Lisbeth Lyons Black became the first-ever director of Women in Print Alliance in December 2022, following more than 20 years of representing the voice of business and industry on Capitol Hill – including 15 years focused on the print, postal and packaging sectors – as a federally registered lobbyist. In her current role, Black directs strategic industry initiatives designed to attract, retain, advance and advocate for women in the printing industry through education, personal and professional development, networking and community building.

How did your career develop in the print industry, and what is your role now?

I came to the printing industry two decades ago to serve as the chief US government and political affairs officer for a leading graphic communications trade association. As part of my portfolio, I advocated on labor and workforce development policy. (I lobbied many issues, like postal reform and tax provisions, but labor secretly was my favorite!)

When PRINTING United Alliance announced it would back the infrastructure – including hiring a dedicated, full-time director – to formalize the Women in Print Alliance volunteer effort into a key industry initiative, it was the perfect marriage of my policy background, industry experience and my personal passion to advocate for women in the workforce. I’ve been in this role since December 2022, where I direct membership, communications, programming, special events and basically anything and everything associated with the initiative.

Tell us more about the Women in Print Alliance and the reasons it was created?

Our origin story is very home-grown. Women in Print Alliance was founded by a small group of dedicated female industry professionals united in the belief that a career in the printing industry holds great opportunity for success, but that a formal initiative to attract, retain, advance and advocate for women in the industry was needed. These women started by hosting an annual breakfast in conjunction with PRINTING United Expo but pushed for a year-round effort to connect women – thus, the “official” Women in Print Alliance was launched in December 2022.

That annual breakfast, started by the volunteers, has turned into a premiere industry sell-out networking event; last year we had a standing-room-only crowd of 250 women. In August 2024, Women in Print Alliance elevated its offerings by launching a paid membership option for corporations and individuals, plus a complimentary student membership to help cultivate the next-gen pipeline of talent.

What are the goals of the Women in Print Alliance, and how do you believe the Alliance can be a positive influence for women in the printing industry?

Our goals are to attract, advance and advocate for women working in the printing industry at all levels and in all functions. At its core, Women in Print Alliance is an initiative geared toward two outcomes: workforce development and community building. By showing women the myriad career pathways available to them in print and then supporting them as a community through educational programming and networking opportunities to help propel their career success, we can fulfill our goal of attracting and retaining more women to print – and at the same time create an industry culture in which those women can grow, thrive and shine.

What are some of the biggest challenges women in the printing industry face? How can women meet these challenges and grow opportunities for themselves and others?

Many of the challenges are the same faced by women in the workforce broadly here in the US and even globally. Issues include career advancement, pay equity, working through pregnancies or menopause and balancing work with caregiver responsibilities while maintaining physical and mental well-being. Specific to print, there still is a feeling of being an “only” (or one of very few) – such as, the “only female” on a sales team, or on a production unit or in a C-suite – and this can lead to feeling isolated or falling susceptible to “imposter syndrome.”

Data show that younger women face challenges to climb that first rung of a career ladder in a predominately male-led industry. Anecdotally, older women are struggling to remain relevant and effective while managing intergenerational Millennial and Gen Z teams. It’s a lot! Women in Print Alliance has a wonderful advisory council that works to identify current challenges (and opportunities!) for women working in print so that we can tailor education, programming and events to meet the moment and help women advance both personally and professionally.

What trends have you seen emerging with women in print, and what changes do you believe will take place in the future for opportunities for women in the print industry?

Most of the trends have been driven by technology, namely the rise of digital printing. Printing companies are cleaner than they used to be. Automation has reduced some physical barriers of the job that may have turned women off from certain roles. And even shift work, which in another era may have been unfathomable to women responsible for traditional childcare roles while their husbands worked, now mirrors what workers of all genders say they want – flexible hours to better manage home life.

And the environmental sustainability strides the print industry is making should not be discounted as a “horn to blow” to attract new female workers – especially GenZ women, who are zeroed in on working for a company or industry that reflects their values. Generational shift also is present in the print industry, which still has many family-owned businesses. This is leading to more gender diversity in the C-suite, with more daughters or granddaughters taking the reins or executive positions, and that will continue.

Looking ahead, we should embrace and encourage educating women in STEM since so many production jobs rely on science; this is a public policy of interest to Women in Print Alliance. Ultimately, I believe the opportunities lie in the fact that there are so many career pathways and industry niches to explore, some of which even can pair work with personal interests, such as apparel decoration printing and fashion or wide-format and the entertainment industry. It also is highly mobile; print manufacturing is everywhere and offers women the opportunity to chart their course (or trail a partner) in a new city, state or even country, knowing they can find employment options.

The key here is to showcase the individual, unique pathways of successful women in print to inspire other women to become part of the industry – and then provide networking and mentorship to support those women to ensure they have long, rewarding, prosperous careers in our industry. In short – attract, advance and advocate – which is the mission of Women in Print Alliance.