Meet Jules Van Sant, an Educator in the women in print community. In addition to serving as CIO (Chief Inspirational Officer) & Partner of Bubble & Hatch (based in the Pacific Northwest) to which she brings deep professional experience in print and advertising and valued guidance in marketing and storytelling to her clients,  Jules currently serves as Chairwoman of both the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) and the Cal Poly Graphic Communications Advisory Board. Thank you, Jules, for sharing your knowledge and perspective with the Women in Print Alliance community!

Do you know (or are you) a woman in the printing industry who is a Leader, an Educator, an Innovator, or a Rising Star that should be featured on our website and in our newsletter? If so, please contact us. We’d love to meet her!

How and when did you enter or become associated with the printing industry? What was your “Aha!” moment when you knew print and/or educating others about print was the right field for you?

I have been part of the graphic production and communications industry for 38 years and counting. Shortly out of college and working in advertising I accidentally “fell” into a large format sign and screen-printing graphics company and never looked back. From production and operations management to print buying, sales, and marketing roles, then association management and business advocacy, I have seen many aspects of our industry. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to connect with many passionate professionals and saw the opportunity to encourage upcoming generations to consider these career paths. As a mom and a leader, it just feels like the right thing to do – giving back to an industry that has given so much to me.

In addition to your role as Partner at the marketing firm Bubble & Hatch, you currently serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Print Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF). Congrats, and thank you for your service! Can you tell us about PGSF’s mission and highlight its most recent impact or success?

Print Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) has been supporting the next generation of print & graphics leaders, innovators, and educators since 1956. I have been fortunate to work alongside many passionate industry leaders to grow our communities, increase school outreach, influence program offerings, and grow our funding to elevate all and encourage career pathways.  We utilize scholarships and grants along with design competitions for high school and college to raise awareness and interest. In 2023 we funded over 150 scholarships averaging $3600 each to over 80 schools. We also are committed to $100,000 in grants to over 25 schools. Overall, we will disperse from our 145 endowment investment earnings over $650,000 this year alone, showing the industry cares and is willing to invest in individuals and programs for the future.

Under your leadership, how has PGSF sought to better educate women or other underrepresented populations about career opportunities in the diverse field of print? Are there any specific DE&I initiatives underway or planned for the future?

PGSF has continued to diversify their board of directors in an effort to reflect how we see the future looking. We have added several women to our board that are graduates within the past 10 years. They bring a perspective closer to those of our current student audiences and balance out the institutional knowledge of our more seasoned members, with all generational groups represented around the table. The opportunity to have many voices of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, roles, and geography pays forward a broader snapshot of what the industry really looks like.

How can print company CEOs or Presidents best partner with PGSF to help further workforce training and development in the printing industry? In addition to participating in funding requests, is there an “ask” you would make of women C-suite leaders, specifically, in order to further PSGF’s efforts in attracting more women into the printing industry?

Look outward to your customers and then inward at your staff. Do they reflect each other? Would future employees feel like they fit in? Purposeful recruitment and hiring practices are one way to ensure you get the attention of the right talent. Women can exhibit ease in embracing and teaching as leaders– I would strongly encourage individual organizations and partners to hold career events, sharing the tools, opportunities, and stories we have collected over the years with students, parents, counselors and community organizations.

PGSF is always looking for voices to join our board, committees, to get involved at community and industry events, to share our story, and, of course, support growing our financial impact through donations, creation of an endowment, getting local students and educators to apply and engage with our resources. We believe the better we pool our resources and share positive, consistent stories that all ships will rise.

Throughout your association in and around the printing industry, how have you observed both the educational opportunities and career tracks evolving for women?

In all my volunteer roles, with PGSF, Pacific Printing Educational Trust and the Cal Poly Graphic Communications Department, we see most scholarship applicants and students enrolled in GC programs identifying as female. This is a huge shift over the past decade away from traditional potential hires into print career pathways. I believe involving more female leadership and perspective is one key component to developing better storytelling, internal culture/marketing and role evolution that makes all positions in our industry attractive to this flow of educated talent and potential diversification overall.

Is there anything else about PGSF, your role as an educator, and/or your thoughts on attracting, retaining and advancing women in the printing industry that you’d like to share with us?

Women are best served when we support each other and recognize that being competitive doesn’t mean combative. It’s overdue that as leaders we are seen and heard as strong and capable, not labeled pushy and B (that other word), especially by other women. Let’s start to shift those norms, change the language we use with, for and about each other… and show the greater industry how awesome we are!