CEO at CartStars | Cultivating an Empathetic & Resilient Community for eCommerce Leaders

Your team got smaller this year. Your decisions didn’t.

You need to know what actually worked at a company like yours before you commit. You don’t need another vendor pitch or another analyst report. You need the real answer from someone who already made the call.

That room is called CartStars. I started it with six people at a dinner table because I was tired of expensive decisions made on bad information.

Estèe Lauder, Steve Madden, Bombas, and MERIT Beauty are in it. So is the person who just solved the exact problem sitting on your desk right now.

It’s not a network. It’s the room you check before you commit.

If you’re making a high-stakes decision right now, your peers already made it.

Start at cartstars.com

Debbie Kemunto Pearce

Three versions of the truth.


Shopify says one thing, Amazon says another, and your ad platform says something else.

But Krishna P. asks one question first:
Who's accountable for what's actually true?

At Oracle, he watched companies pay millions for the answer.
Then, bootstrapped Saras Analytics with his cousins to bring it to brands who couldn't.

Today, it's 180 people. Working with brands like HexClad, Ridge, Athletic Greens, and KFC.

His take on being the calmest person in a messy data room?
Know that your tool isn't the problem.
It's that no one owns the question.

That's what Visionaries is.

Krishna Poda, Co-Founder & CEO, Saras Analytics.
February 24th in Palm Springs. He's in the room.

Who owns the question at your company?

Debbie Pearce

It’s a living room, not a ballroom.


No badge lanyard. No sad buffet chicken. No one on a stage pretending they figured it all out.

While you’re on the conference floor right now, there’s a Michelin-trained chef in a kitchen cooking for a group of executives who are just talking. Actually talking.

Breaking down how they think, not the version they’d give on a panel.

There’s also a photographer in that room whose work made me save his number for ten years. I waited for a moment worthy of him. Today was it.

This room doesn’t exist tomorrow.

Visionaries Day is happening right now, and there’s still a way in.

You can find it here: https://lnkd.in/gzRuHHqK

Steve has receipts.


He doubled revenue at NYDJ.
He 3X’d Kut from the Kloth in half the time with a quarter of the staff.
You ask him how things are going and the answer sounds like an earnings call.
He doesn’t do vague. He does results.

We had a conversation in the room once about identity resolution and whether it crosses a line. Steve didn’t miss a beat. “I’m head of growth, not ethics.”
I laughed. But that level of clarity is why he keeps winning.

This is someone who was building fan communities 23 years ago on Myspace. He was doing it before anyone had a word for it. He just understood something most brands still haven’t figured out: your customer has to believe they’re the only one in the room.

He’s funny. He’s real.

Everybody knows Steve. But do you know his best dad joke? Drop it in the comments. 🤣

"I don't expect to learn anything."


Esteban Restrepo said that from a hot tub. With three people present at the end of Day 1 in Palm Springs. Just one of those conversations that happens when nobody's trying to have one.

He wasn't being cynical. He was being honest. 
He's been at this long enough.... where you stop expecting someone to hand you a trick that changes your business overnight. 

But then he kept going.

"What I loved about today is that it was real. I watched someone actually share something that works for them. And it was a contrast to the big stages where it becomes performative."

And honestly? That hit me.
Because most people in this industry already know the difference. The stage version and the real one. They've been in both rooms. They know which one they walked out of and actually used something from.

They just don't have a place where the second version exists.....till now.

When's the last time you were in a room where you got what you really needed?

Most people listen to the women they admire.


Not enough people watch them.

Listening gets you inspired for a day. Watching changes how you move.

These 10 lessons didn't come from a stage. 
They came from paying close attention to what the women around me actually do when nobody's clapping, when the easier choice is right there, when stopping would be completely reasonable.

At the end of the day, it's the people in your life that make the life you live. 

If you're a woman in my life, I'm grateful for you. 

I'm learning from you, I'm inspired by you.

You flew home, and nobody said thank you.


You sat in someone's session, visited a partner at their booth, gave someone 10 minutes of real conversation, and flew home. Back to the inbox.

I think about that more than I should.

Colleen Waters did all of that at a conference. She won an all-inclusive vacation.
And for the first time in I don't know how long, she stopped. 
She came back and posted about how the pause gave her something the grind had been taking. 

