Our Team

Isaiah holds a Masters Degree in Asian and comparative studies with an emphasis on Indo-Tibetan language and philosophy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. In 1999, he co-founded the Mind Body Awareness Project, an organization that teaches mindfulness skills to at-risk youth. In 2002 he worked on Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s film Travellers & Magicians as the assistant director and went on to associate produce Neten Chokling Rinpoche’s film Milarepa (2003). Isaiah currently works as a filmmaker directing commercials, music videos, and short films.

Yulia Sheynkman is an organizational consultant and leadership development coach, who focuses individuals and organizations be more effective during periods of rapid change. Yulia’s work also includes designing and leading executive development programs. Prior to her consulting career, Yulia held leadership positions in financial services and telecom sector, where she helped define technology strategies and product development initiatives. Prior to that, Yulia conducted cognitive science research on issues of human memory and perception at Princeton University. Yulia holds summa cum laude Bachelors in Psychology and Philosophy and Masters in Interactive Telecommunications both from New York University and coaching accreditation through International Coaching Federation, as well as certification in several assessment instruments. Yulia grew up in Moscow, Russia.

RepresentativesCanada Representative

Lily is a KF Country Representative. She is mainly responsible for building relationships with local sanghas, organising KF-related events, promoting KF activities, and helping the local Dharma community.

Lily lives in Vancouver with her three young children. She is a very energetic mom and has rich experiences in early childhood education and working with young kids. The whole family enjoys participating in different sports and outdoor activities and travelling to meet different people and places.

RepresentativesCanada Representative

As one of the KF County Representatives for Canada, Cathy Wen handles general enquires from local potential and existing sponsors and donors. She shares information regarding KF and its activities, looks after local donor-related work, and participates in KF activities during public teachings.

Cathy graduated from the University of British Columbia (Canada) with an MBA degree. She has over 30 years of professional experience in China, the United States, and Canada, serving three multinational corporations in various leadership roles. Her post-corporate career in the executive coaching field helped her gained deeper understanding about people’s sufferings of all kinds, despite their titles and achievements. Coupled with her own experience, this understanding motivates her in pursuing the path of Buddhadharma. She uses what she has learned from Rinpoche to help her clients and friends.

I met Rinpoche at the teaching at Hong Kong University in 2007. Since then, my life has changed profoundly. I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to serve Rinpoche and the Dharma through Khyentse Foundation. I am committed to fulfilling my role as a country representative with dedication and right intention.

ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Eyal reviews applications to the Scholarship Review Committee. His responsibility is to read scholarship applications and to dig into their details, then to evaluate and give feedback on their quality and compatibility with the vision of KF.

Eyal was born and raised in Israel. As part of a few years of compulsory army service, he trained as a paramedic and served in both civil and army settings. He received a BA and studied for one year toward an MA in psychology, and took a few courses in Buddhist Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2022-23, he worked for the Buddhist Studies department, which is funded by KF, and helped to organize international conferences on topics such as Abhidharma and Tibetan Buddhism.

After a few years of studying and practicing Hatha Yoga, I was fortunate to meet Rinpoche in Bodhgaya during the Siddhartha’s Intent festival in 2018. Since the end of the COVID pandemic I have spent most of my time in India and Nepal. These days I enthusiastically study Tibetan language and philosophy in Kathmandu.

ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Lori reviews Individual Practice Grants and Buddhist Studies Scholarship applications from monastics and lay people.

She has worked as an educator with students from preschool through grade 12, and also as a nurse in women’s health care.

I was a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche from 1978 until his death in 1986. I had the good fortune to be introduced to Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche by my son Harry.

TechnologySystems Engineering Manager

Diego is responsible for making sure that Khyentse Foundation’s technology tools are reliable, secure, and optimized for operational efficiency. Within the Tech Mandala, he consistently seeks effective alternatives for website hosting, identifies cybersecurity risks, updates tools, assists with database queries, and provides tech support on request.

Diego holds a BA in Electrical Engineering and an MSc in System Engineering. He comes from a family that likes dismantling and remounting things, from portable FM radios to cloud computing. He has experience with railway systems, energy, banking and payment, investment portfolio robots, and analytics for smart cities. He enjoys gardening as well as experimenting with new tech. He currently lives in Brazil.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member

Sonam feels honored and grateful to join the Khyentse Foundation board of directors. She is committed to doing her best to help in this important role, and she looks forward to supporting the foundation’s mission to promote Buddhist study and practice around the world in any way she can.

