CINCINNATI, OH—Nina Davis Clark, senior manager, color solutions and technology at Olberding Brand Family believes “The Phoenix Challenge is a perfect incubator for the type of work that OBF does, as well as the skills needed to thrive in an organization like OBF. During the Challenge, students are tasked to apply their technical expertise to a client packaging need, which is what we at OBF do daily for our clients and print partners alike.”

“As many of my colleagues have noted, The Phoenix Challenge presents a unique environment to learn about the product life cycle, how to troubleshoot complex challenges, and to effectively communicate technical limitations to clients. These are foundational skills that I use in my role at OBF daily, even nearly 10 years into my career.”

She continues, “In my role at OBF, I have been directly responsible for recruiting and hiring two Phoenix Challenge alumni, and indirectly in the hiring of one other. Roles on my team are a challenging combination of creative, technical, and client relations, which can make it difficult to find strong candidates.”

“While it’s not always intentional to seek Phoenix Challenge alumni, it is also apparent that the Challenge itself helps students develop the type of skills that are important for many of the roles at OBF. Students who excel at Phoenix Challenge are likely to exhibit the traits that would make them thrive within our organization. These include a sense of curiosity and deep technical understanding of the packaging printing process, strong relationship building and project management skills as well as advanced problem-solving skills.”

Speaking from personal experience, Davis Clark added, “While studying in the Clemson Graphic Communications program, I had the privilege of completing several internships, both with smaller, family-owned commercial print shops and large, national vendors. It was during these internships that I began to focus my expertise on prepress and color management, landing my focus on OBF (Phototype at the time) as the starting point for my career.”

“After graduating from Clemson in 2017, I began my professional career as a print quality management coordinator at OBF, where I implemented and managed several of our client print quality programs. Since then, I’ve held many assignments, always focusing on color management, and positioning myself as a valued link between creative and print production. In my current role, I lead a diverse team of color management professionals who support the end-to-end color management workflow–from design feasibility all the way through to press approvals and print quality management programs.”

Michael Beard, one of The Phoenix Challenge Alumni now on the OBF staff, offered, “The Phoenix Challenge allowed me to observe and participate in all stages of a product launch in the graphic design industry–from graphic conception, design strategy, file creation and prepress, all the way through to the actual production work and presentation. Being able to see the process as a whole and actually interacting with and affecting the graphic outcome was a welcome learning experience and shows students real-world scenarios that come up during the pre-media process. Keeping students to a rigid timeline also helps keep the process moving, just as it would in the real world.”

He also commented, “Understanding all aspects of the printing process helps me to keep my specific role as an artwork project manager moving. Students learn that artwork is only one small part of the pre-media process. Being able to adapt to issues or complications helps by being able to identify and isolate issues or questions and find quick and usable solutions to these problems.”

“Also, knowing what comes before and after your specific role in this industry allows you to understand the general workflow we adhere to and why these timelines and milestones matter. The Phoenix Challenge is a great program to help show students that each person and part of this process is an integral part in a successful graphic creation.” 

Beard noted, “After participating in the Phoenix Challenge and graduating with a graphic arts and technical management degree, I went on to manage pre-press for companies such as Keurig-Dr Pepper, Naked Emerging Brands, Peapod Digital Labs and L’Oréal / Matrix brands. I have been able to help execute brand redesigns for Dr Pepper, Naked Juice and Matrix haircare at OBF.”

Team member Mali Simons detailed her personal experience, “The Phoenix Challenge gave me invaluable real-world experience working with clients and collaborating in a team with diverse areas of expertise. I learned the flexographic printing process from start-to-finish, along with the problem-solving skills required to navigate real-world challenges. The competition strengthened my public speaking skills and taught me how to present complex ideas effectively to industry professionals. These are opportunities I would not have had otherwise. Additionally, it connected me with professionals who have supported my growth, influenced my career path, and helped me reach where I am today.”

Simons also said, “Competing in The Phoenix Challenge for three years gave me extensive networking opportunities with fellow students and industry professionals. This network has provided valuable insights and resources that I have carried into both future competitions and my current role. I developed a deep understanding of the flexographic printing process, along with strong problem-solving, collaboration, and client relationship skills. The ability to work creatively under pressure has been a major factor in my success. Beyond the competition itself, the support I received from Bettylyn Krafft has been an incredible resource. Her encouragement continues to inspire me as I grow in my career.”

She then noted, “I graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Communications in May 2024 and completed my Master of Science in Project Management in August 2025. I began my career at OBF in May 2025 as a technical color manager under the mentorship of Nina Davis Clark. Nina is an industry leader I met through The Phoenix Challenge, and her guidance has been instrumental as I have started my professional journey.”

Finally, OBF team member Meagan Brown, proclaimed, “I interact with clients every day to figure out what services they need from our team and how to communicate what can be done by their printers. The skills I learned while participating in The Phoenix Challenge helped me grow my technical knowledge. …While leading the prepress section for my team, I established technical knowledge that I implement in the work I do with printers and clients when it comes to color approval and establishment.”

She also observed, “My career path in graphics and the print industry started in high school, where I competed in the Skills USA Screen-printing competition. This competition led me to taking a job within my school district, interning in the graphics lab where, I did everything from screen printing t-shirts to designing billboards and installing vinyl murals. This experience led me to join the Graphic Communications program at Clemson University where I later worked as a teacher’s assistant in the Intro to Graphic Communications class and the Specialty Print and Packaging class.”

“After graduation, I accepted a role at OBF, working as a color analyst on multiple brands. Today, I serve as a color manager, where I am the point of contact for multiple clients. Without Phoenix Challenge, I would not have been as comfortable taking on my role, or as excited to keep learning different aspects of the print industry every day.”

Pictured, L-R: Davis Clark, Beard, Simons, Brown.