Women of Flexo

FTA’s Forum & InfoFlex
2025-05-04 - 2025-05-07
May 4-7, 2025 – Pittsburg, PA

Women in Leadership Panel by Women of Flexo
Tuesday, May 6: 10:45am – 12:15pm
Room 304/305

Networking Event
Monday, May 5: 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Reception Hall A

"Sorry, Not Sorry" Lunch & Learn
2024-12-11 12:30 - 13:30 UTC
How many times in a day do you say the word ‘sorry’? (It’s definitely more than you think!) How many of those ‘sorrys’ are actually necessary? In this webinar. we’ll explore the pervasive habit known as “Sorry Syndrome,” where excessive apologizing impacts confidence and communication, particularly among women. We’ll dive into the reasons behind this behavior, the subtle ways it undermines self-assurance, and how it affects both personal and professional interactions and learn how to overcome it. Join us as we explore the dreaded Sorry Syndrome and learn the tools to “cure” ourselves of it. Speaker: Kara Pedigo Marketing Manager, BiOrigin Specialty Products Kara Pedigo (formerly Wojnowski) is the Marketing Manager at BiOrigin Specialty Products and current Chair of Women of Flexo. She graduated from the University of West Georgia with a degree in marketing and business management and jumped right into the flexo industry. She has been with Women of Flexo since the inception in 2019 and had part in launching the marketing committee.

2nd Annual 2024 Women of Flexo Conference
2024-03-13 13:00 - 2024-03-14 14:00 UTC
2nd Annual 2024 Women of Flexo Conference
What: 2024 Women of Flexo Conference
When: March 13-14, 2024
Where: COMEXI North America, 1623 N. W. 84th Ave., Miami, Florida 33126
Seminar & Workshops, Networking Events, Raffles & Giveaways, Flexo Press Demo & Comexi Tour, Lunch and Dinner Provided

Meet the Speakers:

Where to stay:
Hyatt Place Miami Airport-West/Doral:
3655 NW 82nd Ave, Miami, FL 33166
(305) 718-8292
Special Rate: $164/night
7 minute drive to/from conference
17 minute drive to/from airport

Trump National Doral Miami:
4400 NW 87th Ave, Miami, FL 33178
(305) 592-2000
Special Rate: $225/night
11 minute drive to/from conference
20 minute drive to/from airport
AC Hotel
Miami Airport West/Doral
8091 NW 36th St, Doral, FL 33166
(786) 753-6035
Special Rate: TBD
9 minute drive to/from conference
FairfieldInn & Suites
8051 NW 36th St, Doral, FL 33166
(786) 753-6010
Special Rate: TBD
8 minute drive to/from conference
16 minute drive to/from airport
All hotel rates listed in conference flyer

Thank you to our sponsors:

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Register Here

Your Path to Upskilling
2024-01-10 12:30 - 14:00 UTC
Your Path to Upskilling
When: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, 12:30 p.m EST
Click here to register
Summary:
Reports show that 82% of employees would need to upskill annually to maintain a competitive advantage in the workplace. Upskilling is learning new skills to make yourself better in your current job or a job you are striving to get.
Speaker bio:
Jennye Scott is the Vice President of Global Creative Services at Berry Global and has worked at Berry for over 34 years. Jennye is on the Flexographic Technical Association Board of Directors and very involved in the FTA functions. Over the years, she has chaired FTA Forums and spoken at many FTA functions around the country, as well as she was asked to represent the FTA at the Flexible Packaging & Label Manufacturers Association which is a Australian Print Conference in 2017. Jennye is a recipient of the 2015 FTA Presidents Leadership Award. Jennye is very passionate about process improvement opportunities in many areas, specifically in the different Printing arenas inside Berry.
Click here to register

How to Survive and Thrive in a male dominated workplace
2023-11-08 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
How to Survive and Thrive in a male dominated workplace
When: Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, 12:30 p.m EST
Click here to register
Summary:
Today’s print production environment has evolved leaps and bounds from 50 or even 20 years ago. However, there is still a notable imbalance. Many work environments are still heavily dominated by men. This discrepancy is further heightened in production areas and in management and upper-level executive positions. If you find yourself intimidated or frustrated with this reality, we invite you to join this webinar! This is the perfect time for you to make a difference. We will be discussing some of the common mistakes we all make and learn ways other women have worked to make sure they are both seen and heard. Men are not our enemies. They are not obstacles to our potential. The key is finessing your approach, finding your inner champion, and then making connections to help ensure you become exactly who you are meant to be. You know who that is!
Speaker bio:
Catherine Haynes is the VP of Growth and Development for All Printing Resources. She has more than 25 years of experience in the printing industry and has been a certified G7 Expert for over 14 years. At APR she assists sales technicians as a technical representative for various customer projects related to training, characterizations, prepress and pressroom assessments, color management, digital workflows, platemaking and implementation or expansion of in-house prepress capabilities. She is currently chairing the 2023 FTA Fall Technical Conference. She also coordinates and conducts industry training programs and has been a regular speaker/chair at Clemson, FTA, TLMI and other industry events.
Click here to register

