Wendy Graves, a signage industry professional and current partner of Make It Happen Signage Academy’s U.S. team, has joined Sign Builder Illustrated (SBI) as a signage industry correspondent. As correspondent, Graves will contribute features and tutorial articles to SBI while being our eyes and ears in the field as she travels the country with Make It Happen Signage Academy.
“I am thrilled to join the SBI team. It’s an honor to visit sign shops, connect with people in our industry and share their stories,” says Graves. “SBI offers a community-oriented, grassroots feel to the industry, which aligns perfectly with my passions.”
Graves joined her husband, Lloyd, in 2013 as he launched Signarama Louisville East. In her role, she supported marketing, human resources, sales and operations management for the full-service UL manufacturing company. Recognizing a gap in the market in 2020, she branched off to run the wholesale division of the company, inSIGNia Wholesale, where she focused on providing a boutique approach to supporting sign building needs.
In 2023, she became a partner at Make it Happen (MiH) Signage Academy, which is now her full-time role. She travels to various cities, attends association events and brings MiH in-person training to life. Launching a training room in partnership with a local college, Ivy Tech Community College in Jeffersonville, Indiana, is the first step to a longer term goal: Sign School. Graves is also the founder of Women in Signs, Etc. (WISE), which is a platform designed to give women a place to uplift, empower and learn from other women in the industry.
“We all have a story, what’s yours? Connect with me! Let’s bring your story to life and inspire others,” says Graves. “Reach out to me across social platforms, follow SBI and I hope to see you at the next event if I don’t visit you first!”
Graves can be reached via email at this address: [email protected].
