If you’re in ecommerce or SaaS and weren’t in San Diego last month, you missed more than just a great event. You missed a clear signal. Commerce Roundtable 2025 showed exactly where the right conversations are happening and who’s leading them.
From Attendee to Ownership
In November 2024, I joined the Commerce Roundtable as an advisor and investor when Jimmy Kim returned to ownership. Around that same time, the team also acquired the ASOM podcast, which I co-host with Jimmy, Amer, and Bryan.
I had attended the 2024 San Diego event as a guest. The potential was obvious. The foundation was strong. But what happened in 2025 was a completely different experience. You could feel the shift the second you walked in.
Soon after Jimmy came back in, the team launched a new East Coast version of the event in early 2025. Smaller in size but rich in intention. That was the first glimpse of what was coming. The structure. The energy. The community. It was real. And it was only the beginning.
San Diego 2025 Took It to the Next Level
This year’s event brought in close to 600 people, up from around 400 the year before. But this wasn’t just about more people. It was the right people. Brand leaders, founders, marketers, and operators with context and traction. Every conversation had weight.
The speaker lineup delivered across the board. I was fortunate to share the stage alongside Gary Vaynerchuk and a strong roster of other operators, founders, and creatives. The content was current, direct, and relevant to the problems people are actually working through right now.
Commerce Roundtable doesn’t chase trends. It builds real momentum.
The People Made the Event
One of the best parts of the week was reconnecting with longtime friends who continue to show up for this community. Ryan Hogan, Kevin Tighe, Brian Thomas, Ron Shah, Harry Singh, Vladimir Klimau, Chris George, Paul Chambers, Niwin Santhosh, Alen Malkoc, Eric Carlson, Ryan Wood, and Landon Shaw were all there.
Walter Hix, who runs marketing at BattlBox, came with me this year. He’s also an investor, so it was especially rewarding to see him experience the event firsthand. Nothing hits quite like watching someone see the full vision play out in real time.
I also got to spend more time with Adam DeJulius, who runs Oma’s Pride. It was only our second time hanging out, but the conversations were sharp and thoughtful. The kind of new connection you hope turns into a long-term one.
The full ASOM team was in the building. Jimmy, Amer, Bryan, and I stayed an extra day after the event to record a full day of new episodes while the momentum was still fresh. That kind of creative energy doesn’t happen unless the environment is right. This conference made it easy.
Flawless Execution by a Team That Knows What They’re Doing
The entire experience ran smooth from start to finish. That’s not luck. That’s the result of a team that’s been intentional about building something that lasts.
Huge credit to the CR team: Nick Shackelford, Madison Marsh, Greg Wilson, Caitlin Hutchinson, and Cherie Ueno. Every detail mattered. From the space to the pacing to the food, it all served one purpose… to make connection easy and meaningful.
It wasn’t over-produced. It wasn’t chaotic. It just worked.
Community You Can Feel
Commerce Roundtable isn’t just a conference anymore. It’s becoming a cornerstone gathering for the ecommerce and SaaS worlds.
There’s no pretense in the room. Just operators. Builders. People willing to share. People who show up open and ready to grow. The kind of environment where even the side conversations can shift your strategy.
That’s what makes it different. That’s why it’s sticking.
What’s Next
The 2026 dates are already on the calendar:
Austin — April 23 and 24
San Diego — September 14 and 15
If you’re building something real in this space, there’s no good reason to sit this out. The right people are already putting it on their calendars. The team is already planning to raise the bar again. And the conversations that matter will be happening there.
Commerce Roundtable is not riding hype. It’s delivering outcomes. And it’s only just getting started.
See you in 2026.
—-------------------------------------------------------
Ready for more? Explore the next reads here:
0 comments