Meet the expert presenters who brought innovative and industry-leading content to the 2020 Digital Textile Printing US program.
These experts are speaking on topics such as: why brands are making the change to digital print, making technological advancements and testing methods for digital printing with textiles, the commercialization of digital print for textiles in apparel and home decor, dye sublimation and color management, workflow management, e-commerce, technological and chemical improvements, and recycling and sustainability.
Podiumwear owner Reid Lutter has been nordic ski racing for 30 years and nordic coaching for 20 years. He founded the National Nordic Foundation, a fundraising non-profit that benefits U.S. development programs, and now sits on its Board of Directors. He has coached National Champions, an Olympian as well as the U.S. Ski Team's World Junior Championship team twice. Still very heavily involved in nordic skiing, Reid coaches the Loppet Nordic Race Team and travels to races around the country.
Reid started Podiumwear in 2003 after many frustrating experiences as a coach trying to order custom team apparel. Never one to shy away from a new challenge, he decided he could make a better product and provide better customer service, so he started his own company. After experiencing success with custom nordic apparel, he decided to expand Podiumwear's horizons to include other favorite sports: cycling, alpine skiing, running and ultimate frisbee. You know what they say - love what you do and do what you love!
Francesca Rosella is a pioneer in the field of wearable technology. A fashion designer, architect, visionary, and sustainability champion. Francesca co-founded CuteCircuit with Ryan Genz in 2004. CuteCircuit is the world’s first wearable technology fashion brand, pioneering the merging of fashion with technology and creating groundbreaking award-winning interactive fashions that have been featured in exhibitions and publications all over the world including SXSW, CES, WEAR, WIRED NextGen, TEDx, Vogue Digital, and DLD. CuteCircuit's products are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Museum at FIT, Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and Cooper Hewitt the Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. CuteCircuit’s designs have been honoured by Time Magazine as Best Inventions of the Year, by Fast Company in 3 Innovation by Design categories: Fashion and Beauty, Experimental, and Social Good, and exhibited at the annual meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Most recently Francesca received the UNESCO Netexplo Innovation Award for creating "technology that improves life”, and the AWE XR AUGGIE AWARD 2020 for Biggest Societal Impact for the SoundShirt. Francesca holds a number of patents in the field of wearable technology, such as sensor-enhanced fabric constructions and multimedia wearable telecommunication devices.
Jena Nesbitt brings 10+ years of experience in apparel, accessories, and lifestyle product development. Her career has ranged from visual merchandising, product line management, print & pattern design, and lead trend forecaster at a Fortune 500 company. In her role as Product Strategy Director at Pine Crest Fabrics, she brings insight into market trends through research and staying connected to the fashion industry.
Jessica Schreiber is the Founder of FABSCRAP, which provides convenient pickup and recycling of fabric scraps from businesses in New York City and creates opportunities for reuse. Prior to launching FABSCRAP, she was responsible for New York City’s textile recycling and e-waste recycling contracts and programs as a Senior Manager in the Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability at the Department of Sanitation. She has a Master’s degree in Climate and Society from the Earth Institute at Columbia University and has been featured in Forbes, Waste360, and Apparel Magazine’s Top Elite Under 30.
In May 2008, Gart Davis partnered with Co-founder, Stephen Fraser, to launch Spoonflower, a web-based company with on-demand manufacturing capability that gives individuals the power to publish, purchase and sell fabric with their own custom designs. Profitable after just 6 months, the company won an NC Idea Grant, the Amex/Facebook Big Break for Small Business, was an NC Company to Watch in 2013 and listed in the Fast 50 in 2014. Spoonflower is the largest custom fabric supplier on the Internet, and hosts the largest collection of fabric designs and community of fabric designers anywhere. Prior to founding Spoonflower, Gart served as president of Lulu.com, the largest independent self-publishing platform on the Internet, which he launched with Red Hat co-founder Bob Young in 2002. He is committed to entrepreneurship in North Carolina, and donates 10% of his time to the Triangle region’s CED venture mentoring service.
