Instructors / Faculty

2025 Speakers, Instructors, and Faculty

h+h americas is proud to feature an inspiring lineup of speakers, instructors, and faculty members who are leaders in the crafting and textile industries. These experts bring a wealth of knowledge, innovation, and passion to every session, ensuring an engaging and educational experience for attendees. From hands-on workshops to thought-provoking panel discussions, our faculty will cover topics ranging from emerging trends and sustainable practices to business growth strategies. Join us to learn from the best, expand your skills, and connect with a community of like-minded professionals.

Ecommerce Track

Put Your Profit First with the Profit First Method

Cathy Donovan Wagner and Dana Connell of Retail Mavens

Calm the cash flow chaos and create predictable profits with Profit First, a revolutionary cash flow management tool that flips the script on how you think about your financials. Small businesses that are sustainably profitable have the best shot at achieving longterm growth.

By the end of this workshop you’ll learn…

  • Why your bank account never seems to have money left over after expenses are paid
  • How to use Profit First to obliterate debt and grow your bottom line
  • That having a profitable business is possible, no matter the size of your store or where you are in your retail journey!

Crafting Irresistible Product Pages for Online Retail

Arianne Foulks and Helen Hulskamp of Aeolidia

With a brick & mortar store, you can show a customer a product and share with them what makes it so special. For your online shop, you don’t have the pleasure of speaking to your customers face to face. Learn how to create robust product detail pages that tell your story, answer questions before they’re asked, and make the sale for you.

The Shopify Experts at Aeolidia will share proven features and functionality to include on your site, including subscriptions, personalization, upselling, trust signals, product reviews, bundling, user-generated content, and more. We will focus on specific steps you can take to get more sales from your product pages, increasing conversion rate, average order value, and revenue per user.

Brick-and-Mortar Shops Track

The Sale That Actually Works

Cathy Donovan Wagner of RETAILMavens and Dana Connell

In this workshop, discover how successful retailers turn slow sales into opportunities without resorting to impulsive discounts. You’ll master the Clearance Sale strategy—a proven method to drive sales during your slowest months while safeguarding your profit margins. This approach equips you with a focused marketing plan to engage untapped customer segments and create a smart inventory strategy designed to clear out stock effectively. Join us to learn how to boost your revenue strategically and sustainably.

Meta Ads Made Simple for Scaling Local Businesses

Stephanie Smith of Social by Steph

Harness the power of Facebook and Instagram ads to grow your local business! Targeted ads shown to people in your local community can be a great way to attract new customers to your shop and bring existing customers back in. This hands-on workshop will guide you through creating effective ad campaigns, targeting the right audience, and maximizing your budget for real results. Whether you’re new to Meta ads or looking to fine-tune your strategy, you’ll walk away with the tools and confidence to turn clicks into customers.

Designer/Teacher Track

3 Easy Steps to Promotional Videos That Work!

Lyric Kinard of The Academy for Virtual Teaching

As the official CEO of everything in your business, you have no time to add one more thing to your day. Yet, you also know that video is the most effective marketing tool. In this class, you’ll learn how to easily and efficiently make promotional videos that create authentic connections with your audience and get you the results you need.

Using nothing but your phone you’ll create a video in the class, and make you’ll make a plan to make at least one more promo video during h+h!

Pitch Perfect: Growing Media Connections for Long-Term Press Success

Nicole Lewis of Art2theExtreme

Everyone needs press! From backlinks and SEO to building trust through physical publications, getting noticed and driving traffic to your store comes from press features! It’s time to take control of your public relations strategy and build lasting connections with the media.

In this session, you’ll learn how to create a targeted media list, craft compelling brand stories, and pitch with confidence to secure earned press. Discover actionable strategies to identify the right contacts, tailor your outreach, and respond to media opportunities effectively.

Networking with journalists and editors may take time, but when done right, it pays off in meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships. Whether you’re new to PR or ready to refine your approach, this class will provide you with tools and insights to get your brand noticed by the media and featured in top publications.

Wednesday, May 7

Dana Williams-Johnson

Are you ready to tackle the ever-changing landscape of social media to discover methods for making online platforms work for you? Discover your target audience, the most effective ways to reach them, and how to create the content they’re looking for. Learn how to create a successful campaign in this high-impact class on all things social media and digital marketing.

Learn from Etsy U instructor Nicole Lewis how to unlock the secrets of success on Etsy. Explore proven strategies to boost visibility, attract your ideal customers, and make your shop stand out in Etsy’s bustling marketplace. Learn how to craft compelling listings, optimize your shop for Etsy’s algorithm, and create a brand that gets noticed by Etsy staff and media alike. Dive into real-world examples with listing and shop audits and get your questions answered by an Etsy expert.

Dana Williams-Johnson

Influencers seem to be everywhere right now, but it’s hard to know how to partner with them and whether they’re right for your business. Have you thought it was too expensive for you?

