Speakers

Cristina Acevedo is a business and technology executive in antimicrobial material for the healthcare space. Her distinguished career spans more than two decades of product development in the wound care, animal health and medical textile fields.

As the director of Acteev MED, a business dedicated to a novel technology that uses natural zinc to protect medical devices from the growth of damaging bacteria and microbes, she is expanding that focus to include applications for compression and other therapies that could benefit from antimicrobial protection.

Dr. Acevedo holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from Purdue University and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She brings decades of hands-on experience both in the lab and in the field and is an inventor on nine patents for healthcare devices. Prior to her role with Acteev MED, she held science and innovation roles at Milliken Healthcare Products and Milliken Chemical.

Dr. Laurie-Ann Agama serves as the Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles. In this capacity, she is responsible for advising the U.S. Trade Representative on textile and apparel trade policy matters, conducting and overseeing negotiations affecting textile and apparel products, and working to expand the industry’s access to foreign markets.

Dr. Agama has over twenty years of experience with the U.S. government. She has served as the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Economic Affairs in the Office of Trade Policy and Economics since 2012. In this role, she has led USTR’s strategic planning processes and provided economic advice for the development of U.S. trade policy and its implementation, and bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. She also conducted statistical and economic analyses for dispute settlement cases and to resolve various trade policy and investment-related issues.

She joined USTR in 2004 serving as a Director in the Office of African Affairs. In that role, she supported the development of bilateral and multilateral initiatives to enhance U.S. trade and investment relations with the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including the implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Prior to her work at USTR, Dr. Agama served as an International Economist within the Office of Economics at the United States International Trade Commission from 2001 to 2004, where she conducted economic research analyses and provided trade advice to the USTR and Congress. She was an adjunct professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio from 1998 to 2001.

Dr. Agama holds Masters and Doctorate degrees in Economics from McGill University, is a recipient of USTR’s Superior Achievement Award and is an International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) Fellow.

As President of Bearse USA, Tom helps Bearse USA support their industry partners with manufacturing of Made in USA and Berry Amendment compliant soft goods in the areas of military, tactical and outdoor equipment. Tom has a BS from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University as well as an MBA from DePaul University. His passions include workforce development of industrial sewing as well as entrepreneurship. Tom is a member of the Advisory Board for the IFAI Makers Division, as well as a member of the Military Division.

Bastian Baesch studied mechanical engineering at University of Stuttgart. He worked as scientist in the field of Technology Integration into textile products and is now Head of Sensors an Actuators and Deputy Head of the Technology Center Smart Living Textiles at DITF.

Brett Baird is in his 33rd year working with Trivantage in various capacities including sales, branch manager, and currently Regional Sales Manager for the Southern Region. Contributions to the industry include 20 years serving as board member for the Zone 4 Virginia-Carolina Canvas Products Association and currently Vice Chair of the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association where he also serves as chair of the architectural committee.

Dr. Demitri Balabanov is a founder & CEO of a Boston-based Apparel Robotics Corporation and is leading the charge towards a new era of autonomous clothing manufacturing. Previously, he led engineering and advanced manufacturing technology development for some of the largest apparel brands (The North Face, Vans, Wrangler, Dickies). He has degrees in Physics and Nanoscience, holds a number of patents, and was a researcher at universities in Massachusetts and North Carolina. Demitri has a deep-seated fascination with technological development, the science of invention, and the human mind that makes it all possible. He is a founder and a Chairman of a US-based nonprofit, Inventions For Good.

Chyree Batton, Ph.D. has over 7 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Her expertise lies in new product development and building technology innovation platforms that leverage advanced materials including colloids, semi-volatile thin films and energy harvesting inorganics. Dr. Batton’s technical contributions have supported the launch of a large portfolio of consumer products exceeding millions of dollars in net sales. As the former Technology Innovation Platform Lead – Global Consumer Brands at S.C. Johnson, Dr. Batton has experience in developing new use cases for product technologies to facilitate entrance into emerging markets and drive company share growth. Dr. Batton is a native of Louisville, KY. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Spelman College and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry with a concentration in biomedical systems from Louisiana State University. Dr. Batton is the Commercial Innovation Strategy Lead – Advanced Materials for the In-Space Solutions team at Axiom Space. She is responsible for identifying new market spaces that will establish or mature existing verticals in the LEO economy with a focus on in-space manufacturing, microgravity research and space exploration systems.

Preston Beard is the director of policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute (GEI). Beard oversees the Chamber’s chemicals portfolio and leads the Chemistry Solutions Working Group–a platform for companies across the Chamber’s broad membership to advocate for commonsense approaches to chemicals policy that support business, environmental, economic, and public health goals.

Most recently, Beard was senior advisor to the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at the Department of Interior, serving as the de facto Chief of Staff to an agency with more than 780 employees, and responsible for overseeing the safety of the offshore energy industry. Beard also served as director of operations for Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu’s campaign and political director for Louisiana Republican Scott Angelle’s Congressional campaign.

Beard hails from Louisiana and currently resides in D.C. with his wife.

Sara provides government consulting services and trade analysis to U.S. manufacturers and associations and works in government relations advocating on behalf of the domestic textile industry. Her work focuses on tracking pending trade initiatives and pressing for strong textile rules in U.S. free trade and preference agreements. Sara represents the United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) and Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI), two divisions of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), and the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) as well as serving on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Textiles and Clothing (ITAC 13).

