Keila Arriaga
Keila Arriaga is a seasoned print and signage professional who partners with businesses to elevate their visibility and communicate their services effectively. As Center Manager at AlphaGraphics NoCo, she provides expert guidance across design, printing, and signage, ensuring each project is executed with precision and purpose. With more than a decade of industry experience, Keila is known for her strong client relationships, strategic mindset, and ability to translate ideas into impactful visual solutions that help organizations stand out.
Keila’s path into the industry was unexpected but ultimately defining. After beginning her career in retail, she transitioned into printing through an opportunity at a small company in Greeley, Colorado, where she discovered her passion for client service and project coordination. She spent three years building her foundation before joining AlphaGraphics in Loveland as a customer service representative. Through dedication and performance, she advanced through roles in inside sales and outside sales before stepping into her current role as Center Manager, where she has spent the past five years leading operations, supporting her team, and driving business growth. Her leadership style is collaborative and hands-on, starting each day with team production meetings, followed by client engagement, project oversight, and active networking within the Northern Colorado business community.
A graduate of University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Communication and Media Studies, Keila blends her academic foundation with real-world expertise to deliver exceptional results. She takes particular pride in the lasting relationships she has built with clients, many of whom return year after year for event signage and creative projects. Memorable highlights include being invited to client events to see her team’s work come to life and contributing to unique campaigns ranging from themed corporate experiences to nonprofit initiatives. Under her leadership, her AlphaGraphics location was recognized as Small Business of the Year in 2023, a milestone that reflects her commitment to excellence, team development, and fostering a culture centered on employee retention, recognition, and shared success.
• University of Northern Colorado - B.A. in Communication/Media
• AlphaGraphics Small Business of the Year 2023
• Children's Museum of Northern Colorado Ambassador Group
• Head of Ambassador Group for Children's Museum of Northern Colorado
• Yule Leadership (Future Emerging Young Leaders) with Loveland Chamber of Commerce
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the women in my family. I come from a very long line of women that are very strong, very hardworking, almost to a fault sometimes. My mom, my grandmothers, and my great-grandma before her have always been super strong, and they kind of instilled that in me. My grandfather on my dad's side always instilled in me being a hard worker. He started from having nothing, living in South Carolina, and to having, being able to provide for his family and his grandkids down the line, so that's always been kind of what I can contribute to my success. As well as my husband, who takes care of our daughter when I'm at work and out networking, so he's been a great support.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is that when an opportunity arises, just say yes. That's what I've been doing, and I found that this is a great opportunity to get my name out there a little bit more and hopefully inspire others.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to work hard and don't give up. Burnout is real, so taking care of yourself when you can is important, because the more you can take care of yourself, the more motivated you will be to get where you want to go. I also think people just need to find their local print or signage shop and then just ask to be an apprentice, ask for a job at the very beginning, and learn from whoever you can. There's not a whole lot of schooling available for this industry unless you're going to be a graphic designer, so hands-on learning is key.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the one thing is that a lot of people think that print and signage is dying off, and so I feel like not a lot of people are thinking that it would be a good field to get into, but I've seen the complete opposite of that. So I think that's kind of the big hurdle, is that because of that perception, there's not a whole lot of schooling available for it unless you're going to be a graphic designer. The reality is that the industry is actually growing and there are real opportunities for people willing to learn hands-on.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me center around being a community leader and being well-known within my community to help as much as we can. My dad has been part of a community in California for a very long time, and every single time we'd go out when I was a kid, he would have at least 3 people say hi to him. That really left a mark on me, so I've kind of had a personal goal of having that, being someone that everyone enjoys and says hi to, and then being that community leader. I also value hard work, which was instilled in me by the strong women in my family and my grandfather who taught me about working hard and providing for family. Having a supportive partner is also important to me, as my husband takes care of our daughter when I'm at work and networking.