Veronika Sonsev, co-founder at CommerceNext, the community for digital, marketing and technology retail leaders; and Melissa Campanelli, co-founder of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle, a membership-based community of executive women at leading retailers and brands, caught up at the Women in Retail Pavilion at Shoptalk to discuss their 2024 partnership. Here are some highlights:

  • For the third year in a row, Women in Retail has joined forces with CommerceNext to present Women in Retail’s Top Woman of the Year CommerceNexty Award. The CommerceNextys are peer-reviewed awards for marketing and e-commerce achievements among retail and DTC brands. Women in Retail’s Top Woman of the Year Award recognizes a women leader in retail and/or e-commerce who has contributed to the community and mentored others to succeed. If you know a woman in retail who deserves recognition — or perhaps you want to share your own accomplishments — you can fill out this CommerceNexty nomination form. Nominations are open until April 5 and winners will be announced at the CommerceNext Growth Show, taking place June 11-13 in New York.
  • Women in Retail is also partnering with CommerceNext at the CommerceNext Growth Show by curating a panel called “Trailblazing Women in Retail: Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve Greatness”. It is taking place at 8 a.m. Tues, June 11. Speakers include Surabhi Pokhriya, chief digital officer of Church & Dwight; Linh Peters, former chief marketing officer of Walgreens; and Mara Sirhal, chief merchant and brand officer at Saks OFF Fifth.
  • This year, CommerceNext is also partnering with Women in Retail at the Women in Retail Leadership Summit, taking place at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island from April 29 to May 1. CommerceNext is hosting an activation called “Together We Thrive: A Tapestry of Women’s Wisdom”. Attendees can stop by CommerceNext’s space to both impart and discover pearls of wisdom. They are also invited to offer advice to other women at the event via a personalized note, and CommerceNext will capture the moment with a Polaroid and create a mosaic of shared experiences and guidance for attendees to browse at their leisure.