Luca Carlo Zacconi is the Director Raw Material, Print, Finishing and Garment Dye at Lululemon. In his position he leads one of the Apparel Raw Material Teams for technical material, print and special finishing developments and Garment Dye. Luca seeks new print techniques and brings innovation in print, finishing and application, and works with WhiteSpace on new innovative and future advanced concept projects by identifying future technologies.
Luca held past poitions with Ora Adler Group Mectex Textile Division as the Managing Director, Mokitex as the Managing Director, and Insolito for Speedo Solaris as the Director of Raw Material Development and Raw Material Sourcing.
Eric Beyeler is the Global Marketing Manager for Artistri® Digital Inks for DuPont Advanced Printing. He joined the company in 1987 as a research engineer in the Engineering Technology Laboratory in Wilmington De.
He has held multiple positions in engineering, research, manufacturing, product management, sales and business development throughout his career at DuPont.
Mr. Beyeler joined the DuPont Digital Printing business in 2009 to lead the expansion of the Artistri® ink jet inks portfolio in the Commercial Printing segment.
In January 2016, he was named to his current position where his principal objective is to identify and implement Ink Jet Ink solutions to meet the demands of the growing Digital Printing markets.
Mr. Beyeler was born in France and graduated from Ecole Centrale de Lyon with a “Diplome d’Ingenieur”. He obtained a Masters & Doctorate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware.
Creative product developer with broad digital textile print experience leveraging industry expertise for e-commerce, manufacturing, and brand activations. Passionate about user experience, technology exploration, and sustainable growth. Currently exploring the development and support of digital textile printing equipment for the decorator/finished goods market. Previous roles include R&D at Spoonflower, Innovation at Nike, and Product Specialist at TegraGlobal.
Charles met brothers Bobby and Jeff Beaver while all three were students at Stanford studying Economics. When Zazzle was founded, he was invited on board to build the customer service division, which he did, before quickly transitioning to lead all of Operations, including supply chain, global logistics, manufacturing as well as R&D. He's been with Zazzle since the beginning, helping grow the company and expanding his responsibilities over time. He built and is responsible for the architecture and technology systems that allow the company to produce and deliver millions of unique products from invitations to skateboards, most in less than 24 hours. He is passionate about specialized manufacturing and just about all things bespoke. He and his wife wore custom Zazzle shirts on their wedding day, and the very first garment worn by each of his sons was a Zazzle onesie. Charles enjoys road cycling with his wife, archery and exploring museums around the world.
Kerry is a long time member of AATCC and is proud to serve as the current President of the association, a volunteer position that allows the opportunity to promote the advancement and exchange of knowledge among textile professionals. AATCC specializes in the development of standardized test methods for the textile coloration and wet processing area. The association offers a number of ways for textile professionals to connect and Kerry is an active participant in the Printing Technology Committee as well as the Association’s Concept to Consumer Interest Group. She also engages in the development of educational programs, publications and networking opportunities for established members as well as young professionals and students. In addition to her work with AATCC, Kerry is the Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Spoonflower.
Coming Soon!
Julian Mussi is Vice President of Business Solutions at DeSL, focuses on driving software innovation in the field of Color Lifecycle Management (CLM). His extensive experience in color workflow practices and software development, helps guide his efforts to provide clients with innovative solutions to accurately communicate color.
Sangeeta Sachdev has been in the textile industry since she was a teenager, working in conventional rotary printing, as a board artist and finally digital textile printing. She has over 20 years of application experience in direct to fabric printing on cottons, silks, nylons and polyester. She works closely with many brands that have included Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren, Reebok, Calvin Klein.
After graduating from Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in surface textile design, she worked as a board artist within the apparel, home furnishing, quilting and outdoor replacement cushions industries. She has been employed with SPGPrints for the past 17 years. Sangeeta managed the digital textile service bureau for nine years before moving on to other managerial positions at SPGPrints within the textiles, label and packaging industries. She also holds graduate degrees in accounting and economics as well as a diploma in business management.
