus on artisan-driven fashion, accessories, and giftware. 

In response to the devastating loss of industry colleagues to AIDS, he founded Gift for Life in 1992, creating a unified voice for the gift industry in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2021, the organization pivoted to support World Central Kitchen’s COVID-related hunger relief and has since raised more than $763,000 for WCK and provided more than 100,000 hot, nutritious meals for those in crisis around the world.

In 1994, Schauben went on to establish his own Atlanta-based sales agency. Schauben & Co is a premier multi-line sales organization serving the southeastern United States, featuring an Atlanta showroom that provides visionary direction to brands and retailers alike.

Past recipients of Gift for Life’s Industry Achievement Award include: Doug Cofiell, CEO of Ivystone (2025); Dorothy Belshaw of Andmore (2024); Todd and Jannetta Litzman of MarketTime (2023); Warren Shoulberg (2022); Patti Carpenter (2021); Adam Glassman of O, The Oprah Magazine (2020); Anna and Nathan Bond of Rifle Paper (2019); Mitch and Seth Nash of Blue Q (2018); The Beekman Boys (2017); Julie Chavez and Joe Cerbo of Chavez for Charity (2016); Tom Mirabile of Lifetime Brands (2015); Dave Thomas and Kevin Mundt of HomArt (2014); Gregg Corzine and David Klass of Archipelago (2013); Les Mandelbaum and Paul Rowan of UMBRA (2012); Michael Aram of Michael Aram (2011) and Randy Eller of Eller Enterprises (2010).

ABOUT THE RETAILER EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The Retailer Excellence Awards is a prestigious event put on by Gifts & Decorative Accessories each summer during the summer markets. The magazine has celebrated retail excellence through the awards program and ceremony since 1951. The program honors independent retailers in eight nice categories, including Social Media Outreach and Online Initiatives, Store Design/Redesign, Visual Merchandising, Store Events, Specialty Store, Multiple Locations, Socially Responsible, and Best Home Store. The event also recognizes worthy sales representatives across five key regions and the Manufacturer of the Year as voted on by its readers. The 2026 event will be hosted Wednesday, June 24, in Dallas in conjunction with the Total Home & Gift Market. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, visit retailerexcellenceawards.com or giftsanddec.com.