These Very Accomplished Speakers Will Make the LIVE ArtBizJam 2023 Conference Magic!

Peter received his BFA in Design & Illustration from the Kansas City Art Institute and began his career at Hallmark Cards where he held roles in executive leadership. He has been in both creative and business leadership positions. For over 30 years, Peter’s career has ranged from new business development to product management. He has expertise in innovation process and led the Research & Development (IR&D) group for several years at Hallmark where he consulted with all orgs and subsidiaries (Crayola, Dayspring, International). Peter also led product development for the Gift categories within the Retail division and led the organization to some of the highest revenue growth in their history. 

After creating and selling a small product company, he joined DEMDACO in 2013 to lead Product Development. Over the last 10 years, DEMDACO has become a cohesive brand with growth. They have transitioned from “giftables” to clear retail categories. His teams at Hallmark and DEMDACO have developed over $3 Billion in retail sales since the start of his career. Peter is passionate about careers in the arts. He lectures at schools throughout the Midwest about the business of creativity in an ever-changing landscape.

Zakk works with Product Development and Creative Services and manages the setup of the Leawood Showroom. Before coming to DEMDACO, he was a Senior Visual Associate for Hallmark and Merchandising Manager for Nell Hills, a unique home furnishing store in the Kansas City area. Zakk’s design work has been featured in several publications by Andrews McMeel, 435 Magazine, InKC Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle and other regional and national publications. 

When he is not working, he is likely driving one of his five kids to a school activity, driving his husband Bobby to distraction, or restoring some part of his ridiculous 100 year-old home which he shares with aforementioned husband and kids, his mother, a cat, a fish and way too much artwork. To preview Zakk’s design work, visit: zakkhoyt.com

Jonathan joined DEMDACO in the fall of 2006 to give leadership to the company’s focus and intentionality about its culture. Since that time Jonathan has helped develop and lead conversations about DEMDACO’s Purpose: pursuing business the way it ought to be, and its Mission: to lift the spirit, in measurable and tangible ways. He helps the company tell its stories both inside and outside the company.

Jonathan has been shooting and editing video since 1995. His favorite aspect of video production is editing because editors are the storytellers.

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.

Nathan has over 30 years of design and product development experience. He has traveled extensively designing and developing products from China, Philippines, India and Nepal. With a degree in floral design as well as horticulture, Nathan leads the Sullivan development team on multiple product launches throughout the year for holiday, botanical and everyday décor products.  He has been with Sullivan’s for five years. Prior to that, Nathan was with Midwest-CBK for 18 years as Director of Product Development.

Margo Tantau blends her passion for art, design and the people who create it, with an understanding of specialty retailing, manufacturing, and the challenges of being an independent artist. Her love of possibility has taken her on an adventuresome creative path. She has had her own magical retail, wholesale and manufacturing businesses, and has also held creative leadership roles at Creative Co-Op, Madison Park Group, Midwest-CBK, and Hallmark, among others. She has always kept one foot in her own studio as well, dabbling with paint, wire and silversmithing whenever she can spare a minute. Her passion is to help artists, entrepreneurs, and creative companies develop brand presence, grow their business, and shine in the creative space through 1:1 consulting and online courses.

Panelists

Mandi Blackford is the cheeky glam ma’am behind the Champagne Fabulous brand of gifts and home decor. Through her brand, she encourages people of all ages to unabashedly be exactly who they WANT to be with her motto “Age Inappropriately”.

After selling her original watercolor and acrylic paintings under the name Jetset Barbie Art for several years, in 2021 she enrolled in a mastermind class to learn how to become an Amazon seller. A year later, Mandi launched the Champagne Fabulous brand and her first two original products on Amazon in the US, UK, and Australia. Learning the process of sourcing products from manufacturers overseas and being accepted to sell in the Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program was an eye opening adventure. She’s excited to share her experiences and a checklist with tips and investment estimates for becoming an Amazon seller.  

She lives in Longview, Texas with her handsome husband Aaron and two chihuahuas – Charo and Norbert. In her limited free time, she volunteers on the board of the Longview Symphony Orchestra, enjoys costume parties, and is completely addicted to RuPaul’s Drag Race. 

Like most creatives, Beth Buffington has been drawing since she was old enough to hold a crayon. After graduating with a degree in art and graphic design, she began her creative career working for “in-house” corporate art departments. She later decided to focus on her personal creative passions, by starting her business, BDI-Celebrate-Today, and BDI-Create-Today.

Beth creates illustrations and home decor products as well as instructing college and online students through the creation by digital illustration. She is also passionate about sharing with creatives on being a healthy artist who is confident and brave about their artistic skills and artwork. 

Through her “Going FourWords” Creative Process she helps creatives determine a creative process that will allow them to be more organized, creative and even healthier. Celebrating “every day” is being mindful of simple moments and luxuries in life like lighting candles for dinner…on an ordinary Tuesday when dinner is takeout. It’s realizing we can celebrate the ordinary that makes life extraordinary.