As Co-founder and CEO of Gemini CAD Systems, Traian Luca added 15 years of experience in software solutions for sewn textiles manufacturing on top of his initial 7 years experience in offset and digital printing at Venus Printing Solutions. He studied finances at UAIC University in Iasi, Romania.
In his current position as Business Development Manager at Gemini CAD Systems, this combined experience allows him to have a clear view on how to merge these two previously separated technologies, garments CAD and digital textile printing, in an effort to develop new workflows and tools for mass customisation of digitally printed garments
Margaret Getty is the Senior Associate of Woven Fabric and Trim Development at Lilly Pulitzer ®. During her seven years with the company, Margaret has led an accomplished career creating and managing the trim team at Lilly Pulitzer and eventually taking on the development and sourcing of all woven fabric. She oversees the design, development, sampling, and testing of these categories for the brand.
In her current role, Margaret manages a team and works with all sectors of the business including design, merchandizing, marketing, production, and quality assurance. Margaret continues to represent the Lilly brand in both national and international settings while meeting with business partners, attending tradeshows, and scouring locations for design inspirations. She has built lasting relations and business opportunities for the growing brand.
Margaret received her Bachelor of Science in Fashion Industry Management at Philadelphia University in 2012. She continued on to receive her Master of Science in Fashion Apparel Studies with the university in 2013. She was a member of the National Honor Society during her time at the university graduating with Honors.
Michael Sanders, Director of Printable Textiles & Finishing Technology for Top Value Fabrics, has been a part of the textile industry for over 40 years. With extensive knowledge and experience in dyeing, printing, and finishing both cotton and polyester fabrics, Sanders is recognized as a leader in the field. His involvement and work with digital textile printing goes back to the early days of the discipline’s existence. Today, Sanders sits on boards, expert panels, and gives lectures nationally. Sanders previously co-owned and served as Vice President of Pacific Coast Fabrics, which was acquired by TVF in 2017. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Cal-Pacific Dyeing and Finishing Corp. Sanders received his technical textile training from Sandoz in Switzerland and Bayer in Germany.
Flint Davis is president of WeaveUp, a Durham, NC-based technology start-up that developed the first end-to-end customization and digital textile printing platform. WeaveUp’s proprietary platform allows companies to quickly and efficiently launch digital textile printing initiatives. Its intuitive web-based customization technology and extensive design library allow users in the commercial and consumer markets to customize designs and have them digitally printed on a variety of materials. WeaveUp’s companion print room solution (WeaveUp PRO) provides the efficiency necessary for sampling and short-run/on-demand environments. WeaveUp PRO forms a bridge between incoming orders and digital textile printers while reducing the labor costs associated with a dramatic increase in order volume.
Flint began his career as a Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot. Since then he has indulged his entrepreneurial streak running companies in media technology, healthcare and manufacturing. He is an award-winning documentary film producer and holds a BA in Economics from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Cyndi founded Worn Again Technologies in 2005 with a determination to make a difference and create a business out of solving the challenge of textiles becoming waste and ending up in landfill or incineration.
Cyndi began her career as a film maker in music videos and documentaries which over time evolved into a deep interest in the impacts of commerce and global economics on society and the environment. These interests led to the formation of Worn Again Technologies which she has been driving forward ever since, from its early beginnings in upcycling to its current transformational polymer recycling technology.
Paving the way in this uncharted territory, Cyndi is now a recognised thought (and ‘do’) leader and an advocate for polymer recycling technology as an enabler for a circular textiles industry. She is a regular speaker on circularity and innovation including the Economist Sustainability Summit and Stylus Decoded Future 2019 conferences.
Cyndi is an early pioneer of the sustainable fashion movement and a co-founder of the RE:Fashion Awards, the world’s first Sustainable Fashion Awards in London. She is also an award-winning entrepreneur; in 2019 she was awarded the PCIAW Outstanding Contribution to the Textile Industry and was a finalist for The Circular Economy Awards, Leadership award.
Also in 2019, Worn Again Technologies was awarded the ANDAM Innovation Prize and ‘One to Watch’ at Global Good Awards
