Her Story
About Leigh
Leigh Berberian serves as principal, creative director, and owner of Glass Lab, a manufacturing firm based in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, where she specializes in architectural artisan glass and UV direct-to-glass printing for applications such as walls, railings, room dividers, backsplashes, showers, and flooring. She entered the glass industry 15 years ago after a background in marketing and has since helped innovate digital ceramic printing and later shifted to UV direct-to-glass printing technology. Berberian holds a background in theater design and costume design from her college studies, which informs her creative approach to glass as a canvas for bespoke and semi-custom art. Her company recently received the Worcester Business Journal green manufacturing award and a grant from the Center for Advanced Manufacturing to establish her facility. She maintains memberships in organizations including the Women in Manufacturing Massachusetts chapter, Pro New England Professional Remodelers Association, International Design Association, Furnishings Association, International Interior Design Association, and ILEA International Live Events Association. Berberian supports the Boston Center for the Arts through philanthropic efforts and draws motivation from a family of entrepreneurs, including her grandfather, father, and grandmother on her mother's side. She emphasizes values of honesty, truthfulness, and authenticity in both her professional and personal life, advising others to be fearless, dive in without waiting for perfection, and show clients possibilities they may not have considered.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Leigh
01What do you attribute your success to?
I come from a long line of entrepreneurs - my grandfather, my father, and my grandmother on my mother's side. I think you're born with a marrow with something inside of you to be an entrepreneur that you actually don't get a choice. If you choose to ignore that heartbeat, then you always feel like something's missing, and if you go with it, you're set up for a life of incredible rewards based off of hard lessons, highs and lows.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't wait for perfection, because you'll be waiting a long time. Just dive in, and create and build and say yes before no and keep the ball in play. Glass is gonna break. There's no crying in glass. If you are gonna cry, then go back to paper.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be fearless. Try something. Throw ink on glass. Ask for color to do things that you may not think is possible. Show people what you are hearing they are looking for, because they honestly don't know. Don't worry about taking the reins. When you show them what's possible and you have that aha moment, you created something that they didn't know to ask for.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The shower glass market is a phenomenal place to be. Hospitality design is a really powerful place to be when we talk about hotels and the Airbnb and VRBO world. Sustainability is definitely recyclable. It's a really great place to be.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty within and without. There is no one in this world that has not wished the answer that was about to come out of their mouth was different at times. It is really easy to lean into telling others or yourself a better version of a story. But you still know that's not what it really is. Honesty, truthfulness, authenticity, the real deal will always win, even if it doesn't always feel good at the moment.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.