Sonam is a civil servant in Bhutan, and most of her knowledge comes from her experience working with the Ministry of Finance. Along with serving on the Khyentse Foundation board of directors, she is also a board member for Jamyang Khyenpa, an organization under Bhutan’s Commission for Religious Organizations.

In 2015, I met Rinpoche for the first time and that moment changed everything. That year marked a major turning point for me, and from then on, my life took a different path. I feel incredibly grateful for his guidance, his teachings, his blessings, and simply for his presence in our lives. My hope is to serve him well and to be the kind of student worthy of such an incredible teacher, doing whatever I can to support his vision. Having this chance in life feels like a true blessing, and I cherish it deeply.

AdministrationAdministration Support

Maya joined KF in 2024 as administrative support.

Maya is proud to be a third generation buddhist, and grew up between Colorado and India. She has a BA in art history and architectural studies from Middlebury College in Vermont. She’s honored to work at Khyentse Foundation and to be a part of such an incredible organization and team.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
Executive CommitteeCommittee Member
ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Sean is a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. On the Scholarships Committee, he helps review applications twice a year.

Sean has spent his career working in corporate turnarounds and rescues, with particular focus on corporate strategy and leadership in underperforming companies. His current interests are in the impact and use of artificial intelligence in organizations and what Buddhadharma can contribute to AI research. He has a BA in International Relations from George Washington University, Washington, DC. He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO); he recently founded the Straits Tigers Chapter.

I picked up Rinpoche’s book Not For Happiness, curious about why anyone would try to sell a book with that title. I read it slowly while hiking the Shikoku Henro Buddhist pilgrimage route in Japan, and it sustained me through typhoon rainfall, steep mountain passes, and blistered feet. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to support Rinpoche’s projects and plans.

Ashoka India GrantsCommittee Member
India Programs CommitteeCommittee Member

Supported the Edinburgh Buddhist Studies program since 2020.

Supported the establishment of the Budapest Center of Buddhist Studies as a research and organizing center of Buddhology in 2013.

Established the Palyul-Khyentse Chair in Buddhist Textual Studies with matching support from Yayasan Pema Norbu Vihara in 2023.

TechnologyTechnology Manager Chinese Language

CommunicationsManaging Editor

Frances joined Khyentse Foundation’s Communications Team as English editor and writer in 2022 and now serves as managing editor. As well as overseeing the publication schedule and managing workflows, she writes and edits most of the team’s English-language articles and announcements, and coordinates and edits the annual report. She also checks translations from Chinese to English and maintains the team’s editorial style guide.

Frances has a BA in Language from the University of York and an MA in Archaeology (Buddhist Art of Dunhuang; Aspects of Buddhism; and Chinese Ceramics) from SOAS University of London. Her first editorial role was for New World Press in Beijing. She has since served as managing editor of the Buddhistdoor Global website and the Asian art magazine Orientations, both based in Hong Kong. She has also edited Chinese art exhibition catalogues for the Victoria and Albert Museum and The Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum, as well as for private collectors.

I first met the dharma in 1982 and began a regular practice after encountering the Nyingma tradition in 1998. As well as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, my teachers have included Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. I was fortunate to complete a 3-year retreat under Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s guidance in 2012.

CommunicationsEditor

Grants Management and SupportNepal Projects Support

PhD ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Academic Development CommitteeCommittee Member

Trent Walker is a member of Khyentse Foundation’s Academic Development Committee, which focuses on grants to and partnerships with universities around the world. As part of this committee, he also helps organize and host the monthly Goodman Lectures, which showcase some of the Buddhist studies scholars that KF works with around the globe.

Trent Walker is assistant professor of Southeast Asian studies and Thai Professor of Theravada Buddhism at the University of Michigan. Prior to moving to Ann Arbor, he completed postdoctoral fellowships at Chulalongkorn University (sponsored by Khyentse Foundation) and the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford University. A specialist in Southeast Asian Buddhist music, literature, and manuscripts, he earned his PhD in Buddhist studies from the University of California, Berkeley in 2018. His publications focus on issues of ritual, literary, and intellectual history in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

I deeply admire KF’s nonsectarian approach to supporting Buddhist scholarship and practice. My perspective is shaped by an immersion into the Theravada tradition; in my teens and early 20s, I spent 5 months as a novice monk in Cambodia and trained for several years in Khmer chanting techniques. I’m very fortunate to have regular opportunities to perform for ritual and cultural functions in Southeast Asia and the United States. In my teaching and research work, I’m particularly drawn to projects that make Southeast Asia’s Buddhist heritage more accessible to communities both in the region and in diaspora.