Imposter Syndrome
2023-09-13 12:30 - 13:30 UTC
Imposter Syndrome
When: Wednesday, Sep 13, 2023, 12:30 p.m EST
Click here to register
Summary:
What is Imposter Syndrome? And do you experience it in your professional life? In this month’s presentation we will explore exactly what Imposter Syndrome is, how we experience it and why. We want to tackle this topic because Imposter Syndrome is a common experience that could have the potential to cause self-doubt and hold us back in our careers. So we will discuss ways to identify, manage and overcome it. Even if you do not experience Imposter Syndrome often, we will cover ways to be an ally or effective leader to your coworkers and team members that do. Our goal is for you to leave with the proper tools to face Imposter Syndrome head on!
Speaker bio:
Kiersten Borden works Inside Sales with XSYS, a global provider of printing plates, plate making equipment and sleeves & adaptors. Kiersten graduated from Clemson University in 2018 with a bachelors in Graphic Communications. She has been working in the industry for over five years and got her start with Accredo Packaging as a Graphics Account Specialist Lead. Kiersten has been a member of the Women of Flexo steering committee for over a year and has recently started her role as Co-Chair to the Recruitment and Engagement subcommittee.
Click here to register

Dealing with Difficult People, Part 2
2023-07-12 12:30 - 14:00 UTC
Join us for our webinar on Dealing with Difficult People
When: Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 12:30 p.m EST
Click here to register
Summary:
We all have to live and work with difficult personalities on a daily basis. Taking some time to learn about some of the more common difficult personalities, such as narcissists, drama queens and my favorite, the “confidently incompetent” can give you insight into how to better communicate with these people and make your life easier. In this seminar, we’ll do a quick review of some of the basics for dealing with any difficult personality and then delve into some of the more common personality types that you may interact with in your life. You’ll leave with some strategies and tools to help your future conversations with these people be more productive and pleasant for both of you.
Speaker bio:
Laura Wright is CEO and co-owner of CSW, Inc. based inLudlow, Massachusetts. CSW, Inc. provides prepress solutions to the packaging industry and is known for providing high quality products, technical expertise and support. Clients include Blue Triton Brands, P&G, Boston Beer, WestRock, Packaging Corporation of America and Rand Whitney. Laura has served on the boards of the Pioneer Valley Montessori School, the Flexographic Prepress Platemakers Association, MicroTek Inc., The Flexographic Technical Association and New England Public Media. She is an active member of the Flexographic Technical Association, the Association of Diecutters and Diemakers, and Associated Industries of Massachusetts. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 1988 with a B.A. in Biological Anthropology. She currently resides in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Click here to register

Dealing with Difficult People
2023-05-10 12:30 - 13:30 UTC
Join us for our webinar on Dealing with Difficult People
When: Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 12:30 p.m EST
Click here to register

You’re invited to Women of Flexo’s next Lunch & Learn Webinar: Dealing with Difficult People
Summary:
Difficult personalities come in and out of our lives on a regular basis. Often, we are forced to interact with them at work or within family situations and do not have the option of walking away when things get rough. Difficult personalities can consume a lot of our time, energy and patience which can cause a significant level of stress in our lives. This seminar will discuss ways to limit the negative effect that difficult personalities can have on our lives. Because their behaviors are so ingrained in their personalities, you will not be able to change them, but you can change your perceptions of and response to these people resulting in less stress on you and maybe even positive interactions with them. Is there a Poll question related to your topic that you would like us to put in the announcement to help you gauge where the audience is and help guide your discussion? You could then offer the question results during the webinar. Please briefly describe a difficult personality that you have struggled with in the past or present
Speaker bio:
Laura Wright is CEO and co-owner of CSW, Inc. based inLudlow, Massachusetts. CSW, Inc. provides prepress solutions to the packaging industry and is known for providing high quality products, technical expertise and support. Clients include Blue Triton Brands, P&G, Boston Beer, WestRock, Packaging Corporation of America and Rand Whitney. Laura has served on the boards of the Pioneer Valley Montessori School, the Flexographic Prepress Platemakers Association, MicroTek Inc., The Flexographic Technical Association and New England Public Media. She is an active member of the Flexographic Technical Association, the Association of Diecutters and Diemakers, and Associated Industries of Massachusetts. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 1988 with a B.A. in Biological Anthropology. She currently resides in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Click here to register

Evening Social
2023-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 UTC
Join us for an evening social Monday night right after InfoFlex!

