Episode 4: Women in E-Commerce: Leadership, Community & the Future of AI

In this special edition of the Magento Association Podcast, recorded in collaboration with Hello Moxie, host Nicole Donnelly sits down with Melanie Prange, CEO of MSTAGE, an e-commerce agency based in Austria.

Together with host Nicole, Melanie shares her journey into leadership, what it really means to “find your voice” in tech, and why community, co-opetition, and long-term relationships matter more than ever in e-commerce.

We talk about:
• Growing into leadership before feeling “ready”
• Being a woman leader in e-commerce and tech
• The power of allies, role models, and community
• Why diversity drives better products and teams
• Navigating uncertainty with data-driven decisions
• How AI can reshape e-commerce (without the hype)
• Preparing businesses for the next generation of customer experience

This episode is an honest, inspiring conversation for agency leaders, merchants, developers, and anyone building the future of Magento and open commerce.

🔊 Finding Your Voice in Leadership

Melanie shares how her biggest career moments came before she felt ready — and why saying yes to fear changed everything.

“I decided to say more yes to things that scared me at the beginning. And that was really important.”

“Most of my biggest grow moments came when I felt somehow unprepared. But I said yes anyway.”

“Maybe I started before I felt ready and became ready in that way.”


👩‍💻 Women in Tech & E-Commerce

Visibility matters — and role models change what feels possible.

“I think we need more role models. That we see that it’s possible and that it’s not that hard.”

“There are a lot of incredible women. They just have to show themselves.”

“Maybe sometimes just be louder. To show that you are there.”


🤝 Diversity, Allies & Better Teams

Different perspectives don’t complicate leadership — they strengthen it.

“The mix of different people is very valuable because they are bringing different views into a project.”

“Each of us without the other person wouldn’t be that successful than in this combination.”

“Leadership cannot be copy-pasted from one person to another person.”


🌍 Community, Co-opetition & Magento Values

This episode captures the spirit that makes the Magento ecosystem unique.

“Community is important because it’s not company-driven, it’s really people-driven.”

“It’s not about showing who’s the best on the market.”

“It’s about celebrating together what someone achieved and also learning from each other.”

“Together we are better.”


📉 Uncertainty, Data & Long-Term Trust

When markets slow down, clarity and partnership matter more than ever.

“No one knows the future. But we try to give them faith into the future.”

“We are showing them how to make decisions based on data and not only on how they are feeling.”

“We show that we are a partner since a long time and that we are doing this together.”


🤖 AI in E-Commerce (Without the Hype)

One of the most grounded, practical takes on AI you’ll hear right now.

“If you have a shitty process and just put AI on it, it doesn’t get really better.”

“You don’t need AI everywhere.”

“First tidy up. Do your homework. And then you can start building great things with AI.”


🔮 The Future of Shopping Experiences

AI as an enabler of better, more human commerce.

“I’m really excited what new business models will be there in the future.”

“It’s not always fun to shop online. I think there could be a great future that’s not that annoying.”

“AI can really help to have this new shopping experience in the future.”

🚀 Keeping Up With Change

No one keeps up alone — and that’s the point.

“I don’t think that you can keep up with it totally by your own.”

“Go to events. Talk to people. Talk also to people in your team.”

“I like this world co-opetition more than competition.”

🔗 Connect & Get Involved
👉 Subscribe to the Magento Association Podcast
👉 Like, comment, and share to support the Magento community
👉 Join the Magento Association: https://www.magentoassociation.org

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