The Staff
It takes a talented and dedicated group of folks to put on this festival every year and bring together a curated lineup of teachers, artists and musicians and an adventurous mix of activities and events. We can’t wait to welcome you at the festival!
Erika Henschel
Co-Owner | Director
Forever a lover and student of yoga, Erika and has benefited from the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of yoga for over 20 years. Erika moved to Telluride in 1997 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin and brings marketing and event planning experience to the festival having worked for advertising agencies in both San Francisco and New York City along with working with the Telluride Ski Resort and the Telluride Film Festival in event management. In 2013, after working with a health and wellness startup, Erika was fortunate to partner with Albert Roer in the purchase of the Telluride Yoga Festival.
In addition to her obvious love of all things yoga, Erika enjoys just about any activity in which she is able to get into nature and draw inspiration from the mountains around her. She is an avid skier, hiker, mountain and road biker, an Ironman athlete and yogi. Look for her hiking her kids up a peak or trying to out-ski them down the mountain.
Albert Roer
Co-Owner | Financial Swami
Albert was first introduced to yoga in the Berkshires in 1978 but it wasn’t until 2005 that he started to practice yoga daily and has seen been a devoted student of Yoga and Vedanta, taking daily classes and traveling the world to seek yogic knowledge, taking an immersion at the Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas, Yoga journal conferences, Bhakti and Shakti festivals as we as several other Festivals and workshops.
In 2011 Albert had an opportunity to Partner with the Telluride Yoga Center, then in 2013 once again the universe conspired to allow Albert to partner with Erika Henschel to take over the ownership and management of the Telluride Yoga Festival.
Allison Bills
Social Media Guru
Allison originally hails from Chicago, where she played soccer at Millikin University before earning her MA in journalism from DePaul University. She is currently the Destination Program Manager for the Telluride Tourism Board and the digital manager for the Telluride Yoga Festival, both of which she finds fun and engaging with such interesting and vibrant people in this amazing town.
Allison loves anything to do with the outdoors and adventure, which is what originally brought her to Telluride in 2011. Her now-husband proposed in Telluride before they decided to make the move permanent in 2018 with their two dogs. When she's not working, you can find her hiking (usually with her dogs), skiing, jeeping, paddling and rooting on her beloved White Sox and Blackhawks.
Erica Hoff
Volunteer Goddess
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December 2018, Erica solo-traveled to Rishikesh, India where she completed her first yoga teacher training at Sattva Yoga Academy— a connection she shares with many of our Telluride Yoga Festival presenters and attendees!
Ever since that transformational trip, Erica has been living as a modern day “digital nomad”, working and traveling across 34 US States and around the country of Costa Rica. From community organizing for several major US political campaigns, to managing social media and teaching yoga at international yoga retreat centers, Erica brings a wide variety of experience in the world of events, yoga, and wellness.
Erica previously lived in Boulder and is more than excited to be back in the Colorado mountains this summer!
Patti Duax
Lodging & Transportation + Vendor Wizard
Originally from Davenport, Iowa, Patti found Telluride in 1998 while attending Colorado Mountain College in the Aspen Valley. After attending CMC for two years, Patti completed her degree at the University of Northern Iowa. An avid skier, mountain biker, equestrian, and runner, Patti is fueled by spending time in the spectacular Rocky Mountains and sustains this lifestyle with various careers, most of which keep her outside.!
With 13 years of experience coordinating events and festivals in Telluride, Patti began working with the Telluride Yoga Festival in 2014 and continues to work with several other festivals including the Mountainfilm Festival, Telluride Film Festival, The Ride Festival and the Telluride Wine Festival. In addition, Patti is a ski coach for the Telluride Ski & Snowboard Club and a horseback guide for “Roudy” at Telluride Horseback adventures.
Scott Upshur
Production Manager
Based in Denver and Telluride — Scott attended his first film production classes in high school and continued his career by finishing at the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BFA in film production. Before graduating college, Scott began working professionally on the large studio films and national television shows and continued the next 11 years working as a freelance crew member in various departments around Colorado and Los Angeles on some of the biggest commercials, movies, and television shows including, Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight”, “The Amazing Race”, and projects for Jack White, Mumford and Sons, The Foo Fighters, GE, Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, and many many more. While learning from the top producers and directors in the business, Scott produced many projects of his own including short films, documentaries, and music videos which have garnished awards and been played around the world at some of the top film festivals and on the ShortsHD network. He is currently working with grants from Telluride Arts and MountainFilm to complete a music video and a documentary. He has shown again and again that he can take a concept from beginning to end and add a bit more.
Chris Gamage
Production Assistant
Originally from Maine, Chris moved to Telluride in 2004. Taken with the beauty that surrounds the canyon and the welcoming community, what was meant to be a one-year gig, turned into an 18 + years adventure. Chris attended the University of Maine at Orono, played NCAA softball and graduated with a degree in psychology. Currently, she enjoys participating in the Telluride women’s softball league in the summer and co-ed hockey league in the winter.
When not on the diamond or the ice, you can find her on one of the local lakes relaxing on a paddleboard, out in Disappointment Valley photographing wild horses, or with her One-to-One mentee exploring the greater San Juan Basin.
Although a tad ‘yoga challenged’, Chris looks forward to being a part of the Telluride Yoga Festival team!
Shevi Miller
Pass & Reservation Manager
Shevi is a Telluride, Colorado-based Breathwork practitioner, group facilitator, and self-care coach. As a lifetime learner with over 20 years of experience, Shevi’s teaching style has been influenced by Breathwork practices, Qigong, Yin and Restorative yoga, Zen meditation, and compassionate communication. She is passionate about self-care and helping others develop their own practices. She works with both groups and individuals with the goal of bringing peaceful balance into her clients’ lives. When not sharing her practice with others, Shevi is a dedicated mother of five, who enjoys hiking in nature and traveling in her camper with her husband.
Melanie McGlade
Merchandise Manager
Melanie began her journey as a yogi in Connecticut over 20 years ago while raising her two young boys, attending local classes in the Iyengar and Anusara traditions, and joining in many fun yoga retreats. Her commitment to the benefits and joy of being a lifelong student of yoga led her to the Nosara Yoga Institute in 2014 to receive her 200-hour yoga teaching certification. As a resident of our beautiful mountain town of Telluride, she pursues a daily yoga practice and has attended the TYF since 2007. Melanie is excited to incorporate her love of fashion and yoga into her role as Merchandising Manager for this extraordinary event, and to share joy with our great community of like-minded yogis at the TYF.