When we found out that the Create + Cultivate conference was coming to the West Coast, we couldn't sign up fast enough. Create + Cultivate is an online platform and conference series for creative, entrepreneurial women. Their website provides podcasts, blogs and tips for everything from building a company team and promoting happiness in the workplace to improving your Instagram content and self-care. Their San Francisco conference this past Saturday, September 21, got our marketing team's creative minds churning. Didn't make it? Take a look behind-the-scenes with us. 

THE CONFERENCE 

Create + Cultivate's San Francisco conference took place on Saturday, September 21 at SVN West, an incredible events space in San Francisco, near SoMa + the Tenderloin. They transformed the space beautifully, with pop-up vendors and brands such as La Croix, Vince Camuto, Vanity Fair, Roc and Birdies, as well as mini-bars by Chandon and Ketel One.

Panels, fireside chats and other talks / presentations were held on the Main Stage and the Second Stage, each in their own spaces so that attendees on the two different tracks (entrepreneurship and social media) could find the spots that best fit their journeys and goals. This year's guests / panelists included Kourtney Kardashian, Jenna Dewan, Giuliana Rancic, Rumer Willis and former Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky, along with numerous female entrepreneurs, start-up founders and venture capitalists that were endlessly inspiring.

THE PANELS 

Giuliana Rancic kicked off the day on the Main Stage, in a talk with Allure editor-in-chief Michelle Lee. Giuliana, often in the public eye, really opened up to allow the audience to get to know a story we haven't had the chance to see play out on TV - how she got her start as a journalist, how she balances work and travel with parenthood and what inspired her to start a cleaner brand of body care. 

We were treated to a slew of other inspirational panels throughout the day - a talk with the female CEOs and founders of start-ups like Birdies and Rael, a panel highlighting the intimidatingly fabulous female venture capitalists and investment bankers that defied the odds and are advocating for women everywhere, as well as diversity in the workplace and fascinating talks on all of the obstacles these seemingly fearless women had to take on on their way to the top.

Perhaps the most inspiring talk was with the founder of Caulipower, a healthy, gluten-free and, most importantly, truly delicious product that she created initially as an answer to her sons' diagnoses with celiac disease. Years ago, at the time of their diagnoses, gluten-free food wasn't nearly as trendy and prevalent as it is today. In fact, even with the increasing popularity of GF food as part of an anti-inflammatory diet, even for those without celiac disease, much of the saturated GF market is largely flavorless and overpriced. Caulipower set out to create something that actually tasted good and was in an affordable price point. 

CEO and founder Gail Becker had a startling statistic to share with us: only 2% of all women-owned business ventures get funding. That's right - 2%. Gail was one of that 2%.

After she left her corporate PR job, where she worked incredibly hard to get to the top, to make cauliflower pizza crust (and now other products incorporating healthy items like chicken and sweet potato), she faced incredible odds. She said there was a lot of blood, sweat and tears - many literal tears - that went into building her brand that is now rated #8 out of about 500 frozen pizzas available in the US. 

When the audience had the opportunity to ask questions, Becker encouraged one of the audience members that quietly mentioned that she had her own business to turn around and confidently tell the audience the name of her business. She pointed out that we were an untapped audience of potential customers and you need to use every opportunity you have to tell people what you do. 

Talk about an inspiration! Gail Becker helped us tap into our confidence and recognize that we are more than capable - we are unstoppable. 

WHAT A TREAT

It was a long day of back-to-back panels and fireside chats, but Create + Cultivate kept us going with Ketel One cocktails and Roc's Laduree macarons - with personal customization, just as we like them! We loved exploring all of the pop-ups and vendors, immersing ourselves in the latest trends in color, design, fashion and style.

THE TAKEAWAY

We got a lot of good tips from some of the most prestigious and impressive women in fashion, tech, high finance and the start-up world. As a custom merchandise company steeped in high-level creative graphic design and trending brand name apparel, the conference was like the design + fashion playground of our dreams. Note to self: next time, dress up for all the Instagram photo opp booths set up in the space! Everyone was dressed to the nines, but we didn't get the memo and wore jeans. 🙊

It was such a pleasure being around so many intelligent, hard-working women that are out there truly hustling - and looking good doing it. These fashion icons, beauty mavens, social media gurus and celebrities, both on stage and in the audience, are also CEOs, CFOs, venture capitalists and investors, creative directors, company founders, start-up gurus, marketing whizzes, college grads (with honors). They're also tired, stressed, overworked and overbooked - but they know that hard work pays off -- sometimes in billions (literally, one of the speakers sold her idea for a billion). 

So, guys, we love you, but ladies, remember -
it turns out you're 100% that boss. 

We hope you liked this little walk through the behind-the-scenes of our favorite conference to date! 

Are you launching your own brand or business? Let us help! We make custom apparel and products to deck out your team, office or event space. Check out some of our favorite trending apparel, our latest trending collegiate designs and our original business / organizational designs!

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