Frances Harder is a designer first, an entrepreneur and educator second. Prior to self-publishing “Fashion for Profit” and co-founding the Fashion Business Incorporated (FBI), she was a full-time associate professor at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Frances conceived of the FBI (www.fashionbizinc.org) in 1998 to provide vital business development, resources, and education to creative designer-manufacturers who lack the critical business skills to become successful in today’s competitive environment. Frances has extensive international design and teaching experience and has had her own name under license in Japan. Frances is also a partner in Apparel Business Consultants Inc., which provides international consulting on branding, licensing, and product development.

Debby Luttrell is president of Stitchin’ Heaven, a 7,200 square foot quilt shop located in Quitman, Texas. Before opening her quilt shop in 1996, she worked at GTE Directories, where she led her team to win the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 1995. Her quilt shop was voted one of the top ten in North America, and includes a successful bricks-and-mortar store as well as an Internet commerce site.

Susan Power has been publishing fabric and trim sourcing information for manufacturers of apparel, accessories, and home furnishings for nearly two decades. To meet the needs of both small and larger manufacturers, she publishes two sourcing guides—”The Designer’s Guide/Fabric & Trim” and “Textile Sources Who’s Who in the USA.” She is the former co-publisher and creator of the “TIP Resource Guide” (originally entitled “The Designer’s Fabric & Trim Resource Guide”), often referred to as “the bible of the industry.” The premier edition published in 1988 was the first comprehensive guide to the New York City Garment Center. In addition to publishing various industry directories, journals, and newsletters, including Sourcing News, and “By the Yard Guide,” Susan has consulted, organized and conducted seminars internationally. Prior to founding her own publishing company, About Sources/Dare Communications (aboutsources.com),Susan’s experience includes marketing, sales, and design for both textile and apparel companies.

Sheryl Sapriel is owner and president of The Fabric Stock Exchange, a worldwide brokering service offering better fabrics to manufacturers, retail stores, and designers. She has over three decades of experience in the textile and apparel industries, working with Halston, Calvin Klein, Ltd., and Oleg Cassini. Over the past several years, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to create two online companies. Fabrics On-Line, created in 1994, was the first electronic marketplace for the buying and selling of fabrics. Fabrics.com, created in 1999, was the first and only portal site exclusively devoted to textiles and textile-related products. Sheryl sold Fabrics.com in 2001 so she could focus on building The Fabric Stock Exchange, combining her industry experience with the efficiencies of the Internet and the expansion of the global marketplace.