Yang Yang translates KF documents from Chinese into English.

One evening in 2014 I was trapped at the Shanghai airport by a typhoon. Extremely weary, I walked into a bookstore where I found What Makes You Not a Buddhist among the self-help books. By the time I finished the book, the plane was landing in Shenzhen. Facing the clear sky and shining stars, I made a wish and vow. May I encounter Rinpoche in this lifetime and ask him in person: How does reincarnation come about? Under the influence of my mother, I was a sort of Buddhist believer, but I refused to convert to Buddhism because of doubts about the origin of reincarnation and ignorance.

In early 2015, my family settled in Berkeley, California. On the morning of July 19 , a friend from Beijing told me that Rinpoche was giving a talk in Berkeley that very day. When I rushed into the hall at the last moment, Rinpoche was seated in the center of the stage. The theme of his talk was “Is There Buddhism Without Rebirth?” I couldn’t tell if my face was sweaty or teary. Three months later, I had taken the three refuges and stepped onto the Bodhisattva path.
2014年某一傍晚,我被台风困在上海机场,无聊之际走进一家书店。在一堆自我励志书中发现一本《正见》。作者宗萨钦哲仁波切开示让我醍醐灌顶。我阅遍此书，飞机已到深圳上空等待降落。面对繁星点缀清澈天空,我许下一愿立下一誓。愿此生让我偶遇仁波切,当面请教我的疑问：轮回如何产生?受我母亲的影响，我是一个所谓的信佛者对于轮回和无明起源疑虑而拒绝皈依佛法。不像仁波切的许多追随者,我不愿刻意前往不丹或印度追遇仁波切。2015年初，我家搬至加州伯克利紧邻校园。7月19日一早远在北京的朋友电话告之仁波切在伯克利。最后时刻我冲进大厅时,仁波切座在舞台中央。看着屏幕上演讲主题：没有来生的佛教存在吗？我分不清满脸是汗还是泪。三个月后我受了三皈,开始了我的菩萨之誓。

TranslationChinese Translator

Xuan translates the annual report, newsletter, and other publications into Chinese.

Xuan was born in China and now lives in the United States. She got her master’s degree in the US and then worked as an architect and urban designer for 15 years.

I was inspired by Rinpoche’s speech about Buddhist philosophy and my personal meditation experience, and started practicing Dharma 4 years ago. I’m following Rinpoche’s Ngöndro Sangha for everyday practice.

TranslationChinese Translator

Yu-chien has been volunteering in the translation and proofreading of the KF news from English to Chinese since 2013. Occasionally she has translated for 84000 and Siddhartha’s Intent as well.

Yu-chien received her PhD in anthropology. She loves literature and enjoys chanting in Sanskrit.

KF IndiaBoard Member
Ashoka India GrantsCommittee Member
Trisong India GrantsCommittee Member
Monastic InstitutesKanishka School
India Programs CommitteeOperations Director

Uma works in accounts management and project coordination for KF India activities. The India Program Committee reviews all India-related Ashoka Grant applications and referrals from other grant review committees related to India-based applications

She is a science graduate and accounts apprentice with work experience in marketing, corporate skills training and operations training, project management and transition, operations and people management, prevention of money laundering, and sanctions compliance.

TechnologyTechnology Support

AdministrationAdministration Support

TranslationChinese Translator

RepresentativesUnited Kingdom Representative

RepresentativesIndia Representative

AdvisorsAdvisor
Ashoka India GrantsCommittee Member
India Programs CommitteeCommittee Member

As an advisor to the KF board, Dr. Dixey has general oversight of the range of activities undertaken, looking out for strategic synergies and objectives going forward. With such a vast and dynamic mission, one of the unique characteristics of KF is its strong strategic focus, expressed in the range of projects it undertakes. This is the fruit of a systematic planning process that is regularly reviewed. Dr. Dixey also sits on the India Committee, which supports projects that have the potential to create real impact.

Educated as a scientist in the UK, Dr. Dixey’s life has circled between academic pursuits, spiritual practice, and practical projects. After taking his first degree at Oxford (during which he took a year off to visit India, spending time at Samye Ling), he taught in an esoteric school before opening a laboratory researching body energy in a major London hospital. His research led him to the Chinese medical tradition, and to becoming the chief executive of a UK pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel medicines based on ancient knowledge systems. He retired in 2007 to devote himself full time to Buddhist activities.

