The Georgia Soft Goods Education Foundation (GSGEF) is dedicated to supporting students throughout their educational journey at the University of Georgia. Our mission is to provide a wide range of opportunities that empower students to excel in the fashion and textile industry. From scholarships and internships to study abroad programs and networking events, GSGEF is committed to fostering the next generation of industry leaders.
We invite you to read the testimonials below from students who have benefited from our support, showcasing the impact of GSGEF on their academic and professional development.
Ian Russell Hardin
Born in Scotland of Scottish mother and GI dad. Raised in blue collar Birmingham. Worked in textile mill while going to Auburn. BS from Auburn in Textile Science, MS from ITT in Textile Engineering, PhD in Chemistry from Clemson, and Post Doctoral research in polymer physics at Michigan. Taught for 23 years at Auburn. Came to UGA as dept head in 1994. Was instrumental in bring the Soft Goods Foundation to UGA in 2004. Now Georgia Power Professor Emeritus of Textile Science.
Contact: ianhardin1@gmail.com
Katie Jacobs
Katie Jacobs is a specialty boutique retail professional with 15 years of experience specializing in buying, styling, customer service, small business growth, leadership and mentoring. With her unique take on social commerce, she leads the industry on leveraging social media for sales. She frequently speaks to groups on topics ranging from personal branding to entrepreneurship. Katie is also the co-host of the She Did What?! Podcast, which was recently ranked among top 10% of podcasts globally. Katie is married to her husband, Jason Jacobs, they live in Athens, Georgia and have three wild boys together. She is a former UGA Equestrian Alumni and National Champion. In her free time she loves hiking and being outdoors with her family.
Contact: katie@shopcheekypeach.com
Mary-Cathryn Kolb
A leader at fast-growing retail and apparel brands for two decades, Mary-Cathryn began her career under the guidance of Christian Audigier and the Von Dutch brand, then continued to develop her sales and business expertise through the early stages of Seven7 Jeans. In 2008, she collaborated with Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes to help him launch the company as his first hire. Joining SPANX in its early years, she became Director of Sales and helped grow the company by developing strategic, company-wide initiatives, projecting sales volume and profits, and reaching sales quotas. She founded brrr° in 2014 with a vision of bringing performance level cooling to the fabrics we wear and touch in our everyday lives. brrr° has since become one of the leaders in cooling performance fabric innovation, with a line of yarns and fabrics that combine the powers of natural cooling minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying that create a "Triple Chill Effect." Every brrr° fabric is independently lab tested and proven to keep you cooler.
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-cathryn-kolb/ mckolb@brrr.com
Chad Lawrence
Chad is a textile and materials executive with over 25 years of experience. He has a domestic manufacturing background in synthetic warp and weft knitting. Chad brings a passion for performance and a commitment to advanced material innovation. His career includes technical and executive positions at Target, Spanx, Vanity Fair Intimates, and Mission Product Holdings. His current position is the CEO of NexTex Innovations which is a textile innovation company which launched TurboDry(R) into the market in 2020. He is an expert at leveraging technological advances in textiles and materials and assists companies in taking steps to innovate new material solutions for their products. He currently holds 2 patents and has 2 others pending. Chad is a member of the Advanced Technology Development Center at Georgia Tech and is a Trustee for the Georgia Soft Goods Education Foundation. On a personal note, Chad grew up in a small town near Monroeville, Alabama which is known as the hometown of Harper Lee who wrote “To Kill a Mockingbird”. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Troy University. He later received his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Mobile. Chad currently lives in Bay Minette, Alabama with his wife, Michelle, and two children, Ben and Emma.
Sarah McConnell-Haynes
Sarah has dedicated 20 years to Carter's, excelling in Sourcing, Product Development, and Packaging roles. She prides herself on making a significant impact in her work with a solution-oriented mindset and fostering connections among people. Residing in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and two dogs, Sarah enjoys quality time with family and friends. When she's not working, you can often find her at her happy place—the beach.
