It’s one thing to talk about innovation in distribution, and another thing entirely to be immersed in it. The latter is what was offered at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ fourth annual Innovators Summit, held Sept. 15-17 in Austin, TX.

With its biggest turnout yet, the event brought together distribution executives and the founders and leaders of technology startups catering to the industry for three days of education, networking and private meeting opportunities designed to spur strategic investment discussion.

Throughout the summit, attendees were privy to main stage programming that enabled distributors to share their tech innovation rationale and roadmap, and for tech startups to give their perspective on what the industry’s demands will look like in the near future and what it will take to answer the call.

All-in-all, the event served as a timely platform to engage in open dialogue about what technology innovation looks like in distribution today, and where it’s going, while fostering new partnerships to drive the industry forward.

“This year’s Innovators Summit was built around a simple truth: Innovation is no longer optional,” emphasized Bart Tessel, NAW’s Chief Innovation Officer. “It’s exciting to see tech startups and their investors doubling down on our industry, developing (in most cases, AI-powered) tech solutions in support of real-world distribution challenges and opportunities. We witnessed partnerships — nurtured from previous Innovators Summits — deliver valuable, scalable solutions with real ROI for wholesale distributors.”

Carol Tomé on UPS’ Role in the Future of Distribution

On the Innovators Summit main stage, programming was highlighted by a keynote conversation with Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS. With her signature candor and clarity, Tomé painted a picture of how UPS is reshaping itself for the future of distribution, logistics and global commerce — a future where disruption is constant, and innovation is the only sustainable advantage.

Tomé described UPS’s strategy as building the “network of the future” — one designed not only for speed and sustainability, but also for adaptability. From automation, robotics and predictive demand planning to advances in inventory management and cold chain logistics, UPS is making long-term investments to strengthen its right to win in the most critical segments of the market.

Ultimately, Tomé positioned UPS’s journey as a long-term play rooted in strategy, people and purpose. By serving to create, investing in technology and talent and keeping customers at the center, UPS is not just reacting to change but actively shaping the future of global commerce.

“It was a leadership masterclass for everyone in attendance, especially when you contrast it against the scale and criticality that UPS operates at,” ProfitOptics’ Nick Pericle wrote in review of the keynote.

Vendor-Distributor Meetings Facilitate Potential Investment

Perhaps the biggest value attendees gain from the Innovators Summit is its matchmaking setup between technology vendor startups and distributors looking to further their digital roadmap.

The event’s technology showcase featured mainstage presentations from the founders of startup vendors, focused on innovation across areas of AI, digitization, automation and eCommerce. This was followed by private meeting opportunities with each vendor’s founder, providing distribution CEOs and tech executives with the information and partnerships needed to shape their investment strategy.

“As we designed the Innovators Summit, our goal was to create a program where distribution executives and tech leaders could connect in meaningful ways,” said CP Ryan, NAW’s Senior Director of Member Programs. “Through distributor-driven 1:1 appointments, real-world case studies, peer dialogue, and hands-on demonstrations, we’ve been able to spark partnerships that are already translating into measurable impact for the industry.”

Attendee Commentary

Here’s a snippet of comments and event takeaways we received about the Innovators Summit either via email or written on LinkedIn:

Brian LeDuc, Chief Information Officer of DOT Foods: “There is no place better to hear about innovations and value specific to Wholesale Distributors and then immediately interact with solution partners who can make these happen for us!”

Patrick Garcia, Chief Digital Officer of SRS Distribution: “Innovation thrives when it’s embraced as a mindset across the organization, not confined to a department — complemented by the right people, incentives and processes to fuel success.”

Jen Martin, Director of Credit at Carter Lumber: “Fantastic content and new connections! NAW pulled together a forward looking and insightful program, I learned [so] much and am proud to have the opportunity to share our digital optimization wins.”

Sumantro Das, Co-Founder and COO at InstaLILY: “These are the kinds of events that remind us why we build; why we obsess over the workflows, the friction points and the people doing the hard work at the edge of operations.”

Conor Leen, MBA Candidate and Knight-Hennessey Scholar at Stanford University Graduate School of Business: “The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors Innovators Summit reminded me why I’m proud to be in distribution. The future is being shaped right now, and it’s exciting to be part of it.”

Bart Tessel, NAW Chief Innovation Officer: “Across mainstage keynotes, new tech innovator pitches, Innovation in Action case studies, research spotlights and private one-on-one conversations, our community of attendees was challenged, inspired and equipped to return home with new insights, solutions and partnerships to drive growth.”

Join Us Next Year in Nashville

NAW’s 2026 Innovators Summit will be held next September in Nashville, TN. Stay tuned for dates and registration info.