From Community to Collabs: How Women in Retail Built a Movement That Delivers Real-World Wins

When Melissa Campanelli launched the first Women in Retail Leadership Circle event, just 20 women showed up. It was a small hotel room in South Beach, built on a simple insight: senior women in retail needed more than a title. They needed connection.

Ten years later, that idea has become a membership-based community of more than 800 senior-level women across retail, brand, and digital leadership and it’s producing measurable outcomes. From vendor deals and board introductions to confidence coaching and career pivots, Campanelli’s organization has become a force multiplier in an industry still reshaping its leadership model.

Campanelli, who co-founded the organization with Jennifer DiPasquale, describes the Circle not just as a community, but a system: one built to advance individual careers while raising the visibility and influence of women across the retail ecosystem.

It’s structured around four key levers:

And it’s not just members helping members. Corporate partners, from QVC to Belk, are increasingly engaging with the group as a source of talent, product innovation, and brand partnerships.

Some of the most impactful outcomes are commercial.

One member, Alyssa Adams, co-founder of Cabana Life, mentioned in passing at an event that her goal was to enter Belk stores. Another member overheard and introduced her to the dress buyer. One month later, Cabana Life secured a 20-store deal.

Another, Karen Cardosa of Bossa Nova Handbags, pitched her handmade leather goods to QVC in a one-to-one session offered at a Women in Retail event. She landed a vendor spot and made her on-air debut shortly after.

It’s these kinds of moments that define the community’s value, not just mentorship, but momentum.

Campanelli is quick to say the industry has made progress. In 2014, seeing women in CMO or SVP roles was rare. Today, the executive pipeline is stronger but gaps remain, especially at the board level. “There was a movement a few years ago,” she notes, “but there’s still more to be done.”

Her view is pragmatic: visibility, hiring, and elevation require intentional support. That’s why Women in Retail members regularly surface open roles, recommend peers, and coach one another through high-stakes moves. It’s also why the group keeps investing in leadership programming so new talent can grow into senior roles faster, and with more confidence.

At CommerceNext, Campanelli moderated a panel on the human side of AI. While the show floor focused heavily on GenAI tools and automation platforms, her session centered on something else: trust.

“There’s fear around AI, fear of job loss, fear of not understanding it,” she said. “The difference comes down to leadership. When companies are empathetic, transparent, and clear about how AI will support, not replace, people, adoption happens faster.”

It was a reminder that even in a tech-dominated environment, communication still sets the pace.

Asked what advice she’d give to women entering the workforce now, Campanelli didn’t hesitate: be confident, and use your network. “Don’t be afraid to ask for the coffee,” she said. “Send the message. Reach out to someone at your dream brand. The worst they can say is no.”

She’s seen firsthand how powerful those connections can be from first jobs to board appointments to public-speaking breakthroughs.

As the session wrapped, Campanelli mentioned another member, Keisha Salters of Hibbett, who used coaching at a Women in Retail event to push past hesitation and take career-changing action. It’s that kind of small-but-defining moment that keeps the community growing, not just in size, but in impact.

From on-air launches to boardroom seats, Women in Retail isn’t just celebrating women. It’s moving them forward.

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