Speakers

Print Embellishment Conference

Sponsored by:

Troy Nix is a military veteran, entrepreneur, business leader, motivational speaker and an American author.

A 30-year veteran of the manufacturing sector, Nix is the founder, president and CEO of First Resource, Inc., a leading-edge association management company specialized in maximizing the impact that manufacturing-based trade associations have on the member company executives they serve. With the help of industry leaders, he created and incorporated two of the associations First Resources currently serves. Nix utilizes leverage and economies of scale of more than 1,000 production facilities across North American to provide information and business solutions that address some of today’s toughest business challenges, like reducing the cost of health care insurance.

Prior to incorporating First Resource, Nix worked in the manufacturing operations for Mobil Chemical company producing extruded products under the Hefty and Baggies brand names. Leading up to the formation and incorporation of his first trade-group, he worked for an economic development think-tank organization that focused on methods of providing solutions to industry clusters.

Nix served as an Ordnance Office with the 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion and the 2nd Armored Division of the United Sates Army, completed military parachutist training, and is a proud graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management.

Troy is an American author with his book, Eternal Impact: Inspiring Greatness in Yourself and Others, residing in over 30,000 retails centers including Amazon, Target, Barnes and Noble to name a few. He is a sought-after public speaker where he addresses audiences around the world on the topics of leadership, the power of gratitude, and building perseverance.

Nix is driven by passion, purpose and heart to impact corporate leaders to inspired greatness.

Kevin Abergel, President and Founder

Kevin Abergel is the President and Founder of Taktiful, a consulting company that specializes in helping brands, OEMs, and printers leverage the newest technologies in digital embellishments. He brings two decades of successfully selling and marketing digital embellishments to companies all over the world. Prior to founding Taktiful, Kevin worked his way up the ranks at MGI Digital Technology where he worked with his father and his uncles and played an instrumental role in developing the digital embellishment market from it’s infancy. 

Kary Radestock, Founder and CEO

Kary Radestock, Founder and CEO of Hippo Premium Packaging, has decades of award-winning print and packaging experience, and has worked with some of the top brands in the world. She launched Hippo to bring a higher level of craftmanship along with professional-level packaging and brand-building solutions to the emerging cannabis industry. As an industry pioneer, she was given the prestigious PAC Global Award for packaging excellence, which marked the first time this was awarded to a cannabis product.

 

Clint Seckman, President and Co-Owner

Clint Seckman is President and Co-Owner of Parkland Direct, an industry leader in high-volume, lithographic envelope manufacturing and also specializes in added embellishments such as foil, embossings, and coatings.

Stefan Congram, Global Director of New Product Introduction and Design Centers Cartamundi

Stefan Congram serves as Global Director of New Product Introduction and Design Centers, working brand owners and creatives in the trading cards & board game space.  Prior to Cartamundi, Stefan worked with Western Canada’s finest commercial print and packaging houses, giving him a deep understanding of processes, equipment, materials, & decorative techniques. A graduate of Simon Fraser University, Stefan has sat on a number of boards and steering committees, including with the FSEA and Digital Embellishment Alliance. 

George White, CEO

George White has been the CEO of the CM Paula Company, a holding company with four distinct businesses (Up With Paper, GeoCentral, ART Metals Group, and Remtec Automation) since January 2022.  Prior to that, George was President and COO of Up With Paper, the world’s leading pop‐up greeting card company. George has twice founded and led his own marketing, PR and content development firms, and was a VP at Gibson Greetings and US Playing Card Company. George served as President of the Greeting Card Association from 2019-21, as co-chair of the GCA’s Noted expo from 2019-22, and has served on the GCA’s Executive Committee for more than a decade. 

Lindsey Frimming, Chief Innovation Officer

The high-end glamor of luxury/premium packaging caught Lindsey’s imagination before she was old enough to know it could also offer a career. She launched hers in the early 2000s seeing the world as a dewy-eyed designer and has since played many roles in the packaging industry. She now views brand packaging through strategic eyes, with a focus on innovation.  Sustainability, premium materials, the digital marketplace, and reinventing the way brands approach the design-to-print process all present challenging-but-exciting opportunities. Lindsey is passionate about supporting brands facing these challenges during early development phases. Some of the brands Lindsey has helped guide to success are Danone, Ivory, LIFEWTR, Secret, See Me, Starbucks, and Old Spice.

Amy Kletz, Creative Director

Amy Kletz is the Creative Director for RDG, a branding agency that inspires consumer brands to make their mark. She is well-versed in developing the creative strategies and conceptual thinking for every project she touches. With an emphasis on connecting brands to people and people to brands, she empowers her design team to go beyond the bounds of what brands envision. From food & beverage, baby care and pet care, to feminine care, personal health care and beauty categories, Amy’s CPG roots run deep. She believes successful brand packaging requires all of the designer’s talents and tools at their disposal, especially special finishes, embellishments and substrates to convey a strong brand story and elevate consumer experiences. Amy truly values her partnerships with industry experts in the branding and packaging community as a key component to elevating everyone’s potential.