Dr. Haskell Beckham is Vice President, Innovation for Columbia Sportswear, driving innovation strategy, planning and execution in apparel, footwear, and accessories. Prior to joining Columbia, Dr. Beckham was a Principal Scientist at Exponent, a leading scientific and engineering consulting firm, and a Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Beckham has degrees in textile chemistry (BS, Auburn), and in chemistry (PhD, MIT) with a focus on materials. He currently serves as a Director on the Emerging Technologies Council of the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA).

As a financial professional with Principal®, Holly Bloom passionately serves individuals, families and businesses establishing life-long relationships built on exceptional service. She specializes in seeking out industry leading strategies that provide her clients with solutions designed to maximize their financial well being.

As founder and owner of several family businesses herself, Holly has lived firsthand the challenges that come with juggling an employee team, finances, operations, etc. She thrives on providing knowledge, education and innovative solutions that will relieve burden and provide value for her clients allowing them to focus on what they enjoy and do best.

For decades, Holly has been involved in owning and operating several family businesses inspiring her to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In addition to her Securities licenses, she carries home, auto, health and business liability insurance certifications. She continues to educate herself as an active member of the St. Croix Valley Employers Association and Business Network Inter- national amongst many other organizations.

Holly enjoys volunteering in her community, donating to organizations that support the physical, emotional and financial needs of families and children. In her free time, she loves hiking, golfing, fishing, hunting and just about anything else outdoors.

Holly resides in River Falls, WI with her husband, Tony; son, AJ and daughters, Rudi and Dylan actively building their dream hobby farm.

Nate advises on US trade remedies, export controls, economic sanctions, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and related areas of national security and international trade laws. Nate has successfully litigated more than 100 cases and appellate proceedings involving US antidumping and countervailing duty laws before the US Department of Commerce, US International Trade Commission, Court of International Trade, and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He also regularly helps clients successfully navigate the complex CFIUS process and national security issues involving investments and cross-border transactions. Nate has extensive experience with emerging technologies in the aerospace, defense, oil and gas, medical, transportation, semiconductor, consumer electronics and telecommunications industries.

He has helped hundreds of companies across various industries successfully resolve internal and government investigations and compliance issues involving these laws. Due to his extensive experience with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Nate has been appointed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs to serve on the US State Department’s Defense Trade Advisory Group for three consecutive terms, most recently for the 2020-2022 session. He also advises companies on compliance with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions and US export control laws.

Before entering private practice, Nate was an international trade specialist at the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce, where he worked on trade negotiations and trade agreement enforcement and compliance.

Katie started Custom Marine Canvas in 1985 in an unheated shed in Connecticut where seagulls dropping clams on the roof would shake foundry soot down on her work, because she always sailed, and always sewed. Now in 3000 square feet of heated (and cooled!) space, she and her six staff members produce award winning work for boats and homes around the world. She joined the MFA board in 1993, eventually serving as chairman. Certified MFC in 1996, and IFM in 2006, she tirelessly promotes association activities. She united the MFA Upper Atlantic regional workshop with the Northeast Canvas Products Association’s annual expo in the 1990’s, and it stands out at one of the largest regional workshops. She has served four terms on the IFAI board and is the past chairman.

Karina Bransford, part owner at Boatswain's Locker, grew up in the business, started sewing when she was 9 years old, and began working as a seamstress at Boatswains Locker when she was 15. Karina learned patterning and installation while working alongside her father Bill Bransford, and later she helped him with OEM accounts like Sea Ray and Regal. She then moved into the office for job costing, Proto costing, inventory, customer service, vendor relations, CAD drawings and OEM relations. Karina had a short stint away from the company to start a family and to open her own business. She returned when her father took over the company to help run the family business.

William Bransford is the CEO of WJB Inc. and oversees the sales and operations at Boatwains Locker and is also owner of Covermytractor.com. William’s experience includes being a machinist in the US Navy for 25 years. Additionally, he has been involved in machine operations, lathe, milling and drilling machines, welding, heat treating, metal and ceramic spray, tool and die making, cutter grinding, and drafting.

Nelson is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Economics. He moved to Jacksonville immediately after graduation to live at the beach. Shortly after arriving in Jacksonville he started his career with Interchanges and has been able to follow his passion of helping businesses leverage the power of the Internet for growing B2B sales for companies. As President of Interchanges, Nelson has played an integral role in the continued success of the company which has generated over $1.6billion in revenue for their clients. For the last two decades, Nelson has focused on building relationships globally and continues to expand the client footprint. Interchanges has since created multiple brands -- one of them being ManufacturingChats -- which serve various niche markets. Over the years, Nelson has been personally involved in a variety of local organizations including Family Foundations, City Rescue Mission, First Coast Manufacturers Association, and the Jacksonville Rotary Club.

As a financial professional with Minnesota Business Center of the Principal®, Damien Cannaday works with businesses and individuals to help them with asset, wealth and tax management strategies. Ultimately helping them to plan for their goals and leave a legacy.

Damien’s experience within the industry has taken him across the country. He now concentrates solely on his client’s investment planning, insurance portfolios and their financial education. Damien graduated from the University of Minnesota. While there, he was a 1st Team Academic All-Big Ten selection for the Minnesota Golden Gopher football team.

