As the nonprofit celebrates seven years of supporting women in the additive manufacturing (AM) industry, Women in 3D Printing (Wi3DP) has taken on a new leader. Kristin Mulherin is taking on the role of President of Women in 3D Printing, as the former president and founder, Nora Touré, moves to the position of Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Wi3DP. The change takes place as the organization celebrates its seventh year in operation.

“I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve achieved over the past seven years: growing from a blog to one of the largest communities in our industry,” said Touré. “Now is a time when we need to think about the next steps for our organization as our team has grown and our programs have evolved. Kristin, as one of our first ambassadors and a Board Director for 2+ years, has shown tremendous talent and appetite for structuring Wi3DP into a sustainable and scalable organization. I am looking forward to witnessing the work she’ll be achieving in the President’s capacity.”

Wi3DP began as a blog by Touré in 2014, in which she published interviews with women in AM. It steadily grew into a worldwide group of 23,000 members stretching all gender identities across 80 local chapters in 36 countries and on six continents. Having accomplished so much, Touré has now moved to the role of Chairwoman, where she will continue to be closely involved with the nonprofit’s leadership.

The organization’s new president, Kristin Mulherin, began at U.S. weapons giant Northrup Grumman as a materials & processes engineer in 2001 before becoming a strategic marketing manager. She went on to serve as chief commercial officer at British additive metals manufacturer LPW, acquired by Carpenter in 2018. She continued her legacy of 3D printing positions by joining HP as a product manager before establishing her own consultancy, AM-Cubed, and then joining Dyndrite as Head of Market Development.

Outside of these positions, Mulherin has been the chapter ambassador of Wi3DP in Portland, Oregon and a member of the group’s Board. As the head of sponsorship opportunities and a member of the executive committee for the TIPE 3D Printing by Wi3DP conference, she has a great deal of experience with the group and is now ready to lead its next stage of growth.

“Nora has created a global organization that has seen explosive growth in recent years. Along with the rest of the executive team, I look forward to supporting the men and women of this community, increasing our partnerships across both additive and traditional manufacturing, and providing the support to further develop our initiatives, such as the NextGen and DEI programs. I have grown tremendously with this community, both personally and professionally, and I’m honored to be taking over the presidency,” said Mulherin.

The future of the group will see Wi3DP expand beyond its initial focus on gender inequality in the industry and address other aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, the organization will further push its NextGen program, dedicated to the future of AM workers.