The SheFi Summit in Brussels: what it was really like to attend the #1 Web3 event for women
Warning: this story may cause you serious FOMO… don’t say I didn’t warn you.
My alarm went off at 7 AM but I had already been laying wide awake for 10 minutes scrolling through crypto Twitter. Today was the day. I had been counting down the minutes to the SheFi Summit in Brussels since we wrapped up the one in Istanbul, and I couldn’t wait to see my friends.
In this post, I’ll take you behind the scenes of what it was really like to attend the #1 crypto event for women and non-binary people in blockchain.
Please note that I’ll be telling the story from my own lens (protocol lol). I’ll recount what stood out to me which is far from covering the entire scope of the summit but I promise you’ll feel as if you were sitting front-row with me.
Let’s dive in.
Real quick — what is SheFi?
If you’re not familiar with SheFi, this is the largest community for women and non-binary people in the blockchain space. It was founded by Maggie Love Wu (who recently married Jon Love Wu — congratulations to you both!).
To date, SheFi numbers more than 4,100 members from 90+ countries many of whom receive the opportunity to join as scholars thanks to support from sponsors such as Arbitrum.
The Summit is the love child of Maggie and Julienne (Jules) Worring, Co-Founder of Enso, and an absolute vibe of a woman whose real-life adventures are on my vision board (she lives in a stylish Barcelona apartment and travels the world with the cutest corgi you’ll ever see).
The space was straight out of a “quiet luxury” Pinterest board
The SheFi Summit took place at TheMerode — self-described as “a private members’ club combining business and culture.” But they forgot to mention that they are also the guardians of unbelievably aesthetic light which makes taking photos an absolute (and very addictive) pleasure.
I was shocked and delighted by the details. Wax candles softly glimmered in the halls. Bright bouquets graced the tables at each corner of the venue. The bar provided fresh juices (no sugar), coffee, and even kombucha for those of us who don’t drink (I felt seen).
The stage was literally set up to elevate women. And not just for being women as a minority group in the crypto space but for being incredible experts and leaders in their fields.
There were cute photo ops all over the place, including this epic mirror that just begged to have a blockchain baddie selfie taken in its reflection. Plus… don’t the best relationships usually start in a random restroom anyway?
The sessions were soulful, structured, and striking
From Simona Pop’s fiery talk on governance and why all of us in Web3 need therapy, to Latasha’s empassionate take on why artists are the future of the space — each speaker truly provided value. There was no fluff, no empty words, or beating around the blockchain bush.
The panels were carefully curated, cultivating a genuine vibe between the participants. My favorite panel was on Web3 founders sharing success and struggle stories.
It featured Alisia Painter (Co-Founder and COO of Botanix Labs), Amanda Cassatt (Founder & CEO of Serotonin), Winny.eth (Founder of Chipped Social), and Réka Medvecz (Co-Founder of onplig.io and guild.xyz), moderated by Hanan Nor (Investment Lead at Outlier Ventures).
Ornella Vallana, Chief Educator at Bankless Academy (and the first woman to onboard me to Web3) joined a panel as a first-time SheFi speaker. She was absolutely radiant not only due to her gorgeous ombrè gown but because of the excitement she brought to the stage as she shared her story of finally gaining financial sovereignty thanks to crypto.
The swag was swoon-worthy
Let’s be honest… memories fade but swag lasts forever! The SheFi Summit did not disappoint. Attendees received a custom Summit tote, a “Do it Scared” cap, and T-shirts designed by Alyssa Mae Tumlos — lead SheFi designer and creative powerhouse.
Chipped Founder Winny.eth flew in all the way from Los Angeles. Despite spending an obscene amount of time at the airport after 2+ canceled flights and lugging what’s easily a 20-kilogram bag full of chipped nails, Winny was all smiles.
She and Tori (a.k.a Chairman Birb Bernanke), surprised 100+ engaged summit attendees with giftsets of Chipped’s latest line — a pack of NFC nails, a signature fuchsia scrunchie, a rose face mask, and a gorgeous pink hat. The winners were determined by the number of points they collected over the course of the summit collecting POAPs and participating in quests.
Other sponsors including the RARI Foundation and Harpie.io also stepped up the swag game with fitted shirts, stickers, water bottles, and more. Redstone Oracles delighted us with gua sha blocks and an actual real-time workshop on how to massage your anxiety away.
One of the absolute swag highlights was the ultra-rare RAAVE bracelet distributed diligently by Paris Rouzati admitting you to their epic party the following Wednesday. I have it on good authority to some people came to the SheFi Summit just to get their hands on a RAAVE bracelet because they couldn’t crack Ronnie’s riddles (IYKYK).
