These Very Accomplished Speakers Will Create ArtBizJam 2024 Magic!

Jan Shade Beach has been licensing her artwork in the gift industry since the mid-1990’s. She has carved out her niche in the market by creating numerous characters and themes for the holiday season.  She’s had plan-a-gram projects in large retailers Target and Walmart, products in Hallmark, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Saks 5th Ave., Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Cracker Barrel, Home Goods, etc. along with thousands of independently owned stores across the country. Jan has been able to stay current by keeping up with technology and the ever-changing trends in the market. She has the ability to work in many different styles that give her an advantage when creating art and products for her clients.

Anne received her BFA in Textile Design at the University of Kansas, with a focus on weaving and surface design. In 1997, Anne left for Memphis to join Seabrook Wallcoverings. The family owned and operated company was the perfect place for her to begin her career in product development, where she traveled to strike-offs, helped create story boards and established palettes for the wallpaper collections. 

In 2004 Anne was hired to be the Creative Product Manager of a new Home division for Demdaco, with an emphasis in tabletop. Anne was able to apply her surface design experience to ceramics and continued to develop relationships with licensed artists. This is where Anne first learned about sourcing products from China and India. The Home Division eventually evolved into wall art and home décor in 2009. 

Anne was hired by the owners of Magnet Works in 2011 to help expand their line of products. With no idea where to begin, she quickly began her crash course in gardening and outdoor products. Studio M, the new division of Magnet Works, premiered in Atlanta in January 2013.  

Anne joined Williamson Home in 2018 as the Director of Innovation and eventually moved into the role of Vice President of Product Development, where she currently manages the teams responsible for trend forecasting, art/brand licensing, innovation, product development, marketing and sourcing. Anne works closely with the team in China to make certain all products are brought to life with an eye for quality, cost-effective construction and design integrity.

Anne lives in St Louis, Missouri with her two children and enjoys her summers in Northern Michigan

Wendy Conklin, The Chair Stylist, is a former educator turned boutique chair decorator helping people around the globe infuse personality, color and whimsy into their surroundings. Her passion is creativity. 

Many people dream about making their passion project their career but few are able to turn their dreams into reality. Wendy was an educational consultant, busy writing books and helping teachers implement the latest in teaching techniques. In 2012, she took an upholstery course and was hooked. Styling her own chairs brought her an immense sense of satisfaction and a new decor dimension to her home. 

Through her brand, Chair Whimsy, she inspires clients the world over to bring a sense of whimsy and joy into their living spaces through her uplifting posts, custom chair design, a host of courses to unleash the DIYer’s inner artist, and her first book, Life Whimsy: How to Think, Play, and Work More Creatively.

Wendy lives in a personality-filled home in Round Rock, Texas with her husband and little furry friend Maui, where she enjoys greenhouse gardening, mixing tasty cocktails and tackling makeover projects both in and outside her home.

Patti Huges is the Founder/CEO/Creative Director of Natural Life a lifestyle brand founded over 20 years ago. The mission of Natural Life is to inspire people to Give & Live Happy. Patti grew up in a creative household and discovered she had the same passion as her mother for making things. The gifts her mother quietly passed down to her not only gave her the courage and knowledge to start her own business but the talent to create things people love! Patti enjoys every aspect of the company and still oversees every single detail of every product that is made. She has three daughters, Madison, Haile and Gracie and her biggest hope is that they will discover their passion so that they can enjoy life doing what they love. Patti lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and enjoys spending quality time with her daughters and playing with her two golden retriever fur babies “Huck and “Harley”.

After graduating college with a Bachelor of Science degree in design and retail, Joan worked at Bamberger’s (a division of Macy’s) as a buyer for women’s sportswear for 5 years. Then she moved to New York to become a SVP of Sales for a woman’s clothing company caled Jack Winter where she managed 3 separate divisions and both company employees and independent sales reps. She stayed at this position for 7 years and personally managed department stores such as Bloomingdales and Macy’s.

When her son was born, she took a sales position at Enesco to reduce the travel and the time required for a senior management position. As he grew, she took on added responsibility at Enesco, becoming a RSM in 1999 for the Northeast region, a Director of Field Sales in 2006, a VP of Field Sales in 2007, a SVP of Field Sales in 2016, Divisional President of Seasonal Product which includes the Jim Shore brands for Enesco and all of Department 56 products, and finally Chief Merchandising Officer for Enesco LLC. This is currently the role she has today where she is responsible for sales and marketing for brands such as Snowbabies, Heartwood Creek, Possible Dreams and more. Joan has been with Enesco for 28 years.

Hailing from Wilson, North Carolina from a family of independent retailers, Tim Lamm has been in the retail industry his whole life. With a degree in merchandising, and history in sales management and buying, Tim started at Evergreen in 1999 as a Sales Rep and was promoted to District Sales Manager in 2006. His passion for merchandising led him to relocate to Richmond a few years later to concentrate on the flag brand at Evergreen and spearhead flag production development. His experience from manufacturing to retail has allowed Tim to see Evergreen’s flag division quadruple in size under his management and grow to be the largest product category to use licensed artwork within the company. He thanks his “merchant mindset” for building up his instinctual ability to recognize what end consumers want and supplying goods in a unique way in the retail industry’s ever-changing landscape. When he’s not thinking up new flag designs at Evergreen, Tim spends his time pulling inspiration for merchandise through traveling with his wife, and thrift and antique shopping.

Ann Marie Mendlow is a rinse-and-repeat entrepreneur. She has 40+ years of experience in senior management and ownership from bootstrapped start-ups, private equity-based organizations, and companies transitioning through mergers and acquisitions. 

Mendlow is President and Co-Founder of WerkShoppe, an art-forward lifestyle brand featuring artist collaborations in an ever-growing array of products. She works with Wayne Hueners, her business partner, Co-Founder and CEO. Hueners directs the creative process and product development while Mendlow concentrates on sales and marketing.

Career Highlights:

• CEO and Co-Founder of Lot 26 Studio, an innovator in adhesive and dimensional wall décor to key accounts.  Mendlow and Hueners started Lot 26 Studio in 2008. It was acquired by Artissimo Designs in 2012.
• President and Co-Founder of New View Gifts & Accessories, established in 1996, creating wall décor, decorative accessories, and giftware for key account and mass market retailers. Mendlow returned to New View in 2017 to spearhead the acquisition and integration of DCWV and Blue Moon Beads, rebranded Blue Moon Studio, two (2) DIY divisions with a concentration in Walmart, the craft chains, and the dollar channel.
• Consultant-turned-Executive Vice President at York Wallcoverings, Mendlow launched peel-and-stick wallpaper and innovations in DIY wall décor for their RoomMates division in 2015.
• Spent the first half of her career in Womenswear in merchandising and procurement for fashion brands, such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Norma Kamali, Donna Karan, etc. 

Grace Watson, Evergreen Enterprises – bio will be up soon

Ting Xu, Evergreen Enterprises – bio will be up soon.

We’re working on more speakers!