Backstroke in the Ring: A Recap of the E-Commerce Fight for Charity

Backstroke joined Shopify, Yotpo, Recharge, and the best of the e-commerce world at the inaugural Fight for Charity in Las Vegas — a boxing event raising $1M for three global causes.

Bridget Johnston

Marketing

Bridget Johnston

Of course, the e-commerce world competes during the holidays and in email flows. But sometimes, it settles things in the ring.

Backstroke was proud to be part of one of the most unique and inspiring events in the e-commerce calendar: The E-Commerce Fight for Charity. It was an unforgettable night of boxing, community and purpose, that was held at The Space in Las Vegas.

The E-Commerce Fight for Charity: A Night With a Mission

The E-Commerce Fight for Charity is a non-profit event built around a simple but powerful idea: Bring together the e-commerce community and use its collective energy to do some real good in the world.

Fight at The E-Commerce Fight for Charity

This year's goal was to raise $1,000,000 distributed across three incredible organizations.

Charity: Water, who brings clean and safe drinking water to people in need across 29 countries.
American Cancer Society, which funds lifesaving cancer research and support.
Doctors Without Borders, who delivers emergency medical care in the world's most vulnerable places.

Three causes were benefitted throughout one night, with an entire industry showing up to make it count.

The Venue: The Space, Las Vegas

This wasn't your average conference ballroom setup. The event took place at The Space, a legendary Las Vegas venue with serious history and even more serious heart. Located just west of the Strip, The Space has become one of the city's most beloved independent venues built around the idea of community-driven giving.

The building itself carries a layer of boxing lore, too. The site has been described as the former boxing gym of rapper and sports entrepreneur 50 Cent, adding an authentic layer of history to an already storied venue.

With over 500 people packed in for the Fight for Charity, the atmosphere was electric from start to finish.

Ding, Ding! Let’s Talk About the Ring

Imagine multiple exhibition boxing matches. Twelve three-minute rounds each. Real gloves. Real sweat. Real stakes.

Fighter at the E-Commerce Fight for Charity

Our guests spend their days optimizing funnels and building brands, and that night, they stepped into the ring for something bigger than themselves. The crowd was loud, the fights were competitive and the causes behind every punch made it all mean something.

The boxer names were pure gold too. When "The Subscription Enforcer" faces off against "No Churn," and "The Data Diplomat" trades punches with "Going Postal," you know you're watching something that only the e-commerce world could produce.

The E-Commerce People Who Put It All Together

The E-Commerce Fight for Charity was organized by Justin Silver, who serves as Chairman of the Board. His background spans investment banking, private equity and consumer investing.

The event was executive produced by League of Originals, a prominent e-commerce community and events platform founded by Karolina Swietoniowska, who brings more than a decade of event production experience working with brands like HBO, Microsoft and Shopify. Together, the team built something the industry had never seen before — a first-of-its-kind charity boxing spectacular timed to coincide with Shoptalk Spring 2026, one of the biggest weeks in the e-commerce calendar.

The Company We Keep

One of the things that made this night so meaningful for Backstroke was the community surrounding it. The sponsor list for this event reads like a who's who of the Shopify and Klaviyo ecosystems. These are the builders, the innovators and the brands that are actively shaping the future of e-commerce, which we’re proud to be a part of.

Being in that room, among that group, felt right. Backstroke exists to serve this community, and nights like this are a reminder of why we do what we do and who we get to do it alongside.

Why We Show Up

Events like the E-Commerce Fight for Charity are a reflection of something we genuinely believe at Backstroke. The e-commerce community is one of the most generous, driven and purpose-led groups of people in the business world.

And when this industry decides to come together for something good, it doesn't do it halfway.

We were honored to be part of the night, proud to stand alongside the sponsors and organizers who made it happen and inspired by every person who showed up, whether they were throwing punches or cheering from the stands.