KF IndiaAdvisor

Prashant manages and oversees projects of Siddhartha’s Intent India, under the guidance and leadership of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.

Prashant grew up in Chandigarh, Mumbai. After pursuing a double bachelor’s degree in philosophy and politics, he interned with INEB (Thailand) for 2 years (2000-2002) on various projects in Southeast Asia. He then returned to India to pursue personal Buddhist studies in the Himalayas and to work toward a master’s degree in film.

I had the fortune to start to serve Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche from 2004 onwards. The rest is a blessed journey…

Academic Development CommitteeCo-Chair
Kumarajiva ProjectEnglish Editor

Sarah is co-chair of the Academic Development Committee, which evaluates grant applications from universities and academic institutions around the world and determines which align most closely and effectively with Khyentse Foundation’s mission to preserve and promote Buddha’s wisdom. She is also a member of the Kumarajiva Project Executive Committee as the English editor.

Sarah holds a BA in Philosophy from Middlebury College and an MA in Secondary Mathematics Education from Columbia University. She completed a Master of Divinity in Buddhist Chaplaincy from University of the West while raising her three children and was ordained as a lay Buddhist minister in 2015. Sarah and her husband currently live in London, where she volunteers as a Buddhist chaplain at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She also serves in various capacities across the Khyentse Mandala network. She was originally lured to Tibetan Buddhism by its use of reason to invite comfort in paradox.

Grants Management and SupportSpanish Language Consultant
TranslationSpanish Translator

Sara volunteers on the website team as one of the UX designers. Her goal is to create compelling experiences for users of the website, often drawing on results from user research and workflow analysis. She also translates the website content into Spanish and supports KF in the Spanish translation grants.

Sara was born in the south of Spain. She found a connection to the Buddhist path from a young age. In 2009 she traveled to Nepal and India to deepen her practice and study of the Dharma. She also spent time studying Tibetan language at Manjushri Institute in Darjeeling. Sara moved to the United States in 2014 and now works as a UX/UI designer for NASA in California. She continues to dedicate her time to study, practice, and volunteer work for Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s organizations. She also works occasionally as a Spanish interpreter for Rinpoche’s teachings and as a Spanish translator for some of his writings.

I met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Bir in 2010 and soon after became his student; I have studied and practiced under his guidance ever since.

AdvisorsAdvisor

Peter Skilling was appointed a Khyentse Foundation Fellow in 2012, and is an advisor to the foundation.

Peter Skilling grew up in Hanover, New Hampshire, and then Toronto, Canada, but a fascination with Buddhism and Asian culture inspired him to move to Asia. In the 1970s, he spent 3 years as a Buddhist monk in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. Since then he has lived in Thailand, studying and translating Buddhist texts in classical and local languages, including Thai, Pali, Tibetan, and Sanskrit. In the early 1990s he founded the Fragile Palm Leaves Foundation for the study and preservation of Southeast Asian manuscripts. Currently, the foundation cooperates with BDRC on the digitization of Pali and Burmese manuscripts, which digitizes manuscripts, inscriptions, and visual art in central Thai monasteries. He has received many academic honors and has been a visiting professor at universities around the world, including Oxford, Paris, Harvard, Berkeley, Sydney, Pune, Soka, Fudan, and Dongguk.

Now retired from academia, Peter is devoted to translating Buddhist sutras from the kanjur and the Pali and Sanskrit canons and to the study of ancient inscriptions and the archaeological and other remains of early Buddhist cultures and civilizations.

His book, Questioning the Buddha: A Selection of Twenty-Five Sutras, with a foreword by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, was published in August 2021 by Wisdom Publications. A second book, Buddha’s Words for Tough Times, An Anthology, contains 20 translations from Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Pali.

OfficersTreasurer
AccountingTreasurer

Shelley has been training under the guidance of Marco Noailles to become the next treasurer of Khyentse Foundation. The accounting team provides bookkeeping and accounting for KF to ensure that every offering is properly accounted for, from the time it;s received from the donor until it’s given to the grant or scholarship recipient.

Shelley met Rinpoche in San Francisco in 2002. He received a Khyentse Foundation practice scholarship to complete a 3-year retreat at Vajradhara Gonpa in Kyogle, Australia, from 2005 to 2008. He began volunteering for the KF accounting team in 2011, helping at first with accounting and database support for 84000. After going on pilgrimage to the four holy places in 2018, Shelley and his wife Laura and son Obama volunteered at Sea to Sky Retreat Centre in Whistler, Canada for 2 years. He currently lives in Durham, North Carolina, where he is studying accounting and finance.