He is involved with the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, Minnesota Football Players Alumni and the Gopher M Club. He has also been nominated for the 2012 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year.

Damien enjoys spending time with his family and cheering on his kids in their sporting activities. He also enjoys staying fit by playing volleyball, football and soccer. Damien resides in Lakeville, MN with his wife, Risha; their two daughters, Taliah and Taitum and their son, Keagan.

Dawson Cagle is a program manager at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), where he leads the SMART ePANTS program, which is designed to develop comfortable, durable and washable active smart textile (AST) systems that can record and store audio, video and geolocation data. Concurrently, he also leads the RESILIENCE program, whose aim is to develop advanced battery technologies to reliably power unmanned aerial vehicles and electronics under extreme temperature conditions. Dr. Cagle came to IARPA in 2019 following 13 years supporting the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-e), General Motors, and other commercial clients. Prior to his work in energy topics, Dr. Cagle managed the chemical weapons analysis laboratory for the United Nations in Iraq, where he served as a weapons inspector for four years. He also supported research in chemical weapons and explosives detection at the Department of Homeland Security. Dr. Cagle earned his doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Rice University, and a bachelor’s in chemistry and international politics from Roanoke College. A native of East Tennessee, Dr. Cagle now lives in Washington, DC. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, learning new languages, scuba diving, fitness, cooking, travel, music of every kind, reading science and science fiction, and spending time with his family and friends.

Harry Centa, Jr. currently serves as a Senior Program Manager for PartnerShip LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NACS. He started with PartnerShip in 2005, and is responsible for the program management for over 80 national trade associations, including the IFAI Shipping Program. Harry oversees the planning, coordinating and execution of strategic sales and marketing plans, program monitoring, and growing member participation. Harry received a B.S. in Sports Sciences from Ohio University, and a M.Ed. in Sports Management from East Stroudsburg University. He also completed TIA’s Marketing Transportation Brokerage curriculum in 2008, and received a Management Development Certificate from Baldwin Wallace College in 2010. Prior to PartnerShip, Harry worked in professional sports in various sales, marketing, and management positions for over 10 years.

Kevin Croneigh is the Quality Manager at Situ Biosciences, where he oversees the development, implementation, and maintenance of quality management systems for ISO 17025 Laboratory Testing, Good Laboratory Practices, and ISO 17034 Certified Reference Material Production. He formerly worked at Medline Industries as a Material Science Engineer and Assistant Laboratory Manager. He gained extensive experience in developing and testing medical products, analyzing data to ensure their safety and efficacy, maintaining a quality system, and understanding the quality and regulatory requirements of products and their performance claims.

Mr. Ike Dosch’s expertise is in the three dimensional representation of accident reconstruction, specializing in the collection of 3D data via laser scanning, 3D scanning, and photogrammetry. He also works alongside experts to provide 3D analysis, quickly assisting in the comprehension of 3D data. He has years of experience providing animations, illustrations, and exhibits, skillfully translating technical drawings, motion data, graphs, and engineering expertise into easily digestible formats.

Robin DuBroy brings over 10 years of educational and training experience to Shazeebo. As Director of Operations at Shazeebo, she oversees many aspects of the business from selling and marketing, to training and installation. Her main focus is developing the Shazeebo brand and ensuring that all of our customers and contractors get a great product. In 2021 she launched the Shazeebo Dealer Program to further support and grow the industry.

Ron has worked for Gerber/Lectra for over 30 years. Has served our customers in many capacities over those years with a focus on optimizing the production process and material savings. Hobbies: fly-fishing, hiking, primitive camping, organic gardening.

Dr. S. Piril Ertem holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Bogazici University (2009), M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Koc University (2011), and a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from University of Massachusetts Amherst (2016). Prior to Claros Technologies, she worked in R&D environments in academia and industry focusing on polymeric material research for a broad range of applications including energy, coatings, and health care industries.

David Forrest is a Principal Technical Consultant with Nexight Group, primarily supporting the US Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) decarbonization initiatives. In his 45 years as a materials engineer he has performed failure analysis, quality control, and R&D for steelmakers (developing both advanced materials and advanced processes). At the Naval Surface Warfare Center he developed physics based models of materials processes and microstructure. As a program manager at the US Dept. of Energy, he won an Energy Rock Star award, the Assistant Secretary’s 2016 Outstanding Impact Award, and the Distinguished Career Service Award for pioneering Atomically Precise Manufacturing and covetic nanomaterials. David earned his doctorate degree in materials engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1993 and is a Fellow of ASM International.

Dr. Melissa Furman’s passion for guiding individuals with career, professional, and leadership development inspired her to launch Career Potential to help individuals achieve and organizations succeed. As the owner of Career Potential, Dr. Furman delivers highly engaging sessions at state, national, and international conferences in in addition to providing consulting and training services. Dr. Furman is not your usual “academic”. She utilizes her research and subject-matter expertise related to generational diversity, unconscious bias, career and leadership development, and emotional intelligence to have a positive, practical impact on organizations and individuals alike. Dr. Furman served as the assistant dean and currently serves as a faculty member at the James M. Hull College of Business at Augusta University in Augusta, Georgia. She also serves as an affiliate faculty member for the Professional Education division at GA Tech and the Kenan-Flagler Executive Education division at UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Furman has previously served in a variety of career services roles at other universities such as Emory University, The University of Georgia, and Johns Hopkins University. She obtained her Doctorate of Business and Masters of Science in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Susquehanna University.

