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Her in Focus June 17–19, 2025 Niagara-on-the-Lake The Retreat Pillar & Post
Her in Focus June 17–19, 2025 Niagara-on-the-Lake The Retreat Pillar & Post Community
June 17–19, 2026

Pillar Post Hotel & Spa
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Canada

30 Curated Founders

HER in Focus · The Retreat

Where women
build real
businesses —
together.

30 founders. 3 days. One experience designed to shift how you build, who you build with, and what you believe is possible.

June 17–19, 2026
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
108Days
00Hours
00Mins
00Secs
Founders connecting
empowHER community
Pillar & Post
Retreat moments
A
M
S
Spots are limited. 30 founders only.
30Carefully Selected
Founders
2.5Days of Immersive
Experience
40+Events Hosted
Globally
8KCommunity
Members
Step Into The Experience

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

The Setting
/01

The Setting

Pillar & Post Hotel and Spa, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Every detail designed to make you feel as good as it makes you think.

The Room
/02

The Room

30 women. All building something real. Capped deliberately — because quality of connection matters more than size of the crowd.

The Programming
/03

The Programming

Tracks built for where you actually are — validation to traction, or scaling smart. Practical, honest, and built to move you forward.

The Reset
/04

The Reset

Spa time, free afternoons, and space to breathe. This retreat respects your energy as much as your ambition.

The Dinners
/05

The Dinners

A fireside BBQ in the barn Wednesday. The closing party at Château des Charmes Thursday. The kind of evenings you'll talk about for years.

The Connections
/06

The Connections

Not small talk. Real relationships — the kind that follow you home, into your business, and into your next chapter.

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WHY ATTEND

Three Days That Will Change How You Build

The experience. The room. The programming. When all three are right everything shifts.
The Details Are
Doing Work
Wednesday night: a fireside chat and BBQ dinner under the lights in the barn and garden. Thursday: a trolley to Château des Charmes for a closing party you'll genuinely remember.

The kind of weekend you actually look forward to.
Programming That
Respects Your Energy
Traction for every stage.

1:1 poolside meetings.

Scaling smart. AI for your business. Choose the track you're in - hear from women that have built and invested in brands like yours, dig into workshops, and walk away with tools you'll use Monday morning.

Honest. Practical.
Built to move you forward
The Women in the Room Are the Point
Capped Audience.

Founders only.

Every woman here is building something real. We cap attendance deliberately - because the quality of the room matters more than the size of it.

You'll leave with connections that actually last.
Who Attends?

Built for Founders in Motion

HER in Focus is a highly curated, two & a half day retreat designed for women founders who are no longer experimenting. These are builders. Women scaling brands, making real decisions about capital, distribution, and what comes next.This is not a conference.

There is no stage setup and thousands of strangers. Just 30 carefully selected founders in a historic property in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in sessions designed for real conversation, honest reflection, and the kind of connection that creates actual outcomes.
Scaling Founders
Women building brands that are 7 figures and looking to reach before 8 figures, in food & beverage, beauty, health & wellness, and apparel and lifestyle.

You’re past validation - you’re scaling whats working and more.
Seekers of Real Access
You want to hear directly from women and companies who've built what you're building, and get access to the insights, introductions, and hard-won lessons that don't show up in a podcast or a LinkedIn post. You're here for the 1:1 moments and the relationships that deepen over time.
Decision Makers
You're actively deciding on vendors, platforms, distribution, capital, and partners right now. You don't need another motivational talk - you need strategic peers and real answers.
The Agenda

Three Days of Connections, Insight, and Action!

Every session is intentionally designed. From morning firesides to intimate workshops and a closing dinner at the winery barrel room - the retreat flows between structured programming and space for the conversations that happen in between.
Wednesday Jun 17 - Arrival

Check-In & settle in
Transportation will be provided from the Buffalo airport if you are flying in from the US. This is the airport you will need to fly into.
We will have multiple transportation times that will be communicated once registered.

If you are local you can drive and parking will be covered.

Arrive at Pillar & Post Hotel and Spa, check in, explore the grounds.

Evening
Sponsored Experience

WELCOME PARTY
Fireside chat and dinner on the barn & garden ground, BBQ-style, get to know the other founders under the lights.

The tone of the week is being set!

