Women Grocers of America debuts Executive Female Leaders Network

The Women Grocers of America (WGA) held its first convening of the new Executive Female Leaders Network (EXFL), a professional peer group that is designed for female executives in the independent grocery industry, in Washington, D.C., ahead of the NGA Executive Conference & Public Policy Summit on Sunday, Oct. 23, and Monday, Oct. 24. 

Created by WGA and supported by the NGA Foundation, the EXFL Network provides the opportunity for women in the retail, wholesale, supplier, manufacturer and vendor communities to meet in person, share ideas and experiences, and face complex issues in the independent grocery industry.  

“We are thrilled with the response and support this initiative has received throughout,” said Kristin Popp, president of WGA and executive vice president of Woodman’s Food Markets. “I look forward to gathering with these extraordinary industry leaders in a space where we can learn together, discuss industry trends, solve problems, connect and strengthen our industry by providing these opportunities for our female leaders.” 

The network’s inaugural meeting included an interactive leadership development workshop, high-level analysis of key trends affecting the industry, and an exclusive members-only education and networking event. It also featured a powerful lineup of speakers, including a female executive panel with Katie Hotze, founder and CEO of Grocery Shopii; Amy Nemetschek, president and CEO of Certco Inc.; and Stephanie Becker, senior vice president, general counsel and chief legal officer for Associated Wholesale Grocers.  

Natalie Johnson, co-founder of ViDL Solutions, took participants through a Dare to Lead™ training, an empirically based courage-building program designed for the leaders of the future and developed by renowned researcher and author Brené Brown.  

“This is an exciting time for the Women Grocers of America as the organization further cultivates a community of female leaders and continues to strengthen the programming it offers to its members,” said Chelsea Matzen, director of the NGA Foundation. “We are grateful to our WGA leaders, and especially Kristin Popp for her passion and leadership in getting this first meeting from concept into reality. We look forward to a successful event and more to come in the future.” 

The EXFL network was created to further WGA’s mission of inspiring and empowering women of the independent grocery industry through personal and professional development, cultivating connections and highlighting accomplishments and achievements.  

Thank you to sponsors of the event: The Kellogg Co., The Coca-Cola Co., Fiserv, Rosie – An Instacart Company, Nestle-Purina Pet Care, Badger Technologies and BRData.  

More details about WGA and the EXFL network can be found at: https://www.nationalgrocers.org/foundation/women-grocers-of-america/  

About NGA 

NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.