eCommerce cooperative · 2018–2022

Independent.Together.

Empowery was a community of marketplace founders who believed people working together accomplish more than anyone can alone — without surrendering the independence that makes entrepreneurship worth it.

The co-op chapter closed. The obligation to serve ecommerce founders and sellers did not. This site is a hat tip to the legacy — and a map of where the work continues.

Entrepreneurs love their independence. Empowery helps you be Independent. Together.

— Steve Simonson, founder

The Empowery chapter

A cooperative for eCommerce operators

Welcome to the archive of intention. Empowery united internet sellers so each member could accomplish more — collective size and influence without losing the independence founders guard so carefully.

Independent. Together.

Empowery was built on a simple bet: solo operators scale farther when they share suppliers, systems, and hard-won playbooks — without giving up ownership.

Co-op culture, not guru theater

It was a Minnesota 308B-style cooperative spirit for eCommerce: members investing in each other’s success, not buying a seat to listen to a stage.

Marketplace operators first

Amazon FBA and multi-channel brands were the core. Sourcing, ops, account health, growth systems — the messy middle of building real businesses.

The work outlived the chapter

The formal co-op era ran 2018–2022. The mission — serve ecommerce founders and sellers with community, systems, and clarity — still stands.

Empowery wordmark

Better together was not a slogan

Members shared expertise over speed bumps, contributed authority back into the group, and aimed for faster growth with more systemization — plus the stability of a long-term business that builds equity for the entrepreneur. That DNA still informs how we show up for sellers today.

Glory days · photo archive

Remember the room.

103 photographs from the Empowery archive — Holiday Gala, Seattle Summit, Prosper, SellerCon, Women’s Conferences, Festivus, and more. Click any frame to open full size.

From Dropbox EMPOWERY event archives · 2018–2021

2018 → today

A short history of a long friendship

  1. 2018

    The circle forms

    Empowery launches as an eCommerce-focused cooperative: independent sellers pooling knowledge, buying power, and accountability.

  2. 2019

    Seattle Summit & the road

    Live gatherings put faces to handles — including the Seattle Summit and conference presence across the seller ecosystem.

  3. 2020

    Women’s Conference & Festivus

    Community doesn’t stop for a pandemic year. Empowery Women’s Conference and Festivus keep the peer network tight.

  4. 2021–22

    Masterminds & systems

    Member masterminds, Smart Sessions, and operator tooling deepen — while the broader network branches into coaching, media, and systems brands.

  5. Today

    Seller support, redirected

    This site is the living map: honor what Empowery built, then send founders and sellers to the places the work continues.

Journal

Essays from the 2018–2022 archive

Recovered operator essays and historical co-op documents. The chapter closed; the ideas remain.

Browse the journal

Seller support orientation

Still building? Stay in the circle.

Whether you were an Empowery member or you’re discovering this legacy for the first time — leave your details. We’ll help point you toward coaching, systems, or constructive seller advocacy based on what you’re actually working on.

  • Former members reconnecting after the co-op chapter
  • Founders who want peers without the noise
  • Sellers who need systems or a constructive marketplace voice

No spam. Occasional orientation toward the right resource for your stage.

Straight answers

Is Empowery still taking members?
No. The Empowery eCommerce Cooperative operated roughly 2018–2022. This site is a legacy home and seller-support map — not an open membership enrollment.
I was a member. Where do I go now?
Start with Catalyst88 for coaching and peer community, Divinely Discontent if you care about constructive marketplace advocacy, and Parsimony if you need operator systems. Use the form below if you want a human orientation.
What was Empowery, exactly?
An eCommerce-focused cooperative founded in Minnesota under cooperative association principles: independent internet sellers uniting for knowledge, suppliers, and scale while keeping ownership of their businesses.
Why keep the domain alive?
Because the people, events, and ethos still matter. Former members and new founders both deserve a clear door — not a dead co-op pitch — into the living work.
Will you spam me if I sign up?
No. We use the list sparingly to point people toward the right resource for their stage. Unsubscribe anytime.