Theme: Live...Inspire...Repeat

TEDxTryon will be a full-day event, featuring predominantly local individuals speaking on a wide variety of topics related to the Foothills region of Western NC.

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

Aaron Burdett

Singer/Songwriter

Aaron Burdett serves up the finest song driven Americana the North Carolina mountains has ever produced. Based in Saluda, a small town near Asheville, Aaron shares a singular perspective on the world around us, connections to places and people, and the simple pleasures of life through his heartfelt, thoughtfully crafted songs. Building on the traditions of the finest performing songwriters, Aaron’s original Americana music blends folk-rock, bluegrass, and blues into a sound that’s at once totally original but also comfortingly familiar.

Aaron McGinley

Therapist

Aaron McGinley passionately spends his days, and many of his evenings considering the unwritten social rules that are woven throughout our lives. As a Program Director at The Black Mountain Academy and a Therapist in private practice, much of Aaron's career has been defined by supporting young people with special needs such as Autism, adjust to the often mystifying expectations of our society. As a nationally published author and presenter on the topic of social skills for the 21st Century, Aaron has become increasingly involved in the challenge to support people with special needs in having healthy online experiences.

Andy Bunch

Retired Hotelier

Spoken Word Andy Bunch is a former hotelier, now retired, who is an advocate for organ donation. He speaks frequently on the topic that has shaped a large portion of his life.

Asher Leigh

Singer/Songwriter

Asher Leigh is a singer, songwriter and musician living in Asheville, NC expressing song with purpose. Blending a unique style of folk with dashes of soul, blues,country, jazz and world music, her work speaks straight to the heart of any life and any matter. Asher's stage presence connects us to the moon, to the stars, and in these same moments, to ourselves and others around us.

Basil Savitsky

Futurist

Basil Savitsky, Ph.D., is a former university professor who taught futures studies. He is currently working with youth to help them develop their personal futures. His TEDxTryon talk addresses the reinvention of the rites of passage into adulthood for the 21st century teen. You will learn: There is a parallel between the quality of jump that teens need to make to reach meaningful adulthood and the jump that we as a species need to make to succeed as a global society. Wisdom is the key ingredient that we all need to grow up.

Dean Crisp

FBI-LEEDA law enforcement instructor

Dean Crisp was a Police Officer for over 30 years and a Police Chief for 17.  He is passionate about helping others become the best leaders they can be. He travels extensively throughout the United States with FBI-LEEDA, teaching law enforcement professionals Executive leadership. He is widely sought as a motivational and national level speaker.

Denise Medved

Fitness Entrepreneur

Passionate about the brain and body and how they age, Denise attended graduate courses in gerontology at Western Carolina University and is a recent graduate of The Neuroscience Academy based in Sydney Australia, directed and founded by Dr. Sarah McKay. After 7 years of research, pilot programs and classes, Denise put her undergraduate degree in Communications (advertising and marketing) from the University of Tennessee to good use creating and developing the Ageless Grace® Brain Health fitness program. Based on the concept of neuroplasticity, Ageless Grace is now being taught in all 50 US states and in 16 other countries around the world. She was on the international training faculty for the Nia Technique in Portland, OR and is a 1st Degree Black Belt NIA instructor as well as an AFAA Certified personal trainer. She spent almost 30 years in the field of advertising and marketing in New York City and the San Francisco Bay area.

James Hrynyshyn

Journalist

James Hrynyshyn is an independent communications consultant specializing in science, the environment and climate change. A former journalist, his byline has appeared in newspapers and magazines in the U.S, Canada, and the U.K and he has worked on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts. He returned to university after 11 years in the business to obtain a marine biology degree. He now tries to combine his skills as a communicator with an intimate knowledge of the scientific process — writing, editing and designing documents that address the ecological and technology challenges facing society. He has delivered presentations to conferences and meetings in Canada and the U.S., and, as a member of the Climate Reality Project, talks frequently about the science and politics of climate change. He and his wife are raising a son in Saluda, N.C., from where he maintains a website at class-m.net and blogs occasionally on local affairs at exit59.wordpress.com.

Jeffrey Hendricks, MD

Physician, Nutritional Researcher, Entrepreneur

I am a medical doctor with extensive background in Nutritional Biochemistry, Nutritional research, Human Genetics, and research regarding Nutritional influence of gene expression. I have served as Medical Director in multiple fields of medicine, and serve as Chief Medical Officer to multiple companies currently.

Jenna Kanell

Actor, Director

Jenna Kanell wrote and directed the short film "Bumblebees," a project currently on the film festival circuit and among academic curricula of varying levels. It stars her younger brother Vance, who was born with eight sensory disorders and overcame the negative expectations of medical professionals. Her TEDxTryon talk explores the concept of discarding the goal of "becoming" in favor of "unbecoming;" applicable to everything from assigned labels and ideals to societal norms. She hopes for you to come away inspired by a new way to embark on your own self-exploration.

Jessica Chilton

Therapist/Entertainer

Jessica Chilton is the Founder of SPARK and Leader of The SHINE Expansive -- a global community of people moving beyond fear to let their true self bravely shine. She is an Expressive Arts Therapist and Coach who guides you to free yourself and your gifts so you can step into your next unique contribution in the world. Jessica’s work grew out of close encounters with death and illness that served as powerful wake-up calls to make the most of being Alive.

Kristy Hackler

Educator

Kristy Hackler is a passionate advocate for teaching kids to work with something bigger than themselves—like a farm! As a life student of farming and of the Montessori philosophy, her career as a teacher has spanned the last 12 years and two countries. It inspired her to start a summer program called Farm Camp where students and campers are challenged to work hard, make deeper connections to their community and environment, and to understand the economics of sustainability. In her TEDxTryon talk, Kristy asks the question, "How can we teach a cycle of sustainability to future generations that will translate positively into all areas of their lives?" In order to do this we must first understand and respect what children are truly capable of doing for themselves and how to make that "switch flip" where they go from "I can't" to "I can". You will learn: The main road into a child's soul is through the work of his hand.

Nichola Montt

Dancer/Ballet Spartanburg

Robin Funsten

Conflict Mediator

Robin is a Mediator, Conflict Consultant, experienced Educator, Life Coach 
and Public Speaker. She has been committed to working with community, youth, and families for her entire career helping guide groups and individual 
clients through difficult life challenges encountered during conflict. Robin has 
facilitated hundreds of mediation sessions and individual problem-solving 
sessions. Robin also has presented for thousands of people on the 
opportunities that can be created from engaging intentionally in our conflicts. She the CEO of Community Conflict Solutions, a business based on the idea 
that teaching conflict resolution skills can guide long term and positive 
transformation for individuals, our communities and the world. Robin is 
happily married and has a young son.

William Miller

Retired Minister

I am a native of Massachusetts by birth and a West Virginian by God’s grace. In college I transferred to WV Wesleyan where I received a degree and my dear wife, Ellie. We have been blessed with 55 years of marriage, four married children and 10 grandchildren. I have other graduate degrees from Marshall University and Duke University. I have been an ordained United Methodist pastor for 54 years, 37 of them in WV. In 2002 we retired in Lake Lure, NC to refocus on family, faith, fun and volunteerism. That is where the idea of a blooming pedestrian bridge found me.

William Scott

Dancer/Spartanburg Ballet