If you would've told me 6 months ago that this year's Women in Supply Chain Forum would be as successful as it was, I would've brushed you aside and called you crazy.
That's because when you're in the thick of planning and you hit hurdles, setbacks and challenges, reaching the end point seems nearly unattainable.
But hard work, determination, networking, having a great support staff and conducting a tiny bit of LinkedIn stalking (okay, a lot of LinkedIn stalking) helped this year's Forum welcome 200 of our now closest friends to 2.5 days of networking, collaboration, giggling, hugging, compliments on each others' hair and outfits and relationship-building.
Patrick Brown/IRONMARKETS
I'm just a Midwestern girl with a journalism degree and a passion for B2B publications. But I also had a vision -- a dream of a place where women could come together and lean on each other to become better employees, leaders and co-workers. A place where they can grow both personally and professionally. A place where they can form true "girl groups" that thrive on support and mutual respect.
I too have had the nasty female bosses. I've also been the only female in a room of men who didn't feel it necessary to give you the time of day. And yes, I still suffer from Imposter Syndrome. I look back at the pictures from this year's event and am still in disbelief that it actually happened. But it did.
The event kicked off with a meal packing event hosted by Move for Hunger, where registrants picked up their badges and then packed a nutritious meal kit. This exercise fed 200 children in the local Tampa area.
Anne Feder, SVP, client growth and product for eGrowcery, served as this year's Keynote, detailing her decade-long journey driving complex, end-to-end solutions across the supply chain and digital commerce landscape. She talked about balancing the job and responsibilities of both career and motherhood, what it takes to cut out the negative noise and what success looks like even if you work in an industry that isn't anything like what you went to college for. "Not everyone is going to like you, and that's okay."
UNFI leaders Jill Furman, VP of learning and development; Renee Spear, general manager of distribution center; Melissa Sax, SVP of operations and retail; and Letta Jenkins, VP, food safety, detailed what you can do as a leader to further growth/development amongst your team.
New to the agenda this year was a Market Overview session, presented by Natalie Gallagher, principal economist and director at Board, who provided forecasting best practices, economic research, and thought leadership initiatives.
TGW Logistics' leaders Meagan Gauthier, business development manager; and Alessandra Caminati, head of solutions design, discussed practical ways to break stereotypes, advocate for yourself, and lift others as you climb the corporate ladder.
The Forum's first-ever all-male panel welcomed Mitch Luciano, CEO of Trailer Bridge; Brad McBride, founder and CEO of Zero Down Supply Chain Solutions; and Mark Bushway, chief supply chain officer and president of natural, organic, specialty and fresh products for UNFI, who detailed the many ways male leaders can champion women in supply chain.
Ratisha Bolin, director of procurement, packaging and materials management for Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, provided best practices and ideas on how to expand your own sphere, tackle imposter syndrome and become a leader of influence.
And, in the essence of making milestones, this was the first Women in Supply Chain Forum where all four overall winners were in attendance and participated in a panel discussion co-led by Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, founder of Let's Talk Supply Chain, Blended Pledge and The Secret Society of Supply Chain, presenting sponsors of the Women in Supply Chain award. The overall winners shared their personal journeys, detailed what it looks like to elevate women in the supply chain.
Congratulations again to our four overall winners:
Rising Stars --> Joshe Ordonez, CEO, Airpals
CLICK HERE for an exclusive interview about collective strength, the power of reinvention and what it takes to build AI products for the logistics space.
Trailblazers --> Brittany Caskey, Chief Commercial Officer, Logistics, DP World
CLICK HERE for an exclusive interview on Caskey's “outside-of-the-box” leadership, why mentorship matters and what it takes to experience the full spectrum of the supply chain.
DEI Pioneer --> Mary Casillo, SVP of Business Development, The Pallet Alliance
CLICK HERE for an exclusive interview on sustainable pallet management, supplier diversification and the importance of DEI efforts.
Workforce Innovator --> Natasha Martinez, Head of Fleet Success, BeyondTrucks
CLICK HERE for an exclusive interview on digital transformation in transportation and the importance of maintaining a diverse supply chain background.
Patrick Brown/IRONMARKETS
The Women in Supply Chain Networking Dinner was filled with energy, as every winner in attendance was called on stage to receive their official winners' certificate.
On the last day, an Interactive Workshop led by Sarah Barnes-Humphrey from Let's Talk Supply Chain and Blended Pledge, both presenting sponsors of the Forum, and Katie Date, SVP of industry relations and strategic initiatives at Manifest, also a sponsor, spoke about the tools, resources and confidence needed to become a true leader.
Congratulations to the MotherTruckers for winning this year's Supply Chain Jeopardy, an interactive game that quizzed on everything from transportation and warehousing to software solutions, the history of women in supply chain and more.
Both our Cocktails & Conversations and Coffee & Conversations networking sessions let attendees choose table topics like Branding Yourself, Building Company Culture and Finding Mentors to share tips, stories and best practices.
To the attendees who carved out time and resources to make this trip a must on your calendar, THANK YOU.
To the men who showed up to speak and support their female counterparts, I saw you in the front row taking notes, taking pictures, cheering everyone on.
Big thank you to all of our incredible sponsors, Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Blended Pledge, The Secret Society of Supply Chain, UNFI, TGW Logistics, Gebrüder Weiss, Sitehound, PCS, Trailer Bridge, Kenco Group, Manifest, LiquiDonate, Reveel, ORTEC, Not Your Mother's Haircare, DHL Supply Chain, ShipSigma and West Monroe.
Save the date: Nov. 17-19, 2026 at the Charleston Marriott in Charleston, S.C.
Interested in becoming a speaker, CLICK HERE.
Interested in becoming a sponsor, CLICK HERE.