Contact:sarah.mcconnell@carters.com
Ketty Pillet
Ketty Pillet is the Vice President of Marketing, Americas for Lectra. She is responsible for marketing of Lectra’s industry leading software and automation solutions in North and South America. She works closely with product management and a global team of marketing leaders within each of Lectra’s core geographies to ensure the company is meeting the needs of its customers in its core industry segments. Ketty Pillet has over 20 years of experience in international marketing, Customer Relationship Management and sales dedicated to industrial high-tech businesses. Pillet was previously the Vice President of Marketing for Gerber Technology where she focused on continuing to support Gerber’s spirit of innovation by leveraging and building upon the brand equity Gerber has established as the "gold standard" others strive to emulate. Prior to joining Gerber, she served as Marketing Director for Lectra. In that role, Ketty Pillet was responsible for leading the company’s go-to-market strategy for the software and hardware solutions dedicated to the Fashion & Apparel and Furniture markets. She began her career at Oracle (Siebel) as a Solution consultant for CRM solutions. Ketty earned her MBA from the École Supérieure De Commerce Poitiers in France and her Bachelor of Science in Business and technology from Coventry University (England).
Contact: k.pillet@lectra.com
Bob Pinckney
Bob Pinckney joined the faculty of the University of Georgia as the first Director of the UGA Entrepreneurship Program in 2015 following the sale of EvoShield, the company he led through dramatic growth as CEO. (#1 Bulldog 100; fastest growing Brand in Dick’s Sporting Goods). Prior to EvoShield, Pinckney built several successful global high-tech companies, was an international investment banker based in New York, and was the real estate development lead on one of the largest commercial real estate projects in the City of San Francisco. Since joining UGA, Pinckney has been instrumental in creating one of the most dynamic entrepreneurship programs at any university. Among many other accomplishments, the UGA Entrepreneurship Program is the largest Certificate program at UGA with over 500 active students in the Entrepreneurship Certificate academic track; serves incoming freshmen with an orientation track on entrepreneurship and innovation along with a Living Learning Community (The Launch Pad); hosts two national and four local pitch competitions each year; conducts six accelerator programs throughout the year; sponsors a student-led venture fund (Kickstart Fund); and dispenses over $200,000 in grant funding to student businesses annually.
Lindsay Ketch
Lindsay Sketch (nee Nation) is a proud graduate from FACS at The University of Georgia, Class of 2014. It was at UGA that her appreciation for Product Development & Sourcing really started, as she started a small upcycling business on campus that sold vintage cut off denim shorts. Since graduating and working with some local Atlanta designers, she has spent the last 9 years at SPANX in the Production department, honing her skills working across categories in Shapewear, Bras, Activewear, and most substantially in RTW Apparel. Most recently, she is serving as the Director of Product Development & Production, Apparel for SPANX, and leads the PD&P team across all classes of RTW Apparel. She has been fortunate to visit cities & countries across the world visiting and sourcing new factories and products. Her favorite category to develop & bring to life, Denim, harkens back to her days at UGA, cutting up jeans in her apartment. She is excited to be a part of the GSGEF Board to help students like herself succeed!
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-sketch-7b654a86/
Greg Vesssels
The sustainable fashion supply chain is rapidly evolving. According to government data, in the 1970's around 3% of apparel for the U.S. market was produced outside of the U.S. and 97% was produced domestically. Through subsequent years we have seen those numbers flipped. For the vast majority of the fashion industry that movement was to China. Today we are seeing a reversal of that trend. Developments in AI and robotics offer opportunities yet to be explored. In the meantime, creating hybrid supply chains has become central to sourcing strategies. Consumer interest in Sustainability; environmental, societal, and economical, continues to be a major consideration in making sourcing decisions. We are seeing a geopolitical realignment that has shifted in focus from globalization to more nationalistic hegemonies. All of these challenges are leading to a most exciting time of International Trade. How do we create optimal business relationships with manufacturing locations worldwide? Will traditional sourcing models be able to compete with latest technologies in AI and robotics? What will future Trade blocs look like? What role will Governments play in the process? These and other issues are the topics we discuss at the University of Georgia. Please join us.
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gvessels