Tens of thousands of retailers came together this week for NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show in New York. The Women in Retail Leadership Circle team was on site attending informative sessions, speaking to retail executives and connecting with industry leaders on the trade show floor. But what was really exciting to see was the number of powerful women owning the stage at one of the retail industry’s largest shows of the year!

Michelle Gass, president of Levi Strauss & Co., kicked off the conference on Sunday in an keynote interview with NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. Retail disruptors Kyle Leahy, CEO of Glossier, and Shay Mitchell, founder and chief brand officer of BÉIS Travel, sat down with Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, on Monday to share where their brands are poised to go next.

Sharing how Under Armour enhances the athletic experience by being “athlete-first” and harnessing innovation, President and CEO Stephanie Linnartz spoke with two-time WNBA champion, All-Star and Under Armour signature athlete Kelsey Plum.

Three powerhouses took the stage together for a keynote on Tuesday morning: Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global; Gina Drosos, CEO of Signet Jewelers; and Carla Vernón, CEO of The Honest Company. They discussed building a foundation of well-being as a leader of an organization and creating a culture for anyone to thrive in the workplace.

Big-name stars Drew Barrymore and Martha Stewart drew huge crowds on Tuesday afternoon, both discussing how they developed their brands and product lines. Stewart shared her insights about omnichannel retail and balancing innovation and optimization, while Barrymore chatted about the mission to foster human connection that drives her appliances and cookware brand Beautiful.

These are only a few of the powerful women who dominated the stage over the course of the event. And let’s not forget about the thousands of women on the expo show floor driving future-forward technology, leading female-founded startups, and powering innovation across the retail industry.

Look out for coverage of our favorite female-led sessions and interviews with women executives from NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show in the weeks to come!