About

Abby co-founded Craft Industry Alliance and now serves as its president. She’s a sewing pattern designer, teacher, and journalist. She’s dedicated to creating an outstanding trade association for the crafts industry. Abby lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Kate is our Operations Manager and Outreach Coordinator. She has a background working in the arts non-profit, marketing, and design industries. Kate has coordinated with craft business owners to put on workshops, guest artist residencies, discussions, and large scale creative events. In her design business, she creates visual branding and promotional pieces for creative entrepreneurs. She lives in Silverthorne, Colorado.

Ashleigh is our online community and DEI  strategic consultant. Ashleigh brings over 10 years of experience managing online communities for corporate, non-profit, and membership associations and in change management and culture change through a diversity, equity, and inclusion approach. She has fond memories of watching her grandmother sew and believes crafting can create memories for people that can last a lifetime. She lives in Chicago.

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Afi Scruggs is our staff writer. Afi is an award-winning multi-platform journalist and author who lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Her articles and columns have appeared in the Washington Post, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, The U.S. edition of the Guardian, USA Today, and Essence magazine and on washingtonpost.com. Her audio segments have been broadcast on national NPR programs as well on local affiliates in northeast Ohio. She’s also written three books: Jump Rope Magic, published by Scholastic; a genealogical memoir, Claiming Kin: Confronting the History of an African-American Family; and an essay collection entitled Beyond Stitch and Bitch: Reflections on Knitting and Life. The New York Times Book Review called Jump Rope Magic a “magical, spunky book.” Afi learned to knit when she was 7 years old and to sew when she was 9. She’s forever working on reducing her stash.

Lindsie does all of our graphic design work. She specializes in serving craft and quilt industry professionals, helping them take their businesses to the next level with cohesive branding, pattern and publication design, technical illustration, website design, and software training. Lindsie lives in Boise, Idaho.

Lisa Calixto manages our online community. She has been active in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years in the areas of marketing, social media and community outreach. Lisa enjoys working with small businesses to assist them with website development and design as well as social media consulting in her free time. She is also the Director of Technology and Social Media for a national mental health nonprofit. She currently lives in New Jersey.  Lisa enjoys crafting, graphic design, photography, dancing, and spending time with her family and puppy.

Meg is our Instagram Manager. She works with small business owners and bloggers on their social media strategy and platform management to best reach their target audience. Meg was practically born crafting, sewing with a working children’s sewing machine by the age of four, and knitting her own accessories by age 10. These days she likes to unwind after a long day with a knitting project and her two dogs. She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.