I read it and thought, OK, so this is the room. The one where someone shows up, and it doesn't go unnoticed. This is where CartStars did something right.

I've been building this thing for three years, and Colleen explained it better in one post than I have in 300.

Showing up looks different every time. 
This time at Visionaries, it's about who you bring with you. Because every room like this started with someone saying, "you need to be here" to someone else.

Visionaries is next week. See you in Palm Springs, February 24-25


When's the last time you showed up for someone and nobody said a thing?

Never go back.


New company, new industry, new title. Because that's what gets the "excited to announce."
Nobody writes the post about going back.

Niva Singer, MBA keeps going back.

First hire at Native. Built the ops, the website, the emails with a team under ten. Then P&G bought it for $100 million.

She left. Then she walked back in.
Not for the title. Because there was always space for optimizations.
Worth a $580K annual revenue lift.
She tested the placement of one feature on the homepage. Build-Your-Pack, one test.
That's what going back looks like when you're paying attention.

Then she went back to the same category. MUD\WTR, now Auri Nutrition. Second mushroom wellness brand. Same lane but deeper.

Some people chase what's next. She goes back to what matters.

She brought that energy to fondue night at The Matterhorn in San Francisco.
Grateful to Klaviyo and Loop Subscriptions for making the night possible!

You make 100 decisions a week. You can't explain how you make one?


That's not a criticism. That's most of us.
We asked a small group of senior leaders to do something most people never take the time to do.

Write down the things they see before anyone else does. Their frameworks.

And I've been reading these Visionary questionnaires over the last few weeks.
We haven't even hit record yet, and it's already changing how I think.

Tomorrow:
Two chairs, a living room in Palm Springs, sixteen peers, a full camera crew.
No spectators. Real questions, real pressure.

I'm equal parts excited and terrified!

Visionaries, Feb 24-25.

Link in comments if this is the kind of room you want to be in.

Sara Pereda is a super-connector in the eCommerce world, known for her uncanny ability to know everyone—and introduce you to the exact person you didn’t know you needed to meet.

With a career spanning household names like Disney and Netflix to fast-paced startups like MuteSix and DMS (now Waystone), Sara blends big-company experience with entrepreneurial energy. But what truly sets her apart is her passion for people. She’s the founder of a thriving global community of eCommerce and partnership professionals, now in its fifth year, with regular meetups in over 24 cities worldwide—built entirely on the belief that the best opportunities come from real connection.

Now the Global Head of Partnerships at Rivo.io and the founder of Smarterships.co, Sara builds ecosystems where brands and tech partners collaborate seamlessly—turning relationships into real, measurable growth (and keeping the vibes good along the way).

Whether you’re looking to scale your partner program, level up your tech stack, or simply meet the right person at the right time—Sara’s probably already got someone in mind for you.

Sara Pereda

I’ve never boxed before… but apparently my first match will be in Vegas at Shoptalk 😅 And yes, I will be doing my very best to CRUSH Morgan Decker 🎯. For charity of course, not ego 😉 

Now that eTail West is over, time to get to work. I’m taking that mindset from the office to the gym physically and mentally as I gear up to step into the ring for Justin Silver’s eCommerce Fight for Charity that Rivo is of course sponsoring!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be training hard before fight night on March 24th. This is way bigger than a 3 minute round. It’s an industry coming together to raise $1,000,000 for causes that truly matter. 

One of these causes is especially important to me right now because I’ll be fighting in honor of Chelsea Jones, who is in the biggest battle of all as her cancer has returned. She is giving this everything she has, and I will be giving this everything I have in honor of her 💛

🎗️American Cancer Society
💧charity: water
🏥 Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières - USA

Whether it’s building partnerships, growing communities, or learning how to throw a proper punch, the truth is the same. Results come from the work nobody sees.