Bob has spent his professional life in business and academia. He holds a doctoral degree in Psychology and area of expertise is in Leadership. He often likes to say the more he studies leadership the less he knows. He has worked in the area of family business succession planning and has worked with professional athletes transitioning out of sport and into the private sector.

Bob and his business partner, Kingshuk Mukherjee, began their business back in 2018. Basically, the textile industry is as old as time and while there are perceptually more exciting careers in technology and the like textiles are always needed by the broadest spectrum of life. It is a fun and interesting industry to be a part of, especially with the advancements being introduced into the textiles.

Anders Hall started with Solar shading back in 1993 as a Sales rep for Hunter Douglas. Hall managed Project Sales for the last 4 years until 2001 he joined Somfy Nordic AB as Project Sales Manager. In 2014, Hall moved position to Somfy SA (International) as Int Business Developer.

In parallel, Hall became active in ES-SO (the European Solar Shading Organization) in 2006 and since 2012 has been a Board member and Chairman of the Marketing Committee.

As of Jan 2020, Hall is the President of ES-SO. Shade Academy is a private initiative to develop a platform online for the useful sharing of knowledge and experience around Adaptive Daylight Management.

Frank Henderson began his career at Amoco Fabric and Textile Division of Amoco Chemical in Nashville, GA; after finishing Auburn University in Textile Engineering. Frank’s work at Amoco began with engineering with polypropylene fabric in fabric development.

In 1976 Frank returned to Henderson Sewing Machine Company, a family owned distributor of industrial sewing machines, parts, supplies and automatic systems for sewn product manufacturers.

Having just completed his 44th year at Henderson Sewing Machine Company, Frank has had the opportunity of travelling domestically to 42 states and internationally to more than 60 countries, visiting manufacturers and suppliers of more than 80 different product types of textile sewn products.

Frank speaks at industry events and conferences numerous times a year across the global textile industry.

Jack Hicks is a Partner with the international law firm of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP. He is an experienced intellectual property attorney and licensed US patent practitioner, managing complex IP matters, from Federal and State litigation to international patent, trademark and copyright filing and licensing strategies. He has worked with textile sector clients on diverse materials and applications from awnings to geosynthetics, from industrial fabrics for EV batteries to active apparel, from carbon nanotubes for aircraft engine nacelles to automobile headliners, from residential outdoor furniture materials to printable synthetics, and more. Jack’s textile sector clients include large international manufacturers and some of the apparel industry’s most recognizable brands. He regularly represents clients based outside the US, including Europe and Asia, as well as US companies doing business overseas. A frequent speaker and lecturer, he has presented at the US Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office, and the European Union Designs Department. Jack also has served as an Adjunct Law Professor at Elon University. His pre-law work experience includes serving as a design engineer on airborne radar and optics applications for a major aerospace company.

Patrick Howe is the owner of Shazeebo located in San Marcos, California. He started in the shade sail business over 20 years ago as a contractor in Phoenix, making shade sail models out of cardboard and welding posts on the dock of a friend's warehouse. Patrick continues to innovate the shade sail trade with the announcement of Shazeebo Dealer Support Program, a comprehensive resource for contractors that are looking to enter into the shade sail industry.

Jeremy Husic has over 25 years working in the auto industry. After graduating from Kettering University with electrical & mechanical engineering degrees, he started at Delphi Automotive. He later moved to in-mold electronics start-ups and finally Inteva Products. His career has taken him from structural analysis to mechatronics to in-mold & embedded electronics. He is credited with four patents with a few more in the works. Jeremy is currently a staff engineer focused on integrating electronics into automotive trim and supporting electronics within Inteva. He is a member of a team that started down the path of Smart Automotive Surfaces a few years ago. Since then, Inteva has developed a strong portfolio of Soft Smart Surface products for automotive trim.

As the Senior Technology Manager at Bolger & O’Hearn, Inc. Frank Keohan has led the development of high-performance fabric effects including repellents for the past ten years. He holds a BA-Chemistry from Holy Cross College, an MS-Chemistry from Virginia Tech, and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Before his position at Bolger & O’Hearn, he served as a Materials Program Manager at 3D Systems developing novel polymers for 3D printing. Mr. Keohan has over 30 years of experience in polymer synthesis, applied chemistry, materials science, and textile finishing.

Caitlin Knowles is an E-Textile Device Engineer at Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), a US Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on enabling the manufacturability of new textile technologies for the US textile community. She completed her B.Eng. in Materials Engineering at McGill University and her Ph.D. in Fiber & Polymer Science at North Carolina State University.

Carsten Linti is Head of Technology Center Biomedical Engineering at the German Institute for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) since 2022. He studied biomedical and precision engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Germany.

His working group focuses on the research and development of implantable fibers and textiles, injection molded and fiber reinforced resorbable implants, additive manufacturing e.g. of porous drug release materials as well as Smart Textiles in Health Care Applications. The Biologic Testing Laboratory of the center performs biological evaluation of medical devices as well as microbiological tests such as biocontamination control, determination of bioburden and various tests for antibacterial effects.

