Theme: Live. Inspire. Repeat.

TEDx Tryon is a community conversation exploring the people, places, and experiences that shape our lives. This Tryon/Carolina foothills event will bring together dynamic speakers, performers, and local thought leaders. The goal? To be a catalyst for the community talking, dreaming and growing…together.

Get ready to be inspired during this day-long, power-packed, inspiration-fueled event!
12 Speakers
A variety of recorded TED Talks
Live Performances
Farm-to-table lunch
Old friends
New Friends
You'll find yourself saying, "I didn't know that!" as together we tap new resources,
kick-off fresh ideas and unearth our community's hidden treasures.

Tryon Fine Arts Center
34 Melrose Ave
Tryon, North Carolina, 28782
United States

The Tap Dames

Based in Ballet Spartanburg’s Dance Center and led by director, choreographer Sherry Barker, The Tap Dames is a tap and jazz troupe. The group was founded in May 2000 to entertain at the annual Cancer Survivor’s Celebration in Spartanburg SC, and today performs to uplift and entertain at fundraisers, dance demonstrations and senior centers. and just for the fun of it! Members range from 18 to 80.

Ann Herrmann-Nehdi

Brain Science

Ann Herrmann-Nehdi is passionate about the brain and its impact on thinking and learning. As CEO of Herrmann International, Ann travels the world as a speaker, author, and thought leader helping corporations and businesses apply the latest brain research to improve business performance.

Carol Lynn Jackson

Local Food Advocate

Carol Lynn began her work in Washington, DC promoting chefs and "Best Of" restaurants in exchange for their work on national hunger relief programs. After a move to rural Western North Carolina, Carol Lynn became an local food advocate, by creating a CSA program and by educating the community on local buying choices.

Dudley Tower

Dynamic Aging

Dudley Tower is the founder of the Dynamic Aging Institute and creator of the Dynamic Aging Program at Furman University’s Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI). This is a cutting-edge systemic program of classes and interactive learning experiences that help people to actualize their potential in the last third of life.

Emily Van Eman

Play is not just for kids, especially when it is merged with nurturing self-care. Emily Van Eman has been blending fun, science and spirit together for over 14 years in her powerful yoga classes, one on one sessions, public speaking and now at her aptly named studio called The Shift. Emily is gifted at intuitively reading and working with bodies, and enjoys educating students of all ages and levels on balance, strength, and emotional release.

J.D. Daniel

Balloon Art Entertainer, Speaker

JD Daniel has a balloon art entertainment business and is passionate about bringing joy to others through his work. He is also passionate about connecting with people and helping those whose lives he touches gain emotional peace from the principles of non-resistance, forgiveness, and compassion.

Jamie Laval

Musical Performer

Jamie Laval is an acclaimed musical performer. Jamie began his career as a classically trained symphony violinist. Over time his passion for traditional Celtic music led him to his specialty in ancient music from Scotland and Ireland. He has become one of the premier Celtic performers on the international scene today.

Janet Slack

Life Coach, Licensed Professional Counselor

Life Adventure Coaching is the name of Janet’s business and it is aptly named because she embraces life and all its adventures. Whether kayaking with friends on a serene lake in Maine or jogging a wooded path in North Carolina, she's always thinking about how to integrate life's lessons. Janet has a degree in botany, reflecting her deep love of nature, and a Master's degree in counseling which when combined, offer a unique perspective on supporting the health of the whole person including mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. She is a PCC certified coach by the International Coach Federation and mentors coaches. Of particular note, Janet has been selected to be one of a handful of professionals to provide coaching services to the TED Fellows. Distinct from traditional TED speaker coaching, Janet's role is to help these rising superstars not only get the most they can out of their journey as a TED Fellow, but to live their best lives.

Jay Lichty

Jay Lichty’s love of music transformed his career in 2009 when he built his first ukulele. Now as the craftsman behind the award winning company, Lichty Guitars, Jay is known for his high-end heirloom quality guitars and ukuleles and his teaching skills as he assists others in learning the art of guitar and ukulele making.

Julien Besnard

Student of Life

19 year old Julien Besnard is fascinated by what motivates learning. His involvement in the Polk County Film Initiative’s Next Generation Filmmakers Project gave him his first experience with true hands-on learning. Being involved with that project changed Julien's life. Sharing his story and insights on a TEDx stage knocks one item off this young man's bucket-list !

Lynn Carnes

Executive Coach

Lynn Carnes of Carnes and Associates, Inc. accelerates change and releases leadership potential in organizations, especially in the context of challenges without easy answers. She coaches executives and athletes to unleash their true spirit, achieve high performance and cultivate self-awareness.

Maryneal Jones

National award winning author, editor, and humorist Maryneal Jones lives in Columbus, NC. Maryneal has written extensively on religious, social and ethical issues and has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers throughout the region.

Melissa Metcalf Le Roy

Nonprofit Organization Consultant, Nutritional Advisor

Melissa LeRoy has experienced nonprofit organizations from every vantage, as a volunteer, donor, board member, employee and as executive director. She currently works as a consultant to nonprofit organizations and teaches nonprofit management classes throughout the Southeast for Duke University’s Non-Profit Certificate Management Program.

Noah Proudfoot

For well over a decade, Noah Proudfoot has been penning an endless stream of positively charged songs, backed by fine-tuned fingerpicking and a wide range of musicality. The category under which he places his soulful tunes is known as 'Conscious Music.'

Rob Parsons

United Methodist Pastor

Rob Parsons is a United Methodist pastor and, as he describes himself, "the most unlikely person to run class five river rapids." Rob has learned a great deal about overcoming fear and being prepared to do the right thing on his journey from kayaking flat waters in Miami to having the confidence and skill set to run the world-class waters of the Green River. He shares three simple skills he has mastered while kayaking that, if applied to our everyday lives, can help us to stay in the flow of our lives rather than getting tangled up on the rocks.

Robin Edgar

Journalist

Journalist, author, and workshop facilitator Robin A. Edgar offers reminiscence workshops for eldercare facilities and organizations such as Hospice and the Akula Foundation. Based on the sense memory techniques in her book, In My Mother's Kitchen: An Introduction to the Healing Power of Reminiscence, she demonstrates how to use reminiscence as an effective tool for long term care planning as well as to cope with loss or change due to illness such as Alzheimer’s or the death of a loved one.

Tanisha Akinloye

Beauty Expert, Non-profit Executive Director

Beauty visionary and expert, mindset coach, author and women’s advocate, Tanisha Akinloye is the founder and CEO of Empowering Through Beauty, Inc.—a nonprofit organization that helps women create pathways to employability and self-sufficiency. The program offers cosmetology services, education, outreach, and empowerment opportunities.

Tawana Weicker

Eco-entrepreneur, Teacher

A high school teacher turned biofuel eco-entrepreuer, Tawana Weicker is the founder of Warhorse, a Columbus NC based company that forages for innovative, renewable plant oils to make effective, sustainable cleaners for people, pets and the planet. Her career turning point came when her students became her teachers, challenging her to live up to her potential and to push past her fears.