Who We Are

Retail Women in Tech is a community dedicated to empowering women and allies passionate about retail and technology. Our mission is to build the largest support network, provide relevant insights and opportunities, challenge industry norms and elevate future leaders. We are here to love our careers and transform the future of retail x tech.

What We Do

We create meaningful connections between people of different backgrounds to inspire, support and learn from one another as we navigate through this thing called our careers (and life). We offer a variety of resources for networking, professional development and mentorship. We work with external partners to advance the presence and impact of women in retail x tech.

Why We are Doing It

Because no one else is. Women make up most of the retail industry, but very few are in leadership roles. Specifically in the tech space, at any level, be it brand IT, tech companies, consulting firms there is a void. Our vision is to see women thrive and build out this space: The reality is that there aren't enough of us. We've been making a difference for sometime now, but there is a lot more potential to make a significant impact in the industry.

Our Story

In the summer of 2023, a woman and our founder, Shannon, were preparing for an AWS sales enablement session. At the time Shannon was with Talkdesk and the woman had just joined AWS - after a decade at Nordstrom. They could finish each other sentences.

Why? Because they both came from retail and the energy is uniquely different than any other industry, in particular tech.

After the session she said, "I've never met someone who came from the business and went into tech like you. Maybe we should start a community." From that an idea was born that has led us to where we are today, but like any good story goes, it wasn't that easy.

Shannon reached out to her network to see if there was anything like it. There wasn't. So the two of them crafted a mission and vision. Initially it was focused on supporting women who were in the business, like merchandising, who had realized they were most excited about helping to build a new assortment planning tool than they were fighting with design about a button. However, getting into brand IT and especially a tech company, was hard to close to impossible so they wanted to help others do so, but that was only touching a small percentage of women in our industry. Very quickly, they realized this community could be so much more than that. And so they expanded it to include anyone who has a passion for retail and technology - inclusivity being a core value.

NRF was approaching, and their goal was simple: get some cool women together for cocktails. Then, Talkdesk, AWS, and SAS stepped up to sponsor a launch party. At NRF 2023, Retail Women in Tech (RWIT) officially launched—and the response was amazing!

Enter plot twist. A week following Shannon reached out to the woman, who's idea this was, saying let's get this party started, she replied saying she couldn't do anymore and then ghosted Shannon. Say what?! Dumbfounded, Shannon proceeded to do one virtual event for IWD and then spent the rest of the year feeling guilty, almost daily, because she didn't have the bandwidth to truly get RWIT off the ground.

The universe decided to get involved. Late 2023, a couple of people asked Shannon, "whatever happened with Retail Women in Tech." Then, for NRF 2024, she was asked by AWS to join a panel on the topic which was overwhelmingly warmly received. Two days later she was told she was no longer a good fit at the tech company she was working for. The reality? For months leading up to this, Shannon had been experiencing what others might call sexism. Coming from retail, she was no stranger to mean girl clubs, but this was something different. He was right, she didn't fit in. How many of us understand that feeling?

Sssoooo....Shannon decided to re-launch RWIT on March 8th, 2024 and what an incredible ride it has been since! 2024 was a labor of love with support of wonderful women, affectionately known as her helping hands. Scrappy and organic are two words that best describe the year. Even so, impact happened! 8 virtual monthly mixers were hosted. Two IRL meet-ups in the Bay Area and one in NY, plus get togethers at industry events, happened. A LinkedIn community was set up, a LinkedIn page created and a slack channel started. Also the Power of WE Wednesday series was launched, sharing stories of our members and last but not least a mentorship program was piloted.

As 2024 came to a close, Shannon knew it was time to scale up.

And here we are—2025—at a place Shannon could have never dreamed RWIT would be. We now have official volunteer-led teams, membership, partnerships, marketing, events, sponsorships, and, most importantly, mentorship. AND—big news—we’re planning to become a nonprofit in the year ahead.

To say this journey has been anything short of extraordinary is an understatement.

Lives have changed because of Retail Women in Tech.

The outpouring of love, support, and action proves just how important our work is.

Come be a part of our story.

Let’s write the future together.

From Our Founder

Shannon Flanagan

Never in a million years did I imagine creating something like this.

Mental health in the workplace was my "cause." For a moment during the pandemic, I seriously considered pursuing my dream of becoming an advocate, author, and speaker on the topic. However, with three teenagers, two households to support, and no sudden windfall, it wasn’t the most financially responsible choice. Then, an unexpected turn in my career led me to a job at a tech company as the GM of Retail & Consumer Goods—an unplanned fork in the road that became the most incredible part of my professional journey yet!

I've always seen the potential in people. It’s one of my greatest gifts (and sometimes a curse—best discussed over drinks). Because of this, it breaks my heart when people don’t realize how amazing they are. What I didn’t expect as I started meeting women and our community grew was how widespread self-doubt was—so not okay! It made me reflect. As much as I projected confidence, I, too, felt like an imposter, torturing myself by comparing my accomplishments (or lack thereof) to others. It became crystal clear how much we all needed one another.

Want to know something funny? I had never been involved in any community outside of ERGs. But hearing others' stories, reflecting on my own experiences, and witnessing the shifts in women's rights and support—now reaching a fever pitch of injustice—made launching RWIT a no-brainer. It wasn’t just an idea; it became my passion. Fiercely.

They say if you do what you love, success will follow. My retirement plan was to start or run a nonprofit. And here I am, 15 years ahead of schedule, beginning to manifest it. My financial situation hasn’t changed, but instead of running away, I’m leaning in. I couldn't be a false prophet, telling others to go after what they want while not doing the same myself. I hope more of us do the same.