Linda Giunta has been working professionally as a Lettering Artist for over 38 years and is always on the hunt for powerful word combinations. Her journey of discovering her personal voice led to exploring cut paper and the endless possibilities of bringing words and illustrations to life through collage. She loves the spontaneity of cutting shapes out and discovering the magic in the scraps that are left behind. Lynn uses social media as her online creative community and Etsy as a way to share her messages of hope and positivity. After working with Hallmark, she now spends all her time in her studio in Leawood, Kansas creating her collage art.

At 12 years old, Jennifer’s mom taught her how to sew. She made a pair of shorts every day that summer. Her maker spirit had awoken, and she never turned back. Jennifer is a passionate art director, designer, and maker who is known to jump into any project. Jennifer has over 25 years in consumer goods, product development, art direction and design. She has over 5 years in advertising, marketing, and brand management. Jennifer currently works for DEMDACO as a Creative Product Manager.

Terry is a visual artist, creative encourager and cat lover. After a career at Hallmark, Terry started her own business. She loves sharing with others about creativity and being an artist which led to her creating a YouTube channel. In addition to her YouTube videos, she has several courses on Teachable and Skillshare ranging from her art style to storytelling illustration. She is the author of Painting Happiness – Creativity with Watercolor. She lives in Kansas City with her two kitties Rylee and Tucker.

Chantelle has a passion for products, with over 25 years of Product Development experience and spent much of her time developing gift, décor and seasonal products.  She has travelled extensively in China and India developing and designing products.  Chantelle works closely with designers, sourcing agents and factories to build products collections and assortments that fit needs for local & national retailers and for Amazon.  She has been at DEMDACO for 13 years.  Prior to that, Chantelle was with Midwest-CBK and Dayton’s/Marshall Field’s Department store as a Product Development Manager and Buyer.   

Based in Minneapolis, Chantelle loves to spend time with her “Brady Bunch” family, volunteering at Bridging and staying active by playing pickleball, biking, skiing and paddleboarding. 

As an engineer turned artist, Jennifer creates colorful and seasonal designs inspired by her travels. Influenced by the colors of her childhood (her childhood bedroom was orange and yellow and she only wore red, turquoise, and yellow for all of 8th grade), she never shies away from color in her designs.

Ten years ago she founded Tandem For Two, a retail and wholesale gift company, that celebrates where we live and where life takes us. For 9 years she and her staff manufactured products sold in stores across the US. Jennifer started licensing her art in 2019 and is thrilled to see her designs featured on a variety of products like home decor, table top, pet accessories, and gift products.

When not creating or exploring, you can find her cruising around her Lake Michigan beach town with her husband on their vintage tandem bike or drawing on the front porch of her Craftsman bungalow with their dachshund Max and a coffee or cocktail in hand.

Tammy Smith is primarily a self-taught artist. Her father was her first art teacher and her grandmother was her first mixed media teacher. Her first business was during the age of 17-20 when she started making large scale stained glass windows. When she heard that Hallmark Cards was hiring, she submitted her portfolio and was hired as a technical artist. Tammy soon became a giftwrap and partyware designer and then art director. During this time, she was also a children’s book illustrator, freelance editorial illustrator and surface pattern designer. After she left Hallmark, Tammy began a fine art career creating mixed media wire and clay sculptures that she sold through art fairs around the country. She began her current online business, Tammy Smith Design with her line of city, country and state illustrations printed on a variety of home goods. She also returned to ceramics and began Small Ideas Studio where she makes and sells her small sculptures online or in select stores, museum shops and galleries.

ArtBizJam Founders:

Passions for color and creating joined together to keep Phyllis focused on art and design throughout her life. Phyllis learned all forms of needle art at a very early age and continued to learn with numerous classes. She earned a degree in Interior Design from the University of Alabama but the love of needlework led Phyllis to form her own business with a focus of designing and publishing needlework and quilt books.

With a lifelong love of fabrics, Phyllis turned to her painting skills to create art for fabrics and licensing. She also worked with a manufacturer to design textile home decor products with many trips to Asia to oversee production.

Currently focusing on licensing, Phyllis works in her home studio in Birmingham, AL where she creates art that is featured on textile products for bedding, gift and home decor, and fabrics. You can find more about Phyllis at Phyllis Dobbs Art & Design..

When asked to define her artistic style, Lori Siebert says that she likes to be a bit of a chameleon. She started taking private art lessons at the young age of 7 and continued to study art throughout high school. This lead to a degree in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati. Her firm, Olika Studios, has developed branding and design programs for influential clients such as Target, Bath & Body Works, Nickelodeon and Universal Studios.

Lori began the art licensing arm of her business 15 years ago and now works with several top manufactures in the gift and home decor.

She creates everyday in her home studio in Kentucky…sewing, sculpting, drawing, painting, meeting with clients and developing concepts with her very talented design team. Her husband, Steve, is her business partner. She has two children… Kenzie (who is a designer and works closely with her mom at Olika) and Tanner (who is a mechanical engineer.) She also has two grandchildren who light up her life!!!

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