Beyond the Glass Rainbow: Jane Skeeter at TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons

Jane Skeeter is CEO and Founder of UltraGlas, Inc., the leading manufacturer of designed architectural and performance glass and glass tile. Headquartered in Chatsworth, CA, the company is world renowned for its artistic and architectural glass innovation and installations. It offers a full complement of glass fabrication techniques and processes that encompass everything from flooring to ceilings and most items in between. The company's most recent innovations include the patented UltraGlas-E -- an environment-minded product made from salvaged glass diverted from landfill -- and BIPV (Building Integrated Photo Voltaic) glass panels that clad the exterior of a building while transforming sunlight into electricity to power the building.

Skeeter is a licensed General and Glazing Contractor and Certified Interior Designer. She holds a California Lifetime Teaching Credential and has taught adult and college-level courses in a variety of design and glass-related topics. She is a graduate of UCLA's MDE program and the NAWBO Peak Leadership Academy, and is a USGBC LEED Accredited Professional. She is also a member of numerous professional trade organizations and is an active supporter of community non-profits, serving on the boards of The Boys and Girls Club, Val*Pac, VICA, Valley Economic Alliance, West Hills Hospital, Woodbury University and NAWBO-LA.

Skeeter's other accomplishments and awards include: Past President of NAWBO-LA, National Association of Women Business Owners, SFVBJ's Women in Business CEO of the Year and Business Woman of the Decade, NAWBO/Wells Fargo National Trailblazer Award. Two Crystal Achievements Awards from the National Glass Association Best of Boutique Award from Hospitality Design Magazine.
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Jane Skeeter, founder and CEO of UltraGlas, Inc., will present a glimpse into the various discoveries, innovations and challenges she has faced along her path to becoming an industry leader and world-renowned innovator in the field of architectural glass.

A lifetime of entrepreneurship, a compulsion to create and a passion for all things aesthetic have driven Jane on an unusual journey of discovery. It's a journey that has led Jane to introducing exciting new glass products and applications including a patented process for creating architectural components from 100 percent recycled glass and converting sunlight to power a building from its windows. From the company's inception in a garage, to the studio/factory/showroom of today that creates unique custom architectural art glass for various global markets, she will also provide insight into her vision for future glass products and markets.

Jane will talk about how the entrepreneur, innovator and tenacious solution seeker discovers opportunity in the face of adversity. She draws on her more than four decades of challenges, from finding a way to prevent tons of architectural scrap glass from being needlessly added to our already over-burdened landfills, to discovering how to make permanently colored glass a beautiful, durable and functional element for virtually any architectural use. The multiple hurdles faced along this journey and how they were overcome will also be told.

As a business owner and industry leader, Jane has succeeded in breaking the proverbial glass ceiling while literally creating glass ceilings -- as well as floors and walls -- that are uniquely beautiful, structurally sound and accessible to the world. She will talk about what made it possible for a little girl growing up in the 50s to channel the fascination, determination and passion that continue to inspire her today.
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In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)