At the Snowball office, we are thrilled to welcome the holiday season. We look forward to celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, and most of all, Girls Who Print Day! As a Women-Owned Print company, Snowball is a proud sponsor of Girls Who Print and cannot wait for October 5th!
Girls Who Print is a “virtual online sorority” founded in 2009 by Mary Beth Smith. Mary Beth is a passionate print industry veteran who created a LinkedIn discussion group for women in the industry to share their perspectives. Little did she know it would quickly grow as women globally joined in the discussion and men tuned in to hear the perspectives of women in the print industry. Mary Beth describes the group as a “camaraderie of the industry’s largest professional network of women in the print/graphic communications field” which has now grown to over 9,000 members. The group’s conversations continue over a variety of platforms through using the #GirlsWhoPrint hashtag.
GWP member Regan Mercado found the organization through an International Graphic Communications Week event where she met a representative. Mercado says that GWP has given her a community in the print industry and an opportunity to network with other women. She has enjoyed hearing the experiences of women in print, saying, “I think it is important for women to have a platform in print because it is helpful to see yourself in the strong, female role models in this industry.” Mercado believes GWP will help the next generation thrive in the print industry.
In 2012, Girls Who Print partnered with Deborah Corn at Print Media Centr and hosted the first Girls Who Print Day. The conference hosts keynote speakers, awards, panel discussions, and more and welcomes anyone to attend virtually. One of these awards is called the GIRLIE Award, first awarded in 2014, to a member of GWP who “exemplifies the best that GWP Nation brings to the industry, and by extension to everyone involved in communications.”
Jules Van Sant has attended this event both in-person and virtually since it began. She sees this event as an important reminder that women “are an important part of the growth and changes necessary to keep print and graphics viable as a career choice, business decision, and marketing/manufacturing investment.” Her favorite part of the event is the speakers and panels sharing their experiences entering and navigating print, especially as women in a male-dominated industry. Jules’ impact on the GWP community has made her an inspiration to others, she was the 2018 GIRLIE Award recipient. “As a Girlie Award recipient, I feel a responsibility to be a voice, a supporter, an advocate, and a cheerleader to current and future women in print and graphics. I am lucky to have a broad network of connections which only gets bigger and better with the GWP platform that has exploded over the years. Clearly, as this community builds, we all rise,” says Van Sant.
There are many ways to get involved in this community to connect with others and level up your print career! Joining the Girls Who Print LinkedIn group is a great way to see what the GWP community is all about. They also provide a mentorship program on their website to match women of different generations and allow members to share and receive career advice and industry insight. This fall, of course, the best way to get involved is to join Girls Who Print Day on October 5th! This year’s theme is Stand Your Ground, and all are welcome to register to attend through their website. The women of Snowball are proud to sponsor this event and excited to celebrate such an empowering day!
Written by:
Caroline Turnbull
Resource: www.girlswhoprint.net