Michelle Lishner is a Lead Development Engineer at Cortland Biomedical with a B.S. in Medical Textiles from North Carolina State University. She is a subject matter expert in medical textile product development and engineering. She has industry and academic experience in tissue engineering and material-based medical devices with awards in leadership, project management, innovation and product design.

John is a business attorney specializing in organizational behavior and legal risk management solutions. He currently works as in-house legal counsel for Albany International Corp where he oversees trade and compliance matters for 23 manufacturing locations across 11 countries globally. Albany is a leading developer, manufacturer of engineered components, using advanced materials processing and automation capabilities, serving commercial aerospace, space and defense, and various industrial markets. John received his J.D. from New England Law School, and his B.S. in International Business from Maine Maritime Academy.

Andrew Medley is Regional Sales Manager for Trivantage, one of the nation’s largest business-to-business suppliers for the awning, marine, upholstery, shade sail, and related industries. Andrew’s experience includes more than a decade in textiles with an emphasis on textile development and new product launches. With over 20 years of sales and sales training experience, including with a Fortune 500 company, Andrew focuses on the customer journey and how to transform the customer experience. He also works closely with business development teams to track emerging trends and create concepts that allow companies to fully participate in new markets. As part of this effort, Andrew is instrumental in successfully blending engineering with customer experience and product development to create easy-to-follow systems.

Tammie Miller, Managing Director, has over 20 years of investment banking experience with an extensive background in healthcare, business process outsourcing, manufacturing, industrial services, and food ingredients. Prior to forming TKO Miller, Tammie was a Managing Director at Grace Matthews where she was responsible for managing transactions in a variety of industries. Tammie particularly enjoyed working with family-and-founder-owned businesses.

Tammie’s operating background developed when she acquired 8 companies to create Innovative Resource Group as part of Cobalt Corporation (Formerly Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin). She served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Innovative Resource Group (now APS Healthcare), where she oversaw 400 employees and was responsible for $50 million in revenues.

Tammie's prior investment banking experience includes positions at Alex. Brown & Sons, First National Bank of Chicago, Kidder Peabody, and Lehman Brothers.

Tammie is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a B.A., with High Honors, in Latin American Studies, as well as an M.B.A. with an emphasis in finance, both from The University of Chicago.

Professor Kingshuk (King) Mukherjee is the Chair of the Global Business Leadership Department at College of Saint Benedict + St. John’s University (CSB+SJU) at Collegeville, MN as well as the Gross Chair of Business in Liberal Arts. He has been with CSB+SJU since 2008. His major area of focus is Global Supply Chain Management along with Capstone Strategy courses. His areas of research include Global Supply Chain Management, Sourcing, Logistics, International Business, Strategy, and Experiential Learning.

Professor Mukherjee has connected students across the globe by linking CSB/SJU with business schools in Mumbai, Kolkata, Vietnam, and other parts of the world. He emphasizes hands-on experience, networking with companies, and experiential learning for his students and their future careers.

He attended St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata, India, where he received his undergraduate in Finance and Accounting. After his undergraduate, Mukherjee worked at a foreign bank in his home city of Kolkata. He proceeded to obtain his graduate at Coventry University in Coventry, England. As soon as he finished graduate school, he began teaching for an affiliated business school of De Montfort University in Leicester, UK. Afterward, he moved to L.A. where he worked in the textile industry. Then he moved to Central Minnesota where he started teaching again.

Over the years, Professor Mukherjee has received many awards/achievements. He has received the Leadership Award from MBAA for the Academy of International Business, Midwest Chapter. He was also the Advisor of the Year Award here at CSB/SJU in 2015. He was the intern chair of the Global Business Leadership department in 2019. He is an active member of the Central Minnesota Business Community and was recognized by Greater Saint Cloud Development Corporation. He is also a member of various boards, such as the Emerging Technology division of Advanced Textiles Association/ Industrial Fabric Association International, Thakur Institute of Management Studies & Research (in Mumbai, India), Bright Global Futures, MN, and others.

Outside of his teaching career, Mukherjee is a practitioner, scholar, and entrepreneur. He enjoys creating businesses and has created many corporations throughout his lifetime, including Prestige Impex, Global Impex USA, Guild Apparel Co., and Stryv Medical. He is the Founder and President of Global impex USA along with its two subsidiaries Gameday Merch and Stryv Medical.

King is the advisory board member of the Emerging Technology division of Advanced Textile Association previous known as IFAI

For Mukherjee, the best part of teaching is being able to share a legacy of business knowledge and help bring up the next generation in the business world.

If you want to learn more about Professor Mukherjee, check out:
- Podcast: "The Golden Age of Textiles" by the Advanced Textiles Association
- YouTube Video: "The State of Small Business" by Global Impex USA
- News Article: "Global Supply Chain Issues are Changing Business and Economics Classes in College" by the St. Cloud Times

Dr. Mridula Nair is a Research Fellow and Distinguished Inventor at Kodak serving as Senior Principal Scientist for Kodak’s Kodalux Light Blocking coated textile business. She has been an R&D leader for several cross-functional product development and commercialization teams. She has over 145 granted U.S. patents to her name spanning the areas of chemical manufacturing, chemically prepared toners, nanoparticles for drug delivery, engineered particles, optical display films, and light blocking coatings. Dr. Nair holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from The Ohio State University, and an M.Sc. in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University before joining the Kodak Research Laboratories in 1980. In 2020 Dr. Nair was honored by the Rochester Museum and Science Center as a Changemaker: Rochester Women Who Changed the World. In 2020 she was also honored by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India as a Distinguished Alumna. In 2021, she was named to the first-ever Forbes 50 Over 50: Vision List, which highlights exceptional women who are shaping the future of science, technology, and arts. Dr. Nair is on the Board for Trustees of an all-girls school in Rochester, New York, and an active mentor for the next generation of women in STEM, influencing them by sharing her professional and personal experiences. She also works with under privileged young children and women in India by advancing their participation in education and mainstreaming gender equality in STEM.