What: Evening Social
When: Monday, 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Union Station Ballroom C
Will you be at Forum next week? Women of Flexo is hosting an evening social Monday night right after InfoFlex! Come have a drink, network, and see the finished ProjectFLEX in person!
We’ll be in US Ballroom C from 6pm to 7:30pm, hope to see you there!

Transformation in the World Of Work - Trends for 2023 and beyond
2023-01-05 12:30 - 2023-01-11 14:00 UTC
Who: Claudia St. John
What: Transformation in the World Of Work – Trends for 2023 and beyond
When: Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 12:30 p.m EST
Register here
Summary:
It will come as no surprise that the labor market is excruciatingly tight, people continue to quit by the millions each month, silent quitting is on the rise and hiring and keeping employees is a monumental challenge. Claudia St. John will discuss the trends driving these labor market challenges and what women in flexo can do to prepare for future challenges.
Speaker bio:
Claudia St. John is president of Affinity HR Group, Inc., an HR and management consulting firm that provides human resources compliance, recruiting and organizational development support to small to mid-sized companies nationwide. Affinity HR Group is TLMI’s and FTA’s endorsed HR partner. Claudia is also the author of Transforming Teams – Tips for Improving Collaboration and Building Trust, a “#1 Hot New Release” on Amazon.
Claudia is a frequent public speaker, is quoted often in national and industry press, and is a regular contributor to numerous print and electronic publications on the topic of human resources. Claudia holds an undergraduate degree in employee benefits and labor relations from The American University and a master’s degree in business and public administration from The George Washington University, and numerous HR and behavioral science certifications.

You're invited to Women of Flexo's next Lunch & Learn Webinar: More than Just a Friend and Ally
2022-12-14 12:30 - 13:30 UTC
Who: Dan Blackburn
What: More than Just a Friend and Ally
When: Wednesday Dec. 14, 12:30 p.m EST
Register here
Hosted by Dan Blackburn is a 2011 graduate of Clemson University with a BS in Packaging Science. Been a member of the FTA since 2012 and currently presides on the Board. He will talk about sponsorship for success. Sponsorship to key high performers is necessary for advancement. Setting up a well-established internal organization that fosters, nurtures and drives mentorship and sponsorship is necessary for advancement. This environment also creates a communal valuable location for feedback and learning sessions which drive value. I will share insights into a successful organization in hopes to inspire you all to join your internal sponsorship or start one if there isn’t one established yet. A community starts with two and more importantly you.

Women of Flexo's Lunch & Learn: Leadership as a Characteristic, Not a Credential
2022-11-09 13:00 - 15:00 UTC
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 1 pm EST
Title: Women of Flexo’s Lunch & Learn: Leadership as a Characteristic, Not a Credential
Speaker: Alyssa Denney
Summary: Her Lunch & Learn Webinar, “Leadership as a Characteristic, Not A Credential” will detail one very important ingredient for our every-day opportunities to build rapport, create impact and get results, no matter your list of “qualifications” for doing so.
Speaker Bio: Alyssa Denney is a sales professional in paperboard packaging and she’s holding space for necessary conversations to be had.
Register Here

The Importance of Women in the Flexo Industry’s Evolving Leadership, Virtual Lunch and Learn
2022-08-03 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | FTA’s Virtual Conference Center, United States
Although Jean and Mark have very different backgrounds and career paths, they are in complete agreement that the makeup of FTA and flexographic industry leadership has changed dramatically over the past few decades due in large part to greater interest being expressed by women in pursuing leadership opportunities. Everyone knows the “early flexo years” as being stereotypically male dominated. As the workforce evolved, more and more opportunities were seized by women as female industry pioneers actively paved the way by telling their story and encouraging young women to consider a career in a very progressive market. So…carve out some time with us to Lunch and Learn about how we all got here and, more importantly, where we are going!