This class will teach you how to figure out if nano and micro influencers are right for your business and how to begin working with them. Attendees will talk strategy, campaigns, and how the right influencer can make a big impact on your business.

Stephanie Smith

Are you sick of wasting money on boosted ads on Facebook and Instagram? Are you wondering how to get real results from ads on Meta? Facebook and Instagram ads can be powerful tools for driving traffic and customers, but they require some knowledge of the Meta ads landscape.

This workshop will teach you the best practices for running Meta ad campaigns designed to drive real growth. Learn how to build strategic campaigns, target your ideal audience, and make the most of your ad spend.

Thursday, May 8

Heidi Kaisand

As a seasoned retailer, Heidi Kaisand understands the challenge of attracting new customers while retaining the loyal ones. In this course attendees will learn how to identify key customer segments, explore field-tested strategies to attract their ideal customers and build loyalty, develop tools to create a memorable experience that keeps customers coming back, and create practical ways to foster meaningful customer engagement, both online and in-store.

Heather Lou

Did you know that email marketing persuades the purchasing decisions of nearly 6 ourt of every 10 email subscribers? (Porch Group Media) Email marketing is one of the most effective methods for communicating directly with your target audience. Email marketing is the space where you own your marketing channels and gain direct access to your customers outside the whims of social media algorithms.

In this course, attendees will learn how to build an engaging, fun, and creative newsletter strategy that converts to consistent sales! Using Closet Core Patterns + Core Fabrics as case studies, Heather Lou will teach you how to build and grow an engaged list, how to create campaign newsletters and recurring email flows that are a pleasure to read (and encourage people to buy!), along with sharing insights on how to raise open rates above 60% and earn more than 50% of your revenue a year from email alone.

Sheena Birt

Keeping product assortments fresh and exciting is key to driving sales and captivating customers. In this session, attendees will learn four innovative ways to merchandise the same table, each designed to spark creativity and encourage purchases. With step-by-step instructions, expert tips, and best practices from top retailers, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies to refresh your store and inspire shoppers.

Arianne Foulks 1
Helen Hulskamp

When it comes to email and SMS marketing, one size doesn’t fit all. The more thoughtfully you target your messaging, the more meaningful—and effective—your campaigns will be.

In this session, we’ll explore how to use targeting to connect with your customers at every stage of their relationship with your shop, using behavior-based automations, personalized segmentation, and well-planned content calendars. You’ll also learn practical ways to gather the data you need for better targeting, including tools like ecommerce tracking, forms, quizzes, surveys, wishlists, and other app integrations.

This talk, with real-world examples and actionable tips, will help you fine-tune your approach to email and SMS marketing so you can build stronger customer relationships and more reliable revenue streams. Your instructors at Aeolidia are certified as Klaviyo Platinum Master Partners. While we’ll use Klaviyo to illustrate these concepts, the strategies shared can be used on other platforms and are designed to work for creative businesses like yours.

Friday, May 9

Alanna Wilcox

Does Artificial Intelligence confuse you? Are you curious with whether it might actually be an effective tool for your business—and how you might use it? In this workshop, you’ll see practical examples of manipulating text prompts to generate useful, unique material for marketing and e-commerce. Learn time-saving strategies to boost productivity and creativity using AI-generated imagery that can promote your business and spark new ideas.

Discover ethical and creative ways to incorporate AI into your workflows and leave with actionable ideas to implement right away. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or part of a team, this session will help you unlock AI’s potential as a powerful tool for growth.

Trisha Malcolm

Is your craft business is up to date with the hottest trends in the craft industry? Trends inform many of your customers making, buying, and living decisions.

This class will look at the key trends influencing our society right now, then specifically delve into fashion, living, and color trends for the upcoming seasons. Attendees will examine maker trends–particularly related to knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, needlework, and embroidery–and take a closer look at what’s influencing each category. Then, we’ll learn how these craft trends relate to current retail trends.

Sheena Birt

Have you ever entered a shop because you were enchanted by the window display? Every retailer aims to create a memorable shopping experience and become a destination. Drawing from nearly 20 years of experience with Anthropologie and independent retailers, Sheena Birt shares proven strategies for designing and installing custom displays that inspire customers. This talk will equip you with the tools to make creative displays that grow your business and build community.

1:45 pm – 2:45 pm

Bridging the Gap: Connecting the Dots Between Your Marketing & Sales Data with Leanne Pressly of Stitchcraft Marketing

How can you tell if your marketing efforts are making a difference? In this session, you’ll learn specific techniques to track the return on investment of your marketing campaigns using your sales data. We’ll discuss various trackable metrics and how to use that data to inform future business decisions. Attendees will leave the session with an analytics cheat sheet full of easy-to-understand definitions and insights into which metrics are most important to your business based on your goals.

