This Philly lifestyle guru is bringing her expertise to the classroom

Axios

24-02-2025

Inspirational speaker Pat Nogar has preached the power of gathering around a table in a TEDX talk. Now she's bringing her expertise to Main Line School Night.
Why it matters: The Philly lifestyle maven knows how to do two things better than most: host parties and tell stories. Through her local cooking classes, Nogar hopes to share her love of food and culture.
Driving the news: Nogar's first class at Main Line School Night, which offers classes about novel topics throughout the region, kicks off Wednesday.
The topic: Pairing Girl Scout cookies with wine.
To set the table: Nogar's life is bold and flavorful, like a Ruby Port wine paired with Samoas.
Her mother enrolled her in speech classes as a child. She later nurtured her love of storytelling at a Black newspaper in St. Louis.
Since then, Nogar has done a little bit of everything, including public relations and planning events. She now runs a business that educates people about the ins and outs of "living well."
But she takes most pride in table-scaping, something she learned from her mother.
"The table is a place of sacred refuge, where we can blot out the noise of the world, connect, nurture, and heal," Nogar said in her TEDX talk. "The table is a powerful place. Share your table with the world."
If you go: There's only one spot remaining in the Wednesday class, 6:30-8pm ($63).
Nogar is teaching additional courses in March and April.