Join us for a morning designed to inspire, connect, and empower women in the textiles industry.

SCHEDULE

10:30–11 am
Coffee & Conversations Facilitated by Rachal McCarthy, NTI Global

11–11:55 am
Panel Discussion: Designing a Career in Textiles — At Every Stage
Moderator: Jasmine Cox-Wade, Executive Director, Textile Technology Center at Gaston College
Panelists: Aimee Heuschkel, Marketing Director, Lectra; Jessica Ramey, CEO & Founder, Mercantilia Consulting; Tanya Wade, Textile Resource Lab and THREAD-X Project Manager, Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC)

Careers in textiles are rarely linear and they evolve alongside our ambitions, leadership opportunities, and life transitions. This dynamic panel brings together women at different career stages to share honest insights on growth, networking, leadership, life decisions, and legacy-building in the textile industry. Whether you are just starting out, mid-career and reassessing your path, balancing professional growth with personal life, or thinking about the legacy you want to leave, this session will provide practical strategies and meaningful reflection to help you design your next chapter with intention.

Noon–12:30 pm
Scaling Textile Engineering from Consumer Play to National Defense
Lynn Wagner, Head of Fiber and Specialty Textile Research Laboratory (FASTR Lab), UMaine Advanced Structures & Composites Center; Founder, Luna reFab

Driven by a lifelong passion for fashion and fabrics, Lynn will reveal the surprising connection between everyday textiles and high-tech carbon preforms. Advanced textiles come in countless shapes and forms, pushing the boundaries of what fabric can do, from enhancing play value to a child to national security. Join us to explore the vast, unexpected opportunities waiting within the modern specialized textile composites.