Women Grocers of America Brings Industry Leaders Together for 2026 Symposium

• September 23, 2026

100 women from across the independent grocery industry gathered in Minneapolis-St. Paul for leadership development, industry insights and connection at sold-out event

Minneapolis-St. Paul - Women Grocers of America (WGA) concluded its sold-out 2026 WGA Symposium last week in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, bringing together 100 women representing independent retailers, wholesalers and industry partners.

Hosted and sponsored by Ecolab, the Symposium combined leadership development and peer networking with discussions of some of the most pressing issues facing the independent grocery industry. Attendees also had the opportunity to tour Ecolab's labs and learn more about their work behind food safety, water management and pest prevention.

"The WGA Symposium is about giving women across our industry a space to learn from one another, build meaningful relationships and strengthen the leadership skills that will help move independent grocery forward," said Chelsea Matzen, vice president of the NGA Foundation. "The energy and collaboration attendees brought to this year's program was truly remarkable. WGA is grateful to Ecolab and all of our sponsors for helping create an experience where women at every stage of their careers could connect, share ideas, and leave better equipped to lead."

Programming during the symposium addressed issues shaping the day-to-day and long-term strategies of independent grocers, including food traceability amid changing regulations, cybersecurity, and shrink.

Leadership served as a through-line throughout the Symposium. Joe Kiedinger of Dignify opened the event with "Great Leaders Lead Themselves First" and returned Wednesday for a session focused on dignity-based coaching.

Kelly Zehfuss, Analytical Storytelling, challenged attendees to approach strategy as a behavior rather than a title, reinforcing the role leaders at every level can play in advancing their organizations.

The event concluded with an "Executive Perspectives" panel featuring four senior women leaders from across the grocery industry: Stephanie Becker of Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), Katie Paul of KeHE, Justyne Uribe of Certco and Donna Zambo of Allegiance Retail Services. The panelists shared perspectives on career growth, leadership and what it will take to continue moving the industry forward.

The NGA Foundation extends its appreciation to host and sponsor Ecolab, along with The Coca-Cola Company, AWG, BRdata, JB Group, ECRS, Flashfood, Lipari, Ink'd Greetings, Empower Fresh, Grocery Equipment Sales, LLC, Imperial Distributors and Instacart for their support of the 2026 Symposium.

The next WGA Symposium will take place the week of September 14-17, 2027. Additional details will be announced in the coming months.

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About Women Grocers of America

Women Grocers of America is a professional development network operating under the NGA Foundation. WGA supports women in the independent grocery industry by providing leadership development, networking opportunities, scholarships, and educational programming designed to help members engage, network, and grow.

About the National Grocers Association Foundation

The NGA Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Grocers Association. We work alongside the independent grocery industry to invest in its people, strengthen its operations, and protect its future. We cultivate talent, ignite innovation, and preserve independence across generations - so that grocers can continue to serve the communities that depend on them. Our programming encompasses students, leadership development, supporting women in the industry, frontline worker training, free personalized support for business innovation, and succession planning. For more information, visit www.ngafoundation.org.

About the National Grocers Association

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.