I am forever grateful to Rinpoche, Khyentse Foundation and all the donors who generously helped support my time in retreat. It is a great honor and privilege to help lead the KF accounting team into the next generation. I feel so inspired by the generosity and devotion of the KF donors and the amazing work to support and strengthen the Buddhadharma being accomplished by all the KF scholarship and grant award recipients throughout the world.

PhD ScholarshipsCommittee Member
Academic Development CommitteeResearch, Special Projects

Sydney is Research Director for the Academic Development Committee. She develops relationships with potential grantees in academic settings to gather information that the committee needs to make informed decisions about proposals submitted for funding. In her role as a committee member, she assesses the merits of proposals, which vary from requests for setting up centers for Buddhist study to creating resource material for scholars to use in developing programs to support both postdoctoral and graduate students, and more. She is actively involved in bringing about Rinpoche’s vision for supporting the academic study of Buddhist in Western countries and elsewhere.

Sydney has an unusually varied background. Her first career was in nursing, followed by a stint as a graduate student in English literature and quickly followed by study and certification as a clinical social worker. She obtained a PhD in social work at the age of 55 from UC Berkeley and worked in leadership training with a major global consulting firm. That role enabled her to develop with her husband, Chris, a course in leadership for monks, khenpos, and leaders in Rinpoche’s mandala and for a group of young Tibetan and Bhutanese tulkus.

I had tentatively connected with another teacher who was not quite right for me. I heard about Rinpoche, went to one of his introductory talks, and knew as soon as he walked into the room that he was my teacher. I have never wavered from that decision. In my personal life, I lost a child when he was 17 and I was still a student at Berkeley. In that same period of time, both my mother and my father died. These losses brought painfully tangible experiences of impermanence and “death is real, it comes without warning, this body will be a corpse.” It has also heightened my awareness of the suffering of others.

ScholarshipsChair
OfficersSecretary

Stephanie has been a KF volunteer since 2005 and chair of the Scholarships and Awards Committee since 2011. She was recently appointed as the volunteer and team manager, and serves as KF’s secretary.

Stephanie is also a working painter.

I met Khyentse Rinpoche in 1996. I’m misquoting him, but he said that an artist could reach enlightenment by making art if they had the right view. I have been his victim ever since.

RepresentativesSingapore Representative

Tessa is involved in general matters and logistics for KF events in Singapore.

Tessa is a business graduate with hospitality and education work experience.

I am a city-dwelling Singaporean. I became a so-called student of Rinpoche’s after attending his teachings in Hong Kong. I enjoy listening to Rinpoche’s teachings and reading his books, which opened my heart and mind. I joined as a Khyentse Foundation member, invited by Rinpoche, in 2013.

RepresentativesBhutan Representative
Board Of DirectorsBoard Member

Tashi is honored to be appointed as a member of the Khyentse Foundation board of directors. Recognizing that this honor is a significant responsibility, she is fully committed to doing her best to serve in this role. She is deeply grateful to Rinpoche and the KF team for placing their trust in her work and for this opportunity to contribute to Khyentse Foundation’s mission.

Tashi served as an HR officer, a civil servant in Bhutan, for the past 13 years. While work life has been fulfilling, she has always had the eagerness to pursue the path of Buddhadharma. This has been the closest to her heart.

Supporting Rinpoche’s vision for Khyentse Foundation and all of his other activities is not only a privilege but a purpose that I am dedicated to fulfilling with sincerity and dedication.

Suyin has been a beneficiary coordinator since the start of KF, but is now limiting her role to working with only a few long-time award recipients.

Suyin’s work background is in nursing and counselling psychology. Since meeting the dharma, she and her husband Doug Rickson founded Rigpa Canada. In the late 1990s they became students of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. With Rinpoche’s blessings, in the early 2000s she and Doug spent several 3-month stints in eastern Bhutan at Chador Lakhang, teaching conversational English to the 80+ monks. That experience brought some of the greatest joys of their lives.

KF has been a huge part of my life since its inception, when Cangioli and I chatted about such an organization. It has been deeply heartwarming to see its growth and impact throughout the world. Rinpoche is my guide!

India Programs CommitteeCommittee Member
Ashoka India GrantsCommittee Member

Pravin is an executive member of the Khyentse Foundation India Program Committee (IPC). He participates in all meetings and activities of the IPC. One of his key roles in Khyentse Foundation is to assist in selecting grant recipients.

