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Speaker Biographies

Garry Atkinson - AATCC.jpg

Garry Atkinson, Senior Technical Associate, AATCC, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

Garry Atkinson is a Senior Technical Associate at AATCC. He's an expert on Proficiency Testing for textiles labs, AATCC Standards, and textile testing materials. His experience in color matching and fabric engineering brings a wealth of knowledge to the world of textile testing.

Garry is dedicated to ensuring accurate and reliable testing procedures. He enjoys sharing his expertise by training professionals on proper test methods and assisting AATCC members in test method development.

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Atkinson's passion for education extends beyond AATCC. He also runs Texplora Media, a design service that helps businesses strengthen their online presence. In his free time, he fuels a love for learning with his creation of the Fundo kid's book series, promoting interactive learning between parents and children.

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Garry is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a BS in Industrial Design and an MS in Textiles, with a focus on sustainable footwear technology. This blend of creative thinking and technical knowledge helps him in serving the textile industry.

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Melanie Carrico, Associate Professor (President-Elect International Textile & Apparel Association), Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies Department, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Melanie Carrico is an Associate Professor in the Apparel Design concentration of the Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies at UNCG.

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The primary emphasis of her scholarship is creative work in apparel design to focuses on solving patternmaking challenges. Professor Carrico’s original garment designs have been included in over 50 juried and invited shows both national and international in scope. Her practice-led research has focused on zero-waste pattern cutting techniques for several years.

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Professor Carrico earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from University of North Texas in 1995. The subject matters she teaches include apparel design, patternmaking, garment construction, 3D garment visualization, and drawing. She is the 2024 President-Elect for the International Textile and Apparel Association.

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Gart Davis, Student of Textile Change, Spoonflower Co-founder & past CEO/COO, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

Gart is an entrepreneur, problem solver, and a nerd at heart. 

In a catholic family of .gov, .org, .mil and .edu emails, he is a lonely .com, rebelliously choosing capitalism as his instrument of impact. 

 

His startups have focused on teaching, mortgage access, and publishing. Since 2008 he has been smitten by the opportunity to bring digital technology to the textile industry for the benefit of creators, consumers, and the planet.   

 

Since Gart and his colleagues sold Spoonflower to Shutterfly in the summer of 2021, he has been a student of textile industry change.

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Dr. Daniel J. Harrison, Founder, Digital Imaging Materials Consultancy, Pittsford, New York, USA

Daniel J. Harrison, Founder Digital Imaging Materials Consultancy, a single person consulting firm specializing in solving tough materials problems in digital imaging inks and coatings. 

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Daniel served as Sr. Vice President R&D and CTO at IIMAK for 24 years with a focus on thermal transfer and ink jet innovation.  Prior to joining IIMAK, he was employed for 16 years at Eastman Kodak and most recently held the position of Manager, Thermal Print Media R&D. He has also held a lecturer position at the University of Rochester where he taught a graduate level course on Polymer Surfaces and Adhesions. 

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Daniel holds a B.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Polymer Materials Science from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the Simon School of Business, University of Rochester. 

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His career has focused on the development of digital imaging materials and coatings. Daniel is an inventor with more than 50 US patents in the imaging field.  He helped to pioneer Thermal Dye Transfer Imaging technology while at Kodak.  At IIMAK, Daniel has continued to focus on digital imaging development, introducing several new technologies including DecoTherm, a digital glass decoration technology, thin film direct thermal imaging, conductive TTR for printed electronics applications and Wide Format Inkjet Inks. Daniel is a member of the American Chemical Society.

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Dr. Alan Hudd, CEO & Founder, Alchemie Technology, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK

Dr. Hudd has been central to many important technology developments over the last 30 years in the field of digital and inkjet printing, reflecting over 250 patents to his name and recognised for many commercial industry successes.

His career to date has spanned over four decades in developing new disruptive technologies, including over thirty years in commercialising industrial inkjet technology. Dr.Hudd was a key inventor of the fundamental pioneering UV cure inkjet patents that today underpin a number of the current important industrial inkjet applications. In 1996, Dr. Hudd founded Xennia Technology as an inkjet consultancy firm that went on under his leadership to become the world leading industrial inkjet integrator with uniquely recognised capabilities from chemistry through software to engineering. Dr. Hudd sold Xennia to Royal TenCate in 2008.

In 2014, Dr. Hudd founded Alchemie Technology with the goal of transforming the environmental footprint of the textile industry

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Dr. Elena Karpova, Putman and Hayes Distinguished Professor, Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies Department, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Dr. Elena Karpova is the Putman and Hayes Distinguished Professor at Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies Departments at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

She is an award-winning educator and researcher with thirty years of experience in academia and industry in the United States and Russia. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of product development, sourcing, textile and apparel industry analysis, and consumer behavior.

Her current research projects focus on: (1) sustainability in the textile and apparel industry and (2) preparing leaders for the second largest global industry. She co-authored two books, Going Global: The Textile and Apparel Industry and The Dangers of Fashion: Toward Ethical and Sustainable Solutions, published 65 peer-reviewed research papers, and presented more than100 papers at international conferences. Dr. Karpova is the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association.

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Kurt Kipka, Chief Impact Officer, Apparel Impact Institute, Oakland, California, USA

As Chief Impact Officer of Apparel Impact Institute, Kurt manages the growth and longevity of global programs including Clean by Design – a proven platform for improving the resource efficiency of textile mills in collaboration with multinational brands. Prior to joining Aii, he spent three years at the environmental non-profit, Natural Resources Defense Council, where he focused on developing programs and tools to measure and improve environmental performance of leading brands and retailers. Kurt also spent 10 years in retail sourcing and has served as chair and active member of several retail industry councils and steering teams.