Andrew Nasarczyk is the subject matter expert at GALE Pacific on both coated and knitted Technical Textiles. He has been involved in various production, technical, and development roles over his tenure, including a three-year assignment to establish GALE’s world-class knitting plant in Ningbo, China. Leveraging over 20 years of manufacturing experience, Mr. Nasarczyk is GALE’s Director of Research and Development and enjoys exploring new materials, technologies, and innovations to propel the company and broader industry into the future. Andrew sits on the Standards Committee for Australia’s Synthetic Shade Standard and has a Bachelor of Engineering in Polymers.

Greg Nevolo is a senior global brand executive & serial entrepreneur with a stellar career in multi-platform product development for Wearable Technologies, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Hydrogen fuel cells, and lithium power systems. His passion is understanding how technologies at the intersection of hardware and software can transform people's lives in the modern age.

Ms. Orndoff is a non-metallic materials engineer at NASA responsible for development, testing and evaluation of textile structures and non-metallic materials for space applications with a focus on spacesuit and other crew equipment. For the past 34 years, she has provided materials knowledge, engineering expertise and consultations on the selection and use of textiles, in different spacecraft atmospheres and different space environments such as Low Earth Orbit, the Moon and Mars. Ms. Orndoff has received a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Rice University and studied Fiber and Polymer Science at the North Carolina State University in the doctoral program of the College of Textiles. She has published several papers on the properties of textiles used in aerospace applications and has been a guest speaker at various conferences in the textile industry.

Toby began his career in 1998 as an inside sales professional at American Management Services – a turnaround management consulting firm specializing in profitability improvement for small and medium sized businesses. He later managed and trained the inside sales team of 40 people. In 2003, Toby founded Sale Away LLC - a sales training practice, where he helped numerous companies improve their sales processes and implemented predictable systems to enhance revenues. Toby sold Sale Away in 2007 when he went on to become Director of Sales at one of his clients, Advantec Computer Systems, leading a team that brought in the largest deals in company history.

Since 2014, Toby has worked as a sales trainer at Sandler Training, in both Manchester, NH and Portland ME. In October 2021 Toby became the president and owner of Sandler Training, in Orlando, FL. He offers broad expertise in training and consulting to business owners, sales leaders, and professionals on sales effectiveness revenue growth strategy.

Adam Penner is an Authorized Rhino Trainer, CNC technician, and consultant who works to help businesses of all sizes transform their processes.

After graduating from the Colorado School of Mines in 2017 with his degree in Engineering Physics, Adam went to work at Paul's Custom Canvas. In 2019 Adam was part of the team at PCC to receive an MFA Outstanding Achievement award. Afterward, Adam went to work for SDS Automation where he installed and repaired automation equipment all over the world.

Combining all this experience at AP Consulting, Adam takes digital fabrication to the next level. He specializes in taking manual processes and digitizing them, combining artistry and craftsmanship with modern manufacturing techniques so that businesses can work more efficiently and profitably.

Eric is the Director of Marketing at Spradling International. With over 20 years of experience in coated fabrics, he leads Spradling’s new product development, sustainability programs, and brand strategies. Eric lives in Medina, OH.

David Proctor is Technical Director at the International Antimicrobial Council, where he promotes the responsible use of microbial and odor control technologies through education and community building. He is also Adjunct Faculty in Chemistry and Biology at Mid Michigan College. Previously, David was Adjunct Faculty in Chemistry at Saginaw Valley State University, and an Associate of the Michigan Math and Science Centers Network where he directed a STEM education funding program. Before working in education, David was a Scientific Review Officer with CSRA Inc., a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation, and a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. David began his career as a visiting scientist at the University of Dundee after completing a PhD in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University.

Matt Reid has joined Kuraray America, Inc. in 2020 to lead efforts for the development and growth of the Vectran™ Industrial business specifically high-performance textiles.

Matt comes to Kuraray with an extensive background in fibers and textiles. The majority of his experience has been spent with high performance fiber manufacturers as well as specialty end users. He has served in global sales leadership roles overseeing several product launches and has been a key strategy contributor in those roles. He has served on ASTM standards committees and other professional associations, most notably as the Vice President and former Board Member of the International Glove Association as well as Chairman of the ISEA Hand Protection Committee.

He is a UNC Chapel Hill graduate and completed his MBA at Appalachian State with Honors. Matt enjoys fishing on Lake Wylie and spending time with family in his free time.

Mar Ricketts is the Principal and founder of GuildWorks: Architecture of the Air. He studied architecture and engineering at Pratt Institute in New York before founding GuildWorks. His work with GuildWorks has been largely about leading innovative architectural solutions. Recently, he has turned his attention to sustainability and the future of the built environment.

