Rising Stars Awards

Meet the Rising Stars: Nathan Leber

Published

4 years ago

December 10, 2019

Adrienne Palmer Screen Printing December-January 2020

Nathan Leber
Owner | Leber Design and Print | @leberdesignandprint | Columbus, Ohio | Age: 32

“Connection, drive, passion, and creativity,” is how John Kupka, technical sales representative at Saati, describes Leber in his nomination form. “He started his print career about 6 years ago and has blown through every department, through management, and now is building his own company. He hasn’t even begun to realize his potential! He has elevated everyone around him by nature. A natural born leader! Nathan Leber is the future of this industry. His natural leadership, creativity, and talent yield a man with limitless potential!”

How did you enter the screen printing industry?

I graduated with two art degrees in fine arts and printmaking in the spring of 2009 when the economy was not in a great spot. Initially, I took a job reclaiming screens simply because I needed a paycheck and ended up really loving the entire process and had a desire to strive to be the best. shop

What led you to start your own business?

The desire to lead and set a culture of my own, create print shop jobs that are truly careers, and to create a symbiotic and collaborative environment to unite small fashion brands, designers, and garment decorators in an honest and ethical way.

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

Being able to lead and help current and former employees develop true careers is far greater than any technical feats or nationally recognized brands I’ve worked for. The number of people I’ve worked with who have gone on to do great things within this industry is truly humbling and something I’m very proud of. There’s no greater feeling than seeing someone you’ve worked with win an award or get a promotion.

Also the amount of work/time we’ve been able to give away or discount for local charities and nonprofits has been extremely rewarding.

Adrienne Palmer

Adrienne Palmer is the editor-in-chief of Big Picture and Screen Printing magazines. She joined Big Picture magazine in 2012 after graduating from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism with a BA in magazine journalism. During her time with Big Picture, she has held the roles of assistant editor, associate editor, and managing editor; she added sister publication Screen Printing magazine to her resume in 2019. She is a 2019 Folio: Top Woman in Media; spearheads Big Picture's annual Women in Wide Format Awards and Best of Wide Format Awards as well as Screen Printing's annual Women in Screen Printing Awards; is on the board of Printing United Alliance's Women in Print Alliance and the U.N.I.T.E. Together diversity and inclusion program; hosts the Screen Saver podcast; and represents the Big Picture and Screen Printing teams at numerous industry events year-round as a speaker, moderator, and panelist.

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Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Screen Printing Industry

LET’S TALK About It: Part 3 discusses how four screen printers have employed people with disabilities, why you should consider doing the same, the resources that are available, and more. Watch the live webinar, held August 16, moderated by Adrienne Palmer, editor-in-chief, Screen Printing magazine, with panelists Ali Banholzer, Amber Massey, Ryan Moor, and Jed Seifert. The multi-part series is hosted exclusively by ROQ.US and U.N.I.T.E Together. Let’s Talk About It: Part 1 focused on Black, female screen printers and can be watched here; Part 2 focused on the LGBTQ+ community and can be watched here.