Click the button below to RSVP or email Cwhitt@flexography.org to secure your spot.

WOF FORUM Lunch Meeting
2022-03-14 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Chicago)
Women of Flexo events are an opportunity to hear from industry members, discuss workplace challenges and network with colleagues. Join the Women of Flexo for a Networking Luncheon at FORUM 2022.
Email Cwhitt@flexography.org to secure your spot.

The Most Important Skills to Succeed in the Post-COVID Workplace
2021-09-23 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Halifax) | FTA’s Virtual Conference Center, United States
Career Trajectory: Advancing or Regaining Your Career in a Post-Pandemic, Digital World
The pandemic’s impact on women has been well-documented over the past year: at the start of the pandemic, women lost jobs at a much greater pace than men, with 11.3 million jobs held by women disappearing within weeks of nationwide shutdowns.
While the tide is slowly turning and women are beginning to regain the jobs they lost, many of their career paths have changed for good. The old advice that told us to get an education, choose a career, work hard and be loyal won’t lead to the security and long-term success it once did.
If you hope to survive and prosper in the 21st century, you’re going to need a significant shift in career management strategy. In this interactive workshop, you will learn:

How to make sure your career is still moving in the right direction and how to reverse the trajectory if it is not
The most important skills to succeed in the post-COVID workplace
Tips for navigating your career path in an increasingly digitalized world
Conflict management techniques in the hybrid workplace
How to keep the momentum going without “face time”

Register here

Roundtable for Career Advancement
2021-04-21 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Halifax) | FTA’s Virtual Conference Center, United States
How important is networking to finding a new job/position? What techniques have you used to build some of the most impactful mentoring relationships that have helped your career development?
Join Women of Flexo for a roundtable webinar and hear group members discuss some common issues facing women in flexography.

Handling Controversy, Conflict and Crazy Personalities in the COVID-Era Workplace
2021-01-20 12:30 - 13:30 UTC | FTA’s Virtual Conference Center, United States
It’s a new year, but while 2020 may be behind us, the polarizing issues it brought to the forefront continue to infiltrate the workplace.

Working with other people can be tricky, as each of us comes wrapped up in packages complete with distinct personalities, sensitivities, cultural beliefs, identities, attitudes and opinions. When gender bias, racism, ageism, immigration, LGBTQ rights and maybe even transgender bathrooms are thrown into the mix, navigating workplace relationships often seems like walking through a minefield—Particularly when so much of our daily communication has now shifted from in-person to online.

In this webinar and interactive workshop, Harvard-trained attorney, entrepreneur and educator Dawn LaRochelle will provide tools to stay cool when the workplace heats up. Learn how, when thoughtfully approached, even the most challenging situations can be an opportunity for career growth and self-empowerment.

All the Things You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask
2020-10-28 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | FTA’s Virtual Conference Center, United States
Listen to Berry Global’s Cory Kuhlenschmidt and Lori Sutton discuss:

Sexual harassment / discrimination in the workplace
How employees should report these types of concerns, especially if they are uncomfortable or intimidated to do so in the workplace
Why diversity and inclusion are important to every company’s stakeholders

Identifying Your Assets
2020-07-29 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | FTA’s Virtual Conference Center, United States
Our next webinar is all about how to utilize your qualities to make the most of your career. Join us and listen to Rebecca Casey, senior vice president of marketing and strategy at TC Transcontinental Packaging, share her insight and experience.

Talk to the Women of Flexo about:

Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses
How to identify and use your assets
How to strategically plan your next steps

Dr. Nona Woolbright, Maintaining A Personal Identity - Webinar
2020-05-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | FTA’s Virtual Conference Center, United States
Join Dr. Nona Woolbright as she discusses maintaining a personal identity in a professional setting.
As Mr. Rogers once said, “It’s You I Like, Just the Way You Are.” Some women naturally find their home in the workplace, but we’re not all that fortunate. Finding your place while remaining true to who you are is more often than not a long and challenging journey, especially when your workplace peers are in the minority.
With so few women within top decision-making levels, how do we create the connections that allow us to grow as leaders? How do we gain the skills and support to move up in the ranks?
We all need to start with creating a community of women and men committed to supporting us throughout their career lifecycles, from college students to emerging leaders to top executives. A community that comes together to provide mentoring and networking opportunities to help women reach their full potential.
The Women of Flexo is comprised of industry members who work to support and promote women in the flexographic industry through a variety of opportunities. Join us for this very exciting, one-of-a-kind event.