Shade Sails Canada is a family owned, proudly Canadian company designing, engineering and building Shade Structures for over 15 years. Byrdon graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. He travelled extensively in Europe, Asia & Down Under. In 2000, he joined with other members of the Roe family to form Shade Sails Canada. In 2007, Brydon migrated from Toronto to Revelstoke BC to expand Shade Sails in the West by opening the Western office. During the last decade, Brydon has gained extensive experience with tensioned fabric shade structures as well as Cyclone Umbrellas and out Tulip Umbrellas.

William F. Rooney has 48 years of experience in transportation management covering a broad range business functions. He is currently Vice President, Strategic Development for Kuehne + Nagel Inc. and has been with Kuehne + Nagel for 10 years. Prior to Kuehne + Nagel Mr. Rooney’s positions have included President of Hanjin Shipping America; Senior Vice President, Service Delivery for CMA-CGM; and Vice President, Ocean Services for GT Nexus, a logistics software provider. He also held a number of senior management positions with Sea-Land Service over a span of 25 years including 5 years in Europe. Mr. Rooney started his career doing economic research for the US Department of Transportation. Mr. Rooney’s board memberships have included: the Pacific Maritime Association, the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, The US Maritime Alliance, Consolidated Chassis Management, OCEMA, and the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Mr. Rooney received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Marist College in New York and a master’s degree in economics from Northeastern University in Boston.

Steve Rye has 20 years of experience in the coated fabrics industry, 5 years of yarn manufacturing experience and an extensive knowledge of textiles and textile backings for coated fabrics. Steve spent 3 years as an expatriate in Thailand as Director of Operations for OMNOVA (2012 – 2015). Additionally, Steve has been awarded 5 technology awards over the past 8 years for recognition in product innovation and new product commercialization.

Cory Schug practices Intellectual Property (IP) law with a focus on patent procurement and management with the international law firm of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP. He has worked with clients in a broad range of industries and technologies to manage IP matters. He currently has several clients in the textile and fabric industry. He has worked with textile clients on applications from awnings to radomes and from industrial fabrics for EV batteries to apparel. Cory’s textile clients include large international manufacturers and some of the apparel industry’s most recognizable brands.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Cory received a degree in Mechanical Engineering degree and worked in the field of computer and consumer electronics installation, service, and support.

Erika Simmons is the Technical Director for AATCC. She is an experienced textile professional with more than twenty years of customer compliance, lab management and standards development experience. Erika received her BS Textile Engineering from NC State University and an MBA from Wake Forest University.

Bill is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support - Clothing and Textiles (C&T) Industrial Capabilities Program (ICP) Team Lead since 2013. The team assesses industrial capability and supply chain risk of vendors and suppliers supporting C&T managed items. Bill works with three other industrial specialists monitoring the C&T industrial base for constraints and supply chain disruptions that may negatively impact vendor deliveries. The team along with DLA buyers identify potential at-risk industrial base segments. Bill is also the C&T Warstopper Program liaison responsible for identifying industrial base investments that will close a gap in Service requirements and industrial capability. Prior to DLA, Bill worked as a publishing company project manager and a database programming consultant.

Eded Jason M. F. Smith was born and raised in Houston, TX As a child he developed a love for aviation and aspired to join the military. In 1995 he joined the United States Air Force as an aircraft maintenance technician working on the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog). After serving for four years, he obtained his A&P certification and went to work in corporate aviation as an aircraft maintenance technician.

Through the years he moved through the ranks from technician to lead, to customer service coordinator, to Project Manager, and then had the opportunity to move into a more formal business development and sales position. It was in this position that Jason discovered a new passion for the aerospace industry! At Aegis Aerospace he is using his multi-disciplinary skills he has mastered over the years to help solve problems and create business opportunities for his customers. Jason received has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies as well as numerous other certifications.

Jason’s hobbies include fishing, camping, smoking meats, cooking, traveling, and spending time with his family!

Dr. Alexander (Sasha) Stolyarov is the CEO of Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) Manufacturing USA Institute, with a mission to develop revolutionary advanced fiber and fabric system capabilities for commercial and national security applications.

In 2017, Sasha spearheaded the founding of the Defense Fabric Discovery Center (DFDC), a joint enterprise between MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Natick Soldier Systems Center, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and AFFOA focused on developing advanced fiber systems for critical defense problems.

Sasha conducted his graduate and postdoctoral training at MIT, focusing on developing advanced fabrication capabilities for multimaterial fiber devices and systems, including fiber-based chemical sensors, electro-optic modulators, multi-modal waveguides, and opto-fluidic systems. He has coauthored 18 peer-reviewed journal articles and 4 US patents in this emerging field. Sasha earned a PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard University in 2012 and a BS in Physics from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2005.

Graham founded SEDDI in 2017 to bring accurate, collaborative, cloud native digital product creation software to the $1.7 trillion apparel industry, including digitization services for textiles, 3D computer aided design (CAD) and simulation for garments, and clothing virtual try on services. Previously Graham spent 21 years with the private equity firm, American Industrial Partners, as a senior operating partner. He has spent his career focusing on solving strategic, financial, and operational issues within a portfolio of engineering-centric industrial businesses. His work enabled transformative change in the efficiency and profitability of those enterprises. Graham has served in interim operating roles at portfolio companies to oversee the turnaround of underperforming companies on numerous occasions. He developed and pioneered many of the methods and techniques used by the firm. Prior to AIP, Graham served in operations management and engineering positions at Hughes Aircraft, Varian Associates, and Watkins-Johnson Company.