Thursday Jun 18 - The Morning

** this section will be modified but communicated in advance

8:30 AM
Breakfast + networking

10:00 AM
Framing the day

10:15 AM
Keynote with Jennifer Scruggs
Scaling with purpose

10:45 AM
Keynote with Cailtin Strandburg
From bootstrapping to outside investment - raising on your terms

11:30 AM
Lunch + networking

Thursday Jun 18 - Afternoon

1:00 PM
Presenting Partner Keynote
AI for founders - unlock efficiency & expansion

1:45 PM
Workshop 1
Breakout 1
‍Breakout 2

2:15 PM
Workshop 2
Breakout 1
Breakout 2

2:45 PM
Wrap up + closing remarks

Thursday Jun 18 - Evening

3:00 - 4:00 PM
1:1 founder meetings

4:00 - 7:00 PM
Relax I Spa I Pool

CLOSING PARTY - Sponsored Experience

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Trolley will take us to The Chateau Des Charmes

Special keynote guest to be announced

Friday Jun 19 - The Farewell

8 AM
Yoga in the garden

9:30 AM
Breakfast + closing panel: “From Reflection to Action”

11:30 AM
Check-out + departures

Château des Charmes
Pillar & Post
The VENUE

Pillar & Post Niagara-on-the-Lake

Set in the heart of Canada’s most celebrated wine region, the Pillar & Post is your backdrop for three days of clarity, expansion, and meaningful connection. With lush gardens, a renowned spa, and a beautifully restored barn, the setting is intentionally designed to help you reset, refocus, and build what’s next.

Château des Charmes

We're closing out the retreat wine in hand, vineyard views all around, and the women you just spent the week building with right beside you. A celebration of everything you brought to this retreat and everything you're taking home.
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What's Included in Your Stay
Every attendee registration includes accommodations, all food and beverage throughout the retreat, and a curated gifting experience valued at $1,000 in premium products - carefully selected to reflect the same quality and intentionality you put into your own brands.

Transportation to and from Buffalo Niagara International Airport is fully covered, so from the moment you land, the experience is taken care of. If you are Toronto native, you will be responsible for your own transportation.

Note: All US-based founders will fly into Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF).

Transportation across the border to the venue is arranged and included.
The Grounds & Wellness Amenities
Step outside and into The Gardens at Pillar & Post - six acres of beautifully curated green space. The property also features a one-of-a-kind year-round outdoor hot spring pool, a saltwater indoor pool, and a cedar sauna - all included with your stay. Spa treatments are available on-property and are yours to book at your leisure.

This isn't just a retreat venue. It's an environment designed to match the energy of the women in the room.
The Voices in the Room

Past Speakers & Guests.

Our past retreats and events have welcomed some of the most compelling women in business.

Retreat speaker announcements coming soon.
Erika Ayers Baden
CEO of Food 52 & former CEO Of Barstool
Maragret Josephs
Former Real House Wives & Entrepreneur
Caroline Weintraub
VP, True Beauty Ventures
Dara Denney
Performance Creative Consultant
Kristen Chard
Head of Commerce, Google
Shizu Okusa
Founder & CEO, Apothékary
Caitlin Strandberg and Sochima Mbadugha
Early-Stage Investor & President, Topicals
Melissa Mash and Deepa Gandi
Co-Founders, Dagne Dover
Dr. Alyssa Dweck
Chief Medical Officer, Bonafide
Grace Clarke
Head of Community, Shopify
Mayssa Chehata
Founder & CEO, BEHAVE Candy
JOIN US
$1,300
(Early Bird Price now until April 15)
Full 3-day retreat access. Includes all programming, meals, welcome party, and closing dinner.

Accommodation and transportation included. Excluding air travel
I have a few questions, who should I connect with?
What do I pack?

Think relaxed by day, elevated by night - with layers for everything in between.
June weather in Niagara-on-the-Lake can swing warm or cool, so come prepared for both. A jacket or wrap is essential for the evening -  our welcome party is outdoors on Tuesday night (heaters provided, but bring the layer).

Beyond that, pack your swimsuit for the hot spring and saltwater pools, athleisure and workout gear for  morning yoga, and one nicer outfit for our closing dinner at the Winery Barrel Room - think summer dress, something you'd wear to a beautiful dinner. For everything else, smart casual and comfortable is perfect.

What's NOT included in my ticket?

Flights are not included

If you are local transportation to the venue is not included. Anything outside programming or off property is not included.

Is there a refund policy?

All Sales are final.

Is this retreat accessible to people with dietary restrictions or disabilities?

Yes, please notify our team for any specific needs and we'll ensure you are taken care of. Please email nicole@empowhercommerce.com.

The Right Room Changes Everything. Apply To Be In It.

If you're ready