Team Members
Team Members
Hello! It's great to meet you!
Owner, CEO
Chris Henline
I hope to never lose touch of our one-on-one customer service approach as it has served to build some of the greatest relationships and friendships I have ever had.
I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, in a small town called Spruce Pine. I learned at an early age what it meant to work as a means of survival, by stacking wood for my grandparents, starting my own lawn maintenance business at 12, and working at my parents’ furniture store all throughout high school and college.
With an early fascination in cars, and pretty much anything expensive, I didn’t know until my senior year of college that there was actually a collectors’ market for fine fountain pens. In fact, I thought they were a thing of the past! One of my best friends in college introduced me to Montblanc, and the amazing writing instruments they offered for sale, and I was instantly hooked. Truphae started as a way to earn a little supplemental income while I pursued a career in investment banking. I was blessed to work on Wall Street through an internship, tied with a continuing education program. After the internship ended, I began struggling to interview for firms in New York while being located in North Carolina. I eventually decided to pursue my true interest, and leave behind any aspirations of vast wealth. I wed my long-time girlfriend and pursued Truphae full time in 2016!
We moved to New York on our wedding day (we literally left the wedding and drove to the airport), and spent a year in the Big Apple. New York certainly taught us some great things, and gave us the drive to pursue our dreams. We relocated to Greenville, South Carolina (where I went to college!) in 2017, and have been here ever since! My dream for Truphae is to become a one-stop shop for all things fountain pens, and pen related items. I hope to never lose touch of our one-on-one customer service approach as it has served to build some of the greatest relationships and friendships I have ever had. Our pursuit of this goal has blessed us with 6 fantastic team members, who you will meet below. If you have shared interests with any one of them, they’d love to hear from you!
Co-owner
Kylie Henline
As the co-owner, support, and wife behind the Truphae brand, I naturally fell into the creative design side of the business, working mostly with ink and artwork. I am originally from Oregon, but grew up in the mountains of North Carolina. I’m a lover of all things furry, and am an aspiring Vegan. When I’m not working with Chris and the business, you can usual find me at a yoga studio!
Chief Operating Officer
Cary
Having known Chris for over seven years, I’ve long admired the values he brings to Truphae—especially his deep understanding of the fountain pen community and the spirit of Fountain Pen Day. With a shared vision, we’re focused on expanding meaningful in-store experiences like Pen Club, creative writing, and urban sketching that truly connect people beyond the page. Relocating to the warm, welcoming community of Greenville, SC has been a joy, and I’m energized by the opportunity to help grow a brand built on passion, community, and creativity.
Client Experience Director
Morgan
As Client Experience Director at Truphae, I oversee email marketing, website management, and customer experience initiatives. My focus is on creating engaging, personalized interactions that highlight the craftsmanship and creativity behind our pens, inks, paper, and accessories. I have also contributed to product photography and video content creation to support our visual storytelling.
Boutique Coordinator
April
A former editor and journalist raised in Upstate, SC, I am passionate about sharing stories and crafting extraordinary content. I've been a fountain pen enthusiast for more than 20 years and enjoy using my pens to write to my more than 30 pen pals, and for journaling. I don't have a "grail pen", but delight in sampling models from diverse brands throughout the pen universe. Now I have the chance to share my pen passion via Truphae: interacting with amazing customers, planning events, and creating content. Outside of Truphae, I love to read, travel to places with tropical beaches, create papercraft, and spend time with my husband and two children.
Creative Director
Cristy
Art and design have always been a part of my life. Coloring books, visits to the office/art supply shops for new stationery items, design school, photography classes... it has culminated in me working with beautiful fountain pens. As creative director, I manage photography, graphic design, and visual retail display. Whether we need new product photos for the website, fun graphics for our store windows, or new, appealing ways of displaying pens so everyone can drool over their stunning good looks (don’t worry, they are safe behind glass), the creative director had a hand in it! Thinking about the visual side of fountain pens is so exciting for me. I see them as works of art (which they are - have you seen some of these pens?). Outside of work, you can usually find me sleeping on a hammock by the side of the pool (at least that's the dream) or playing an intense game of roller derby - there's no in-between.
