Rebecca Minkoff and Ali Wyatt, Co-Founders of the Female Founder Collective (FFC), hosted an intimate Founders Dinner during SXSW at the historic Commodore Perry Estate in Austin alongside Allison Ellsworth, Founder of Poppi.
Notable attendees included Diana Cohen of Crown Affair, Elizabeth Chambers of BIRD Bakery, Jamie O’Bannion of Beauty Bio, Jeni Britton of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, and more.
The private gathering convened a curated group of female founders and entrepreneurs for an evening of candid conversation around growth, leadership, and scaling of modern brands. During the dinner, Allison Ellsworth joined Ali Wyatt for a fireside chat, sharing insights from her journey building Poppi into one of today’s fastest-growing beverage brands. Her perspective on brand building, rapid growth, and the behind-the-scenes realities of entrepreneurship sparked thoughtful discussion among the founders around the table.
“One of my biggest takeaways from tonight is that there is nothing more powerful than being authentic and real with other female founders who can understand the challenges we face day to day. If you know, you know!” said Allison Ellsworth on her experience with The Female Founder Collective and celebrating at SXSW.
“We gathered the most incredible women tonight here in Austin who are either in the growth stage of their business, or have achieved significant growth already. The unique conversations amongst this group about building a business at this level allow everyone here to plan for their next chapter, whatever that looks like. This is what being a part of The Female Founder Collective is all about,” says FFC co-founder and CEO Ali Wyatt.
The evening also introduced The Cabinette, Female Founder Collective’s invitation‑only growth platform designed for women founders navigating the next stage of scale. The next cohort launches in April 2026 and is tailored for women founders and executives who have surpassed $5M+ in revenue and are managing the increasing complexity of scaling companies and making long-term leadership and exit decisions. The Cabinette was created to address a critical gap in the female founder journey - the stage between early traction and the next chapter of scale, liquidity, and legacy. Through high-impact coaching, curated access to industry leaders, and a trusted peer network, the program equips founders with the strategic support needed to build enduring companies and long-term wealth.
The dinner reflected Female Founder Collective’s continued mission to create spaces where women founders can connect, share insights, and support one another as they build and scale the next generation of impactful businesses.
Image credit: Rebecca Smith