Why were there men at the SheFi Summit?
Contrary to popular belief, men who wish to support SheFi are welcome to the summit. My own partner, James Rae — Founder of Advocate Agency — joined once again. This was his second summit. He rocked a gray blazer and his Card3 chipped tag.
Other notable gentlemen supporting were, of course, Jon Love Wu, Maggie’s partner and an absolute OG in the space, Gwen— serial Founder and blockchain professor (at only 22 years old!), Evan, Co-Founder & CMO, and Vadim, Co-Founder of Zerion, one of the main sponsors at the SheFi Summit Istanbul last year.
“Champagne for my crypto crew!”
After a full day of panels and sessions, the summit kicked off a Happy Hour around 4:30 PM with none other than blockchain legend Manu Alzuru taking over the decks.
Champagne and bite-sized, gourmet appetizers made their way around the room. The selection of bites was healthy, including cucumber and carrot slices with truffle dip. (This blockchain baddies loves her some boujie bites!)
The atmosphere at all SheFi Summits is friendly, casual, but professional. And for this, I credit Maggie who always makes sure to set the tone straight off the bat.
Personal highlights from the SheFi Summit in Brussels
As I said at the beginning, this is a very short summary of the SheFi Summit that despite my best efforts can only scratch the surface.
Here, I’d love to acknowledge a few of my personal friends and role models in the space whom I had a chance to meet in person for the first time or reconnect with.
Erica Kang is a woman of many talents. Strikingly smart and eloquent, she waltzed into the SheFi Summit in her Chanel ballet flats to deliver invaluable PR insights, two months out of becoming a mother, while making it all look so effortless.
Even though I was recently introduced to Latasha’s music, I was obsessed with her from the moment I saw her. Stylish, spicy, and sincere, she truly brightened up the room and shared a hopeful take on the future of Web3 art.
Hanan Nor of Outliers Ventures gave us major Ma’am President vibes. Always stylish, she was perfectly composed as she moderated a panel focused on Founders in the space.
Ana Maria, Founder of Koko DAO, let me give Frida a kiss. My boyfriend was very jealous because Frida would kiss me and not him. We determined that she’s a girl’s girl.
Alex, the Founder of the OOO Podcast was all smiles at the SheFi Summit. I also got to reconnect with my style twin — Leen, the VP of Consumer Product at Rarible. We literally like the same things… and unknowingly booked the same hotel.
In spite of her injured foot, Helen Femi was as gorgeous as ever. And she wouldn’t let any old strain stop her from showing up at the SheFi Summit.
I had the chance to catch up with Lejla Muratcaus Blajojevic, the Events and Media Partnerships Manager at BeInCrypto, and my Balkan blockchain twin. I have met few women more passionate, capable, and dedicated to the work that they do.
I made a lovely and unexpected connection as Zayi from Chainlink approached me like “Hey, are you Dayana from Twitter? You’re always so friendly, I’ve wanted to meet you!”
We then proceeded to discover that her best friend is the COO of a new team I’m joining in a week!
Aida, the Marketing and Growth Manager at AirSwap was giving Fashion Week vibes in her dark sunnies at the front row.
Evin McMullen from Disco.xyz made me a compliment I was not ready for — she said she admired my energy on X which was an incredible compliment given how much I admire her strategy and strength in the space.
Earlier in the morning, we had an “Oscars Selfie” moment with our friends Andreea — Co-Founder of ETH Bucharest, and Stanisław Koper, a creative in the crypto space.
And here’s a personal win —my friend Julia Loechner de Koning just attended the SheFi Summit as her first-ever Web3 event! Is she hooked? Me thinks so. She looked absolutely radiant practically blending with the SheFi spirit.
The only woman I did not manage to grab a selfie with (this time) was Emily Lai, VP of Marketing at Hype Partners. As a long-time stalker of hers, I love learning from her charts and diagrams, hearing about her entrepreneurial ups and downs, and following her tips.
I have to admit… when I really admire someone, I tend to get nervous. But Emily was extremely kind and delightful. She and her partner were dressed to the nines. I’ll make sure to grab a photo with them at the upcoming Boys Club Anon Ball.
So… was the SheFi Summit worth it?
While the admission to the SheFi Summit in Brussels was around $35, the true value of it was immeasurable. Maggie, Jules, and the team went above and beyond.
I walked out with 50+ new connections and a heart overflowing with excitement, hope, and ambition. SheFi is a safe space to be who you are, ask any questions, learn, grow, support, and be supported. It’s where strategy meets soul.
I honestly believe that communities like SheFi will usher in a new dawn for finance and freedom. The frontier is Feminine.
If you’d like to see a lot more photos and videos, follow me on X.