 

Cheryl Sleboda Whited
CEO of Muppin Inc and owner of Muppin’s Sewing Emporium
Cheryl Sleboda Whited is an nationally known author and sewing teacher, with almost 30 years of niche industry retail experience. She recently opened her new click and mortar business in Paducah KY, also known as Quilt City USA.

 

 

 

Franshaun Thomas
Synchrony, General Manager
Franshaun is the VP, General Manager for the Specialty Program within the Lifestyle platform. In this role, Franshaun leads a cross-functional team and manages all aspects of our multi-client relationships ensuring growth and profitability within the Lifestyle Specialty space. Franshaun is strongly focused on effectively grow the Specialty programs to increase assets/sales/accounts, profitably executing growth initiatives, introducing additional products, features, channels and capabilities while enhancing the client relationships in order to retain and grow the business.

Franshaun has been with Synchrony for 10 years and has held various Commercial, Sales, Strategy & Leadership roles, helping to differentiate and diversify the business to drive future growth. She has a keen ability to bridge business objectives with strategic solutions to deliver measurable outcomes married with profitable growth.

She is a champion of diversity and actively engaged in multiple Diversity Networks. She holds a Master’s Degree in Marketing Analytics and Communication.

Jessy Gregg
Owner, Seams Sewing and Mercantile
Jessy has worked within the fiberart community in many roles, starting as a costume designer in her teens, and moving into art quilting after graduating from Hamline University with a degree in fine art. After years of working in other people’s fabric stores she was finally able to open her own in 2016. Seams Sewing and Mercantile now has two locations in Mid-Michigan as well as being an authorized Bernina dealer. Following her multi-craftual passions Jessy stocks both fashion fabrics and quilt cotton and runs and education program focused on turning nervous newbies into sewing savants.

Lisa Gabbert
Synchrony – Changing What’s Possible
Lisa Gabbert is a seasoned Relationship Manager at Synchrony with over 20+ years of financial industry experience. Overseeing the Sewing & More network credit card, since inception in 2015, Lisa has been instrumental in the development of multiple initiatives and product integrations to accelerate the growth of the Sewing & More network credit card. She partners with over 7+ sewing manufacturers and 1500+ independent retailers, helping them grow their business and enabling customers to purchase the sewing and related products they desire. Lisa holds a BSBA with focuses on Marketing and Communications from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. Her professional journey is marked by her dedication to fostering strong partner/client relationships and driving profitable business growth within the sewing industry. Lisa is an enthusiastic beginner in sewing, she enjoys the process of creating gifts and in-the-hoop projects. Her passion for sewing not only enriches her personal life but also deepens her connection within the industry she serves.

Lyric Kinard
Educator, Author, Artist
Lyric Montgomery Kinard is a serial entrepreneur and loves nothing more than seeing the people she teaches succeed in their business endeavors.

At the Academy for Virtual Teaching she teaches creative makers the tech they need to create educational video content for online workshops, programs and advertising. www.A4VT.com

She is a co-founder of the Global Quilt Connection, supporting guilds seeking virtual programming and the teachers who provide it. www.GlobalQuiltConnection.com

Lyric is also an award winning artist, author, and educator, and was recognized for her talents as an International Association of Professional Quilters Teacher of the Year. She has travelled the world sharing her love of design, composition, and textile art. You can see Lyric’s art at www.LyricKinard.com.

Paul LaPonte
Paul LaPonte Sewing Store Chain Owner
Along with his wife and 3 children Paul LaPonte owns Quality Sewing & Vacuum Centers with 10 retail stores and a growing online store in Western Washington state. Paul has worked in the Sewing Industry since 1973 and has been an independent store owner since 1982. He has offered a variety of industry specific sales and training classes at other industry convention events, at several of the major sewing machine conventions, and for his staff of 150 team members.

Raquelle Dickerson
Senior Account Manager and Social Media Strategist
Raquelle Dickerson is a seasoned social media expert and the driving force behind impactful campaigns at Sew and Vac Media. With a career spanning the entire evolution of social media, Raquelle has been shaping digital landscapes since the early days of the platform boom.

Since 2018, she has focused her expertise on sewing and quilting brands, blending her deep understanding of social media with the unique needs of this creative community. From Fortune 500 companies to ambitious startups, Raquelle has helped businesses of all sizes elevate their online presence, connect with their audience, and achieve tangible results.

Her innovative strategies and keen insights into the latest trends make her a trusted partner for crafting compelling content, building engaged communities, and driving growth in the ever-changing digital world. When it comes to blending creativity with data-driven results, Raquelle is in a stitch of her own!


Ricky Brooks
RK Consulting
Ricky opened his first Sewing Retail Store in Dyersburg, TN in 1976. Thirty-Six years later He and his wife (Kay) left the retail side of the industry and co-founded RNK Distributing. In 2013, Ricky was inducted into The Sewing Hall of Fame for his positive impacts on the industry. He has been deemed a Mentor, Teacher, Motivator and Inventor by Industry Leaders.

Coming soon, please hold on as we get the last details stitch together.