The winner of the 2020 ProPrint Emerging 50 Mentorship Prize, Kelsey Wade of Print DNA in South Australia, has begun her mentor program with The Real Media Collective CEO Kellie Northwood.
Wade was the standout winner of the inaugural prize which was launched by printing industry magazine, ProPrint, last year and was announced at a dual Power 50 and Emerging 50 hybrid event in Sydney.
The Mentorship Prize is supported by Northwood and TRMC and now the pair have gotten together to make a plan for the year and set objectives of what Wade, a design graduate, is hoping to achieve from the experience.
Monthly events, personal brand development, award entry support and professional development planning have been identified by the pair as key focuses for the year.
Starleaton managing director Ben Eaton has kindly offered to support the initiative by funding Wade’s travel to attend functions and meet with Northwood and other industry members.
“I am eager to indulge in the knowledge and opportunities the mentorship will provide, by extending my gaze into the world of marketing and creative applications that go beyond my port-of-call as a graphic designer and print operator,” Wade said.
“I am excited to learn more about the transition of the print world into a more diverse online digital medium, where the integration of social media and new innovative online technologies and marketing strategies will help shape and work in partnership with the future of the print industry.”
Kelsey loves her job and believes that the whole process of print is a fine craft requiring personal expression and skill to produce material that businesses can use and people can engage with. She is hoping the mentorship will help her challenge herself and open doors to new critical thinking and creative applications, while also extending her skillset.
Mentorship agenda
Attendance at various events and networking opportunities are being built into the mentor calendar with Wade set to attend the Women in Print Adelaide Breakfast Series event on May 20, The Real Media Collective June AGM, a Mental Health First Aid course with Man Anchor and a presentation to The Real Media Collective Executive Committee.
“Kelsey is such a humble person, there are so many awards and industry accolades she has been nominated, short-listed as a finalist for and/or won beyond the Emerging 50,” Northwood said.
“From the South Australian LIA Graduate finalist to a 7News Young Achievers nomination, Kelsey is a definite future leader.
“To ensure the mentor program really achieves some tangible results Kelsey can use for her future, I wanted to offer exposure to the industry’s broad network of leaders, engage with strong skillsets and training, understand the future role of print and to build her own profile in the industry so we can hear the voice of the next generation of our industry.”
The 2021 mentor calendar:
- March: Preparing award entries and positioning professional self
- April: Social media representation and network building using LinkedIn
- May: Women in Print breakfast in Adelaide; Introduction to “Fierce Women Network”
- June: TRMC AGM June 2020 – Melbourne
- July: Mental Health First Aid online course with Steve Gamble, Man Anchor
- August: Professional development – self-resilience post-COVID and beyond;
Reflection on resilience in business and overcoming difficult personalities - September: Engaging face to face – interview skills, public speaking.
Kelsey to present at the Executive Committee meeting – overview of Youth in the Industry - October: Understanding media metrics of print – what are metrics and why are they important; Questioning whether print is a craft, commodity, media or more?
- November: Women in Print, webinar, panel, my journey – industry voice of youth – Kelsey to sit as a panelist on the WiP webinar exploring the youth movement of print
- December: TRMC AGM event – Sydney
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