Dr. Matt Trexler is currently the Director of Materials Science innovation Research at Under Armour. He is responsible for leading initiatives pertaining to novel materials production and commercialization, managing external research programs, and enhanced computational tool to aid in product design. Prior to joining UA Dr Trexler worked at the US Army Research Lab pioneering additive manufacturing techniques and serving as a materials expert. He hold a PhD, and BS in materials science and engineer.

Dr. Walker's areas of expertise include biomechanical analysis of the spine and lower extremities in various sport movements as well as textile comfort, moisture management, and heat stress mitigation with personal protective equipment. Specifically, she has studied gait, jumping, drop-landing, throwing, cutting, and stair ascent as they relate to sport performance and/or the development of injury with athletes and clinical populations with or without the use of athletic equipment.

Dr. Walker has investigated the effects of multiple rib protector garments from large sports equipment companies on the performance and spinal mobility of quarterbacks while completing an overhand football pass. Additionally, she has evaluated methodologies used to quantify fabric- and garment-level effects on heat stress and has collected and interpreted data with these measures for various protective and/or athletic garments. She has consulted for several sport technology and equipment companies in various phases of research and development of their products.

Her biomechanical research studies have included the use of motion capture, force plates, electromyography, and dynamometry technology to assess movements. Additionally, she has utilized several moisture management, dry heat transfer, and evaporative resistance measurement systems, including instrumented manikins and physiological wear trials to assess the effects of various textile configurations in government, military, and athletic applications.

As a former athlete, personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, and performance enhancement specialist, Dr. Walker is able to use a multifaceted approach, in conjunction with her research expertise, to assist clients with evaluating questions related to evaluating human performance and product development.

Dr. Andre West is the Director of the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Textile Apparel Technology and Management at the Wilson College of Textile at NC State University. His role as the Director of ZTE is to keep sustainable textiles at the forefront of future textiles, cultivating a more responsible ecosystem for the fashion industry. This is achieved by education and mobilizing students, industry, and consumers to be positive advocates while leveraging industry-related partnerships. He is involved in sustainable manufacturing techniques with Wholegarment knitting for zero waste. He has made numerous national and international presentations on how textile production should achieve a total circular economy.

Billie Whitehouse is the CEO & Creative Director of Wearable Experiments (Wearable X). Recognised as the recent winner of the Design Technology Award from Fashion Group International, New York. Billie specializes in the combination of hardware, software and apparel for wearable technology products, leading design, product development, business partnerships & overseeing major business & financial decisions. With over 10 years of experience in building innovation products with Wearable X & Google, she has played a pivotal role in leading innovative product development in collaborations with companies such as Durex, American Express, Oakley, Burton, Calvin Klien, Mattel, Foxtel, Bud Light & Pepsi. Known for her development of Nadi X, the first smart yoga experience with guidance on the body through smart textiles. Billie is invigorating every industry and transforming it into a business focused on improving the quality of our lives. Billie was named in the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. Some career highlights include winning The Wearable Award in Paris at Show Room Privé as well as being featured in the Venice Biennale, Museé De L’homme & having Wearable X named one of the most innovative companies in Fitness by Fast Company. Innovation, from early ideation to full scale product development & shipping at scale are the core of what makes Billie thrive. Pairing this with working alongside world class teams at Google & Wearable X where Billie would manage headcount from the machine learning, software, design & development teams. She aligns the teams around the vision and executes this product development while maintaining business relations with all stakeholders. Billie has spent the last 10 years building unique & novel sensors inside both Google & Wearable X, coming up with unique product vision, research & insights around how to seamlessly integrate technology into our lives. Billie has managed research & development in specific areas such as vitals, sleep, lower back pain and has pioneered the research with the Disability Community to highlight how & where existing technologies fall short in meeting the needs of the Disability Community. Billie is a renowned keynote speaker with presentations stretching from Advance Textile Summit 2023, Fashinnovation 2022, World Web Forum 2020/2015 Haptics Conference San Diego 2019, World Retail Congress 2018, WT Conference San Francisco 2021/2018, Business of Sports Conference 2018, WORLDZ 2017, Synergy Global 2017 at Madison Square Garden, The New Yorker Tech Fest 2016, Fortune’s Elevate 2016, Belgium Fashion Congress 2015, Cannes Lions 2015/2016, Wired UK 2015, Conde Nast Digital Russia 2016, India Fashion Forum 2016 and many more.

Seonyoung Youn is a Ph.D. candidate in Fiber and Polymer Science at North Carolina State University. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Parsons The New School for Design and a Master of Science in Textiles from Seoul National University, she brings a diverse perspective to her research. Seonyoung's exceptional academic achievements have been recognized by the prestigious 2021-2022 Provost Fellowship and her Ph.D. research funds from the North Carolina Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP) from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Seonyoung's research is focused on cutting-edge technologies in advanced textile digitization and virtual reality, with an emphasis on the development of health monitoring smart fabrics. Her innovative work is driven by a passion for improving people's quality of life through digital technology.