Connect NYC 2026: the speakers, the format, and why you'll want to be in the room

Most ecom conferences have a familiar shape. You fly in, grab a lanyard, and sit through a keynote that turns out to be a sales pitch with nicer slides. By 2 pm you've got a stack of business cards and almost nothing you can use on Monday.

Connect NYC is built to be the opposite of that.

On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, we're bringing our brand-first ecommerce conference back to New York. One room, a full day, and a line-up made up of people actually running and scaling DTC brands. If you sell in the US, or you're eyeing it as your next market, this is a day worth clearing your calendar for.

Here's what's happening, who's on stage, and why the room itself is the real draw.

Doors open at 10 am, and we run until 5 pm. No filler, no death-by-slideshow.

The format is fast. Panels run in short bursts of 15 to 20 minutes, closer to a live Q&A than a lecture. Each one puts brand founders, operators, and a few seasoned veterans on stage together to answer the questions you actually care about. You get the answer, then we move to the next one.

There's breathing room built in too. We break between sessions, feed you properly with lunch plus snacks and refreshments through the morning, and finish with a full two hours of networking, entertainment and drinks.

That last part matters more than it sounds. Those two hours at the end are where the real conversations happen: the supplier you needed, the founder who's cracked the exact problem you're stuck on, the partner you'll still be working with next year. It's the bit you can't get from a webinar.

The line-up

We've pulled together more than twenty founders and operators for this one, a lot of them running brands you'll already know.

Leading the line-up:

• Danielle Lafleur, President of HATCH Collection
• Rishya Suresh, Director of Marketing at Bearaby
• Rob Varon, VP of Digital at Jordan Craig
• Nina Zilka, CEO of Alder New York
• Karen Ballou, Founder and CEO of Immunocologie

Plenty more founders and CEOs join them:

• Rachel Domb, Founder and CEO of Rooted Living
• Teja Urankar, CEO of Butter Be Kind
• Kiki Couchman, Co-Founder of Sourmilk
• David Baker, Co-Founder and CEO of Second Story
• Scott Annan, CEO of Mycube Safe
• Dani Kagan and Victoria Marshman, the CEO and COO behind Mave & Chez
• Matthew Jonathan, CEO of Skin Bar NYC

Beauty and skincare is well represented too, with Lisa Stroud of True Beauty Lashes, Smitha Rao of Pareva Beauty and Iana Salyvoniuk of Skin Love Cream.

Scaling isn't only about product, so we've also got the people who live in growth, money and media: Kate MacCabe of Flywheel Strategy and Trice Pruitt of Ecom Fractional CFO Group.

A few of our event partners are on the panels too, including Anthony Sardain, Founder and CEO of Cavela, and Ryan Kwon of Quantcast. They're there to answer your questions, not pitch you.

Twenty-plus perspectives in one day. You'll leave with a notebook full of things to try, not a tote bag full of flyers.

Why the room matters more than the stage

The best part of any Connect isn't only what happens on stage. It's who you end up talking to.

That's why Connect NYC is free for brands, but we still ask everyone to apply. We read every sign-up so the room stays full of founders and operators who are actually building and scaling. It keeps the day genuinely useful for you, and it's a big part of why the conversations flow so easily.

So over lunch, or during those two hours at the end, you're chatting with people who just get it. Same targets, same headaches, same "okay, but how did you actually fix that?" It's the kind of room where you swap real answers instead of business cards.

Scaling a brand can feel a little lonely. Everyone's got advice, but not everyone has been where you are right now. A day like this is a lovely reminder that plenty of people have, and they're more than happy to share.

Who should apply

Connect NYC is for you if you're a founder or senior operator at a scaling DTC brand, and especially if:

• you're already selling in the US and want to meet your peers face to face
• you're planning a US launch and want the real lay of the land from people who've done it
• you're tired of events that sell to you, and want one that teaches you something

If that sounds like you, the process is simple. Tickets are free for brands. You can apply for your spot now.

Grab your spot

Places are limited by design. If you want to be there on 15 September, apply for your Connect NYC ticket now.

Want a feel for it first? Watch the highlights from Connect NYC 2025, then come see it live.

You can also meet the wider crew any time through our community, on the DTC Live On Air podcast, or by partnering with us.

See you in New York!