Before you arrive

What we've handled. What's on you. What to bring.

Getting There
US attendees fly into Buffalo Niagara International (BUF). You'll receive your personalized transportation instructions the week of June 8th - no border crossing coordination required on your end. Driving in from Toronto or local? Parking at the venue is covered.
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Passport Reminder You're crossing into Canada - a valid passport is required. Please double-check your expiry date before you travel.

‍What to Pack
Three days, a few different moments - here's how to think about it.
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Welcome Party
‍Smart, effortless, a little elevated. Think sundresses, matching sets, linen, and anything you'd reach for on a warm evening out. Bring a light layer - we'll be moving between indoor and outdoor spaces as the night goes on.
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Programming Day
‍You'll be in sessions from 10 AM to 4 PM. Dress for focus, not friction - think put-together but comfortable. Business casual as a floor, but wear what makes you feel like yourself.
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Athleisure. The grounds are beautiful. If you want to get a walk in, explore, or sneak in a workout, pack something you can move in.
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Closing Dinner
‍One night to bring out the piece that's been waiting in your closet for an occasion that never came. This is the occasion.

Maximum colour, maximum drama, zero restraint - dress like the room is yours. View the moodboard →
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A Note on Luggage
‍We've put together gifting that we're genuinely excited about - products, surprises, things worth bringing home. If you're flying, leave room in your bag. You'll want it.

Curated gifting

What’s in your bag

Sixteen brands, one very full gift bag — valued at $1,500. Leave room in your suitcase.

Dietary needs or accessibility requests

Email Nicole at nicole@empowhercommerce.com before you arrive. The team handles it ahead of time so nothing surfaces at the table.

Heads up on check-in

Standard check-in is in the afternoon. Early arrival isn't guaranteed, so if you land before noon, plan to drop bags at the front desk and explore the grounds. Enjoy the pool and spa or take a 10 minute walk to downtown.

What's already covered

All meals and beverages. Shuttle from BUF. Curated gifting valued at $1,500.

You'll cover incidentals on your card. If you are staying additional days that additional cost will be charged to your card.

The shape of the week

Two and a half days,

HER in Focus is a highly curated, two & a half day retreat designed for women who are no longer experimenting. These are builders. Women scaling brands, making real decisions about capital, distribution, and what comes next.This is not a conference.

There is no stage setup and thousands of strangers. Just 30 carefully selected founders in a historic property in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in sessions designed for real conversation, honest reflection, and the kind of connection that creates actual outcomes.

WED · JUN 17

Arrival

Once you arrive, settle in. Tour the grounds.

If arriving early, enjoy a 10 minute walk to the village where you will find shops & restaurants.

The retreat will kickoff at 6:30 PM at the Barn, on the property grounds for the Welcome Party!

THU · JUN 18

The work

We will begin the day early. Meet for breakfast in the Library room.

All sessions, keynotes and workshops will begin at 10 AM. All sessions are manditory.

We will end the day at the beautiful Château des Charmes (women owned).

FRI · JUN 19

Farewell

‍If you are on an early shuttle, we will have breakfast start at 7 AM for you.

Everyone else grab breakfast and join us by the pool for coffee and face masks by EITHIO Skin.

Checkout is at 11 AM for all those leaving.

Scroll for the hour-by-hour ↓

The Agenda

Three Days of Connections, Insight, and Action!

A note before you dig in: every session is intentionally designed to be interactive. This is not a panel or a fireside format. Think tactical keynotes and working sessions - you will be in the room, not just watching it.

Wednesday, June 17 - Arrival Day.

Check-in opens at 3:00 PM at Pillar & Post. If you arrive early, you're welcome to check in - your room may not be ready, but the grounds, pool, and spa are yours to enjoy. The downtown is a 10-minute walk.

‍6:30 PM - Welcome Party
Join us across the street in the Pillar & Post Gardens at the Barn for happy hour and dinner. This is the kickoff.

Thursday, June 18 - Day Time Programming.

8:00 AM - Private breakfast in the Library Room (through the main dining room)

‍9:45 AM - Head upstairs to the Queenston Hall
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10:00 AM - Opening Remarks Nicole Harvey
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‍10:15 AM - Keynote: Build YOUR Brand, Not THEIR Business
‍Jennifer Scruggs, Scruggs Consulting
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‍10:55 AM - Keynote: You Said It: Your Retention Messaging Could Be Better. Let's Fix It.
‍Kalah Melon, Senior Manager, Community & Ecosystem Marketing - Attentive -

20-minute break

11:55 AM - Workshop: Mapping the Moments that Matter: Gaining conviction and clarity across your customer journey
Olivia Jarvis, Senior Manager, Customer Success & Virginia Smith, Sales Manager - Recharge

‍12:35 PM - Lunch in the gardens

2:00 PM - Workshop: Ecommerce Growth Levers: UX, AI & Discoverability Kim Samuelsen, Director of Delivery & Claire Michaud, Sales Director - Domaine
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2:40 PM - Workshop: The Consent Gap: What It's Costing You at Checkout
Sue Crowley, Director of Customer Success - Dataships

3:15 PM - Closing Remarks Nicole Harvey

3:30 – 4:30 PM - Founder & Brand Speed Matching
You'll receive your matches during the day - this is your dedicated time for those conversations.

Wednesday. Evening.

‍4:30 – 7:00 PM - Free time

7:00 PM - Meet in the lobby to board the trolley

‍7:30 – 10:00 PM - Closing dinner at Château des Charmes
‍Wear that dress you have nowhere to wear.

Friday, June 19 - Departure Day.

‍7:00 AM - Breakfast in the Library Room
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‍Morning - Masks & Coffee by the pool Grab your breakfast and join us poolside for face masks by Eithio Skin.

Shuttle departures & Checkout by 11 AM

Château des Charmes

Pillar & Post

One More Thing!

We know how busy you are.

That's exactly why we built this the way we did - one focused day of programming, a morning break built in, and an early wrap so you can catch up before the evening.

The sessions on June 18th are a core part of this experience. Your presence matters - to the room, to each other, and to our speakers who have put real thought into what they're bringing you.

We'll be holding the space tightly and ask that you plan your calls accordingly.

Questions? Reach out to Nicole directly at Nicole@empowhercommerce.com.

Attentive

Attentive is an SMS and email marketing platform built for high-growth DTC brands. They help brands drive revenue through personalized, behavior-triggered messaging - turning subscriber lists into one of their most powerful retention and conversion channels.

Recharge

Recharge is the leading subscription management platform for DTC brands. They help brands build predictable revenue, reduce churn, and deepen customer relationships through flexible subscription experiences - from bundles to loyalty to SMS-powered retention flows.

Domaine

Domaine is a full-service digital agency specializing in Shopify brands. They partner with DTC companies to drive growth through conversion rate optimization, UX strategy, and ecommerce experience design - helping brands turn more of their existing traffic into revenue.

Dataships

Dataships is a consent and first-party data platform built for ecommerce brands. They help brands compliantly capture and activate customer data — so you're building marketing lists that are both high-quality and fully compliant with global privacy regulations.

We are so excited for our FIRST retreat together!

Agenda. Speakers. Logistics. Everything that makes up the three days you're about to spend with thirty other leaders.

What we've handled. What's on you. What to bring.

What’s in your bag

Two and a half days,

Three Days of Connections, Insight, and Action!

We know how busy you are.

Get to know your speakers!

HER In Focus now has an exclusive membership so you don't miss whats happening next. Open