About McKenzie
I am a…
Change Agent
Bio
Native of Southwest Virginia. Graduate of East Tennessee State University. Organizer of TEDxJohnsonCity. Writer + coffee addict at WhatsBeenBrewing.com.
I'm passionate about
Appalachia and the people within it.
An idea worth spreading
Health is wealth.
Areas of expertise
backyard homesteading, civic health, community building, community engagement, economic development, healthy habits, networking, professional development, workforcedevelopment, young professional development, young professionals
The TED story
"Ask for forgiveness, not permission!"
My TED story started with two volunteers, myself and Chloe Philpot, packing food boxes at a food bank. The first words she spoke to me were, "I have a crazy idea." A little surprised but not deterred, I responded, "let's hear it." She said, "I want to bring TEDx to Johnson City, Tennessee." The rest is history!
Without a budget, established volunteer base, or really any foundation, we set out on a mission. With the help of Chloe's expertise in TEDx events (that I found out about later on) TEDxJohnsonCity launched in 2023 - and we've been growing ever since! It just goes to show that all it takes is one idea to spark change.
Things you might not know
beekeeping and organic gardening! It's becoming a lesser-known secret as time goes on (since I love to share photos) but I've fallen in love with backyard homesteading. This summer, we have a ~500 sq. ft. garden of vegetables, fruits, and Tennessee native wildflowers - and several thousand honeybees!