Thanks to all the sponsors for making this happen: Shopify Rivo Stay AI PostPilot Opensend Skio Dataships Recharge Duel Tech Yotpo Highbeam CartStars Popl Chewonthis DTC

I’m ready to put in the sweat equity and take you all along for the ride.
Join us on the journey: https://lnkd.in/ek_WzX2t

Let’s get to WORK 👊🏽 🥊 
#FightForCharity #eCommerce #GivingBack

Global Head of Partnerships, Rivo & Smarterships Founder

I am fighting for Chelsea Jones in honor of her battle with Stage 4 Cancer! She’s the strongest woman I know and inspires me constantly! Get ready to be crushed Jennifer Peters - just like Chelsea's cancer!!! 🥊 

Mama said knock you out! 🥊 🥊 
(kidding, just a slight tap on the head for our pretty faces) 

Get your tickets now --> https://luma.com/2becq9hz

Serial Entrepreneur | Founder and CEO | Investor in Real Estate, Technology, Longevity, Consumer | Lecturer at Yale & Wharton | Boxing For Charity

Sara Pereda is a FORCE.

When Sara "For Chelsea" Pereda wants something...she gets it. So when she mentioned stepping in the ring and wanting to win - I knew Jennifer "Take Your Vitamins" Peters was going to be up against a prize fighter. 

Come see Sara repping Rivo in front of 500+ eComm execs. She has been training SO HARD!

A big thank you to all of our donors: Shopify, PostPilot, Recharge, Rivo, Yotpo, Skio, Opensend, Backstroke, Shopware, Dataships, Highbeam, Stay AI, Kasama, and CartStars!

eCommerce Fight For Charity 💪

Shoptalk Sip, Pray, Slay: Coffee & Faith at the Cabanas ☕ ✝️ 😎
#Shoptalk is always a whirlwind of meetings, events, dinners, and late nights. Every year the week seems to move faster than the last.

I’ll be helping organize a lot happening around the conference again this year, but the gathering I’m most excited about is this one.

Sip, Pray, Slay: Coffee & Faith at the Cabanas ☕ ✝️ 😎

This actually started about four years ago when Shoptalk happened to begin on a Sunday. A small group of us decided to go to church together before the conference kicked off. It was simple and unplanned, but it created a really special moment of connection that none of us expected.

Over the years, that small tradition has quietly grown.
Last year we brought everyone together intentionally and about 30 of us gathered poolside to pray, talk about faith, and support each other as we headed into a busy week of meetings and events. It ended up being one of those meaningful moments people kept mentioning throughout the conference.
So we’re doing it again this year.

On Monday, March 23rd, we’ll gather at the Mandalay Bay cabanas for a relaxed morning together. Think coffee in hand, sunshine by the pool, and real conversations about faith, work, leadership, and navigating life in the eCommerce world.

This isn’t a formal program. No stage, no presentations. Just a space for people in our industry who share faith to connect, encourage each other, and start the week grounded.

Last year, we had about 30 people join. This year will likely be a little bigger, but the goal is still the same. Keep it genuine, supportive, and rooted in community.
If you’re attending Shoptalk 2026 and this resonates with you, we’d love to have you there.

Come sip some coffee.
Share a little faith.
And start Shoptalk the right way.
☕ ✝️ 😎
Sip. Pray. Slay.

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eXQchgiH

Community builders will understand this one 💛

Lately, I’ve noticed a growing trend of incredibly kind people introducing prospective members to Smarterships and looping Adena Merabi, Megan Blissick, and me in to set up intro calls. The referrals mean the world. Truly.

But here’s the reality behind the scenes. Smarterships was intentionally built as a self-service community. The information lives on the website. The magic lives in the people. And the experience is something you feel once you’re inside or show up to an event.

All three of us run this alongside very real full-time jobs, travel, and events, which means we simply can’t accommodate 30-minute intro calls for every prospective member to walk through what is already documented.

If you’re inviting someone to join, the best path is actually the simplest one
✨ Tell them why you’re here
✨ Share what you’ve personally gained
✨ Send them the site and let them decide if it resonates

And if someone wants to vibe check first, that is exactly why we host city hangs, SmarterSips (our large conference gatherings like the one on Monday at eTail West). Come meet the humans. Feel the energy. Then decide.

The other honest truth… we are perfectly okay if Smarterships grows slower because of this. Bigger has never been the goal. Engaged has. The value of any community is ultimately what you put into it, not how many people are in it.

