Craft & Work began as a one-off gathering of Shopify Partners — the people building, leading, and shaping the ecosystem from the inside. What started as a small experiment quickly became something worth continuing.
Since our first event in London in June 2023, we've hosted a further five editions in London, New York and Toronto. Each event brought together around fifty curious, like-minded people to share experiences, spark ideas, and talk honestly about what it takes to run and grow a business today.
Over time, Craft & Work has attracted not just Shopify Partners but also founders, makers, and leaders from creative and digital businesses who share the same curiosity and appetite for open, honest conversation. Alongside our annual events in 2026, we're hosting a series of evening Off The Clock meetups in cities across the UK, and we're also working on the launch of a new podcast to keep the conversations, and connections, going between events.
Like most good ideas, Craft & Work began with a conversation. Two friends, Keir Whitaker and Craig Cooper, talking about how the online business world had become a little too loud. Everywhere you looked, someone was selling the "right" way to succeed. The truth, of course, is that there isn't one.
Craft & Work was born as a reaction to that noise — a belief that what works today probably won't work tomorrow, and that the best way to learn is through honest, open conversations with people actually doing the work.
So we started small. Fifty people in a room, good food, open discussion, and a shared sense that something was missing from the usual conference circuit. No stages or slide decks. No sponsors shouting from the sidelines. Just people talking honestly about how they build, grow, and keep going.
Craft & Work was created as a reaction to the noise — the endless advice threads, hot takes, and $99 courses promising the "right" way to build a business. We think the real lessons come from honest, open conversations between people actually doing the work.
Each event is a full-day, fully catered gathering built around that idea. Around fifty founders, soloists, and leaders come together to share what's worked, what hasn't, and what they've learned along the way.
It's relaxed, social, and thoughtfully put together — more like a day of meaningful conversations than a conference. Expect good food, honest talk, and practical insights drawn from experience, not theory.
Craft & Work was created for soloists, founders, and leaders in the Shopify Partner ecosystem, and has grown to include the wider digital and creative community that supports and works with Shopify Partners.
Whether you're running a growing team, building an app, or figuring things out solo, you'll find others navigating similar paths. It's a space to compare notes, swap stories, and connect with people who understand the ups, downs, and in-betweens of building something of your own.
Craft & Work is built around the simple idea that there's no magic playbook for building a good business. We're here for the real stuff. The messy middle, the hard choices, and the small wins that add up.
To that end, these are the principles that guide everything we do:
Special thanks to Piers Thorogood for helping shape the next chapter of Craft & Work through his thoughtful design and brand work. This site is the first step in a wider refresh of both the brand and the website, with more to come.