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Kurt earned a BA in International Business from St. John’s University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Business.  

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Kerry Maguire King, Textile Professional, Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Kerry is a seasoned textile professional with over 25 years of experience working in the field of digital textile printing and implementation of digital manufacturing strategies.

She spent over 10 years leading research and development efforts for the Spoonflower brand where she advanced the company’s manufacturing platform for print-on-demand production of fabric, wallpaper and home decor products.

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Prior to Spoonflower she spent over 15 years at [TC]2, a not-for-profit company that specialized in technology development and supply chain improvement within the soft goods industry. Kerry is now a PhD student within the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University and is a past president and active participant in AATCC (The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists).

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Graham Page, CEO & Co-Founder, iAtelier Inc., Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, USA

Graham’s multidisciplinary background includes chemical, polymer science, advanced manufacturing, digital printing, Industry 4.0, global sourcing and apparel product development through each step of the textile / apparel supply chain.

Prior to launching iAtelier Corporation, an advanced manufacturing ‘supply chain as a service’ concern for the textile and sewn products industry, Graham was the architect / lead of internal Innovation startup 'Project Alchemy' for VF Corporation, an advanced manufacturing R&D center focused on achieving sustainable small batch and mass customized manufacturing at scale using robotics and digital workflow / digital coloration of textiles. 

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Prior to his role in global innovation, Graham managed global materials commercialization & development at The North Face in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Prior to The North Face, Graham spent 6 years in a dual role apparel sourcing / materials manager position for VF Corporation managing all materials development for VF brands in LatAm / western hemisphere, and full package sourcing for The North Face. 

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Prior to VF Corporation, Graham spent 10 years in successive steps of the manufacturing supply chain living and working in the US, Mexico (NAFTA) and Dominican Republic (CAFTA), including startup of a new $127MM state-of-the-art vertical worsted wool textile mill in Central Mexico.  Graham began his career with Honeywell Engineered Materials in performance fibers product development.

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Graham graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Textile Chemistry and Polymer Science and has been recognized by his alma mater and industry publications for Outstanding Achievement in his field. Graham’s ability to connect the dots through the supply chain leads to actionable results that advance product, profitability, and sustainability. 

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Danaé Robert, Senior Associate, At One Ventures, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Danaé has a decade of expertise in addressing the urgent global issue of climate change and driving sustainable solutions.

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With a strong foundation in green chemistry, she possesses an extensive understanding of materials, especially in the circularity of textile.

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Throughout her career, Danae has actively invested in early-stage companies with a focus on sustainability. She holds a BS in Chemistry from UC Berkeley and an MS from Imperial College London, specializing in Green Chemistry, Energy, and the Environment.

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Johnny Shell, Principal Analyst, Textile & Apparel Printing, Keypoint Intelligence, Fairfield, New Jersey, USA

Johnny Shell empowers clients to navigate complex challenges, innovate processes, and drive sustainable growth. 

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As Principal Analyst for Keypoint Intelligence’s Textile & Apparel Printing Service, he has carved out a niche in the digital textile and apparel decorating industry, with 38 years of experience. His dedication has been instrumental in elevating client’s performance, achieving notable milestones in market trends and segment performance, projected growth, and emerging applications.

Before joining Keypoint Intelligence, Johnny was Vice President of Technical Services at Printing United Alliance where he left a legacy of cutting-edge training and educational workshops that he managed, delivering insightful seminars at industry conferences and trade shows, vendor awards programs, and serving as Chairperson of both the screen printing and dye sublimation National SkillsUSA Championships.

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Johnny is a sought-after visionary and printing expert who was inducted into the Academy of Screen and Digital Printing Technology. He has been featured in Screen Printing Magazine, Impressions Magazine, Screen Print India, and Specialist Printing for expertise on digital printing technologies and trends and has led insightful sessions at major events and conferences, sharing insights on market and technology trends, new applications, workflow, color management, and digital printing topics.

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Dr. Minyoung Suh, Associate Professor, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Dr. Minyoung Suh is currently an Associate Professor at Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University.

She has extensive research and education experiences related to functional clothing and its production. With an emphasis on technical aspects of clothing, she has developed a multidisciplinary research program throughout her career path.

 The primary research stream deals with functional clothing, including but not limited to smart clothing, sportswear, foundation garment and intimate apparel. Utilizing advanced technologies, such as 3D body scanning, motion sensing, pressure sensing, 3D printing, and conductive printing, her research aims at innovative textile product development that can promote well-being and increase the quality of life.

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Harry Vine, Product Specialist, Alchemie Technology, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK

Harry is the Product Specialist at Alchemie Technology. Joining the company in October 2022, he works in the Commercial team, validating technical data and working with brands to develop sustainable solutions to reduce water and energy use in their supply chains.

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Harry earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering followed by an MSc in Sustainable Engineering Management for International Development from Swansea University.

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Dr. Andre West, Associate Professor & Director Zeis Textiles Extension, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Dr. Andre West is an Associate Professor and Director of The Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) at the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University and has been in the apparel business for over 40 years; in fashion trend forecasting, fashion design, textile design, manufacturing, retailing, and finally in academic research and teaching.

 

His present research heavily involves the use of technology within the apparel process inclusive of consumer-driven customization in the world of digital printing, 3-D virtual garment making, generative design, 3-D body scanning, and whole garment knitwear. His latest research is in the field of design and manufacturing of sustainable fabrications and a circular textile economy. He is currently researching hemp fiber as an alternative source for consumer and military clothing.

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