Grateful for every referral, every introduction, and every person helping tell the Smarterships story. Just keeping the process intentional so we can spend time building meaningful experiences instead of repeating the website on Zoom 🙂

Community > scale
Depth > volume
Humans > funnels

If you’re a brand heading to hashtag
#Shoptalk Vegas, this is your little Vegas advantage 🎰 Get your life together before you land in Vegas 😉✈️

The Smarterships community pulled together 75+ high-caliber side events, dinners, meetups, and more happening around the conference, hosted by our partner community, so you can plan your week before the chaos starts 🗓️🍸🤝

🎟️ The list is free
✔️ You just need to verify that you’re a brand
🚫 No, you won’t be marketed to for signing up

And just to be clear, signing up for this list does not mean you’ll be reached out to or marketed to 🙅🏽‍♀️📩

This is simply a giveback from our community to make your life easier and help you have a better week in Vegas 🫶🏽

If you’re a tech or agency partner, access comes through community membership 🤍

Start planning here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gre568s3

Sharing is caring 😉🫶🏽

Excited to be chatting with Aaron Schwartz in 5 mins to talk all things Partnerships, scaling a tech partner program and how you build a global community. Always love my chats with Aaron 🫶🏽

Sara Pereda, Global Head of Partnerships at Rivo will be live on The Orita Podcast where we'll dig into what she's learned building community and partnerships world wide, from The Walt Disney Company to Netflix to Yotpo and now Rivo, and how she created Smarterships along the way. Join us!

Rivo is headed to #shoptalk Vegas with a calendar full of events and absolutely no intention of being subtle about it. We’ve officially overcommitted in the best way possible, so brands and partners, come say hi, grab a drink, and let’s make networking feel more like a good hang 💃🏽 🕺🏽 

📅 March 23rd

🍹 SmarterSips: Shoptalk w/ Rivo
Waiting for your room to be ready? Come have a drink on us poolside?

🟢: Brands, Agency Partners, Tech Partners, Everyone!

💵 : iamota (a Shopify Premier Partner), SLTWTR, Paramark, Tapcart, ehouse, Kimonix, Remark, GoAudience, Subtotal, Ryder System, Inc., One Lasso, Channable, Jurni & Smarterships
🔗 https://lnkd.in/e38QXaKX

🍣 VIP Nobu Dinner with Rivo, SLTWTR & Subtotal
🟢: Brands Only
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eSzbU3PU

🍣 VIP Nobu Dinner with Rivo, PIVOT | Shopify Plus Premier Agency Partner &  FUEGO.io 
🟢: Brands Only
🔗 https://lnkd.in/exjP934h

🍣 VIP Nobu Dinner with Rivo & Avex E-commerce
🟢: Brands Only
🔗 https://lnkd.in/exjP934h

⸻

📅 March 24th

🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️ Stride Run Club w/ Rivo, iamota (a Shopify Premier Partner), REVIEWS.io & PostPilot
🟢: Brands, Agency Partners, Tech Partners, Everyone!
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eGrgEfVj

🌊 Pool Cabana Break with Rivo & Gorgias
🟢: Brands and invited Partners
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eY9kXpVS

🥊 eCommerce Fight For Charity featuring Rivo's Head of Partnerships, Sara Pereda, Fighting in Honor of one of our agency partners with cancer 🫶🏽 

💵 : ​Shopify, Stay AI, PostPilot, Recharge, Opensend, Skio, Yotpo, Dataships, Backstroke, Kasama, Highbeam, Shopware and CartStars (ran out of tag options, sorry!)

🟢: Brands, Agency Partners, Tech Partners, Everyone who gets a ticket!
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eysVBsm8

⸻

📅  March 25th

🌊 Pool Cabana Break with Rivo & Gorgias
🟢: Brands and invited Partners
🔗 https://lnkd.in/ekKCpxXb

🎤 SUITETALKS at Mandalay Bay with Rivo, Avex E-commerce, 
🟢: Brands Only
🔗 https://lnkd.in/ecuiK4Dt

🎵 Official Afterparty at Hakkassan at Rivo & Stay AI table (after the Shoptalk Beach Party)
🟢: Brands and invited Partners
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eAD4R_j6

taplio

The Battle

Debbie Kemunto Pearce

Sara Pereda

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreDebbie Kemunto Pearce's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreSara Pereda's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Debbie Kemunto Pearce

Sara Pereda

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Debbie Kemunto Pearce's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreSara Pereda's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreDebbie Kemunto Pearce's LinkedIn Performance