Pravin was born in a Shakya Buddhist family at the Buddhist pilgrimage site Sankasya. He Joined Rinpoche’s centre Deer Park Institute in 2008. Rinpoche asked him to be a part of the Khyentse Foundation India Program Committee. He tries his best to serve Rinpoche’s vision and mission for the revival of Buddha, dharma, and sangha in India.

I met my guru H.E. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche for the first time in 2008. Following Rinpoche’s advice, I promised that I will serve him for minimum 20 years.

ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Kumarajiva ProjectAccounting
AccountingAccounting Manager
Monastic InstitutesCoordinator

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member

Richard is a general and holistic dentist with a private practice in Los Angeles. He enjoys doing missionary work around the world. He serves as the dental director for the Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, USA, and is a certified CPR instructor for the American Red Cross.

I have been a student of Rinpoche since 2004.

Ashoka Education GrantsCommittee Member

Grants Management and SupportBeneficiary Coordinator

RepresentativesTaiwan Representative

Monastic InstitutesCoordinator
AccountingFinance Manager

Toni is a chartered management accountant from London. Of Anglo-Spanish parents, she grew up in Spain before moving to the UK in 1992. She first came into contact with Buddhism while following her trekking passion in Asia. Inspired by Rinpoche’s YouTube teachings, she flew to Hong Kong in 2013 to meet him. In 2014 she gave up her job as a business analyst at the Financial Times to help with Rinpoche’s activities.

CommunicationsCreative Director
TechnologyWebsite Lead

TechnologyWebmaster and Lead Developer

Academic Development CommitteeCommittee Member

Prof. Mattia Salvini Dharmavardhana Jñānagarbha is a member of the Academic Development Committee, whose main responsibility is to evaluate grant applications that include academically relevant content. Through discussion, committee members determine which applications best fit with Khyentse Foundation’s overall vision, often considering the increasingly active interface between academia and the broader Buddhist community.

After receiving a BA and MA in Sanskrit at RKM Vivekananda College, Chennai (India), Prof. Salvini obtained a PhD from SOAS (UK). While working on his PhD, he began teaching, first at Rangjung Yeshe Institute (Nepal) and then at the International Buddhist College (Thailand). He then worked for Mahidol University (Thailand), coming back to the International Buddhist College in 2019. His main interest is the continuation of the Sanskrit Buddhist tradition, for which purpose he coordinates the Saugatam platform. His academic writing focuses on Madhyamaka, and on the connections between Buddhist philosophy and different areas of Sanskrit learning.

While in India studying for my BA and MA, I learned the basics of the dharma from my dear classmate Somsak Paryatyaporn, who at the time was a fully ordained bhikkhu. Then, thanks to Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, I had the opportunity to meet and study with Prof. Ramshankar Tripathi in Sarnath. I received teachings primarily from Tibetan lamas, in India, Nepal, and Thailand: Ayang Rinpoche, Lama Gelong Tsultrim Gyaltsen, Lama Rinchen Phuntsok, and others, from different lineages. In particular, Lama Gelong Tsultrim Gyaltsen helped me integrate Sanskrit learning and personal practice and, relying on his kindness and advice, I now try my best to share materials for those who wish to study and practice Buddhism in Sanskrit.

PhD ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Pascale Hugon is a member of the review committee for the Translation Studies Scholarship program and the PhD Scholarship program.

She is a researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, specializing in the Tibetan Buddhist scholastic tradition.

Grants Management and SupportRussian Language Consultant

Dr. Yakovchenko assists in the consideration of Russian-language grants applications.

She is a doctor and health care organizer in the rehabilitation field, also engaged in project management, based on the Dragon Dreaming system (projects with an open center).

My connection was really like a wonderful dream and could only happen because of the love and kindness of Rinpoche, Arne, and all other amazing people from the best sangha.

Monastic InstitutesHealthcare Support

Working at Kanishka School, Nikki Keefe addresses the health care needs of the 145 residential monks, aged 5 to 17. Her role includes providing education, developing a health care curriculum and programs, assessing the school facilities and dormitories, and making recommendations and helping to implement these to improve health and hygiene standards. She supports the Tibetan registered nurse and visiting doctor at DKCLI in providing health care and working with the school coordinator Uma Pitta, the school principal, and others at the school and shedra to provide the best possible health care and education for the monks.

Nikki Keefe is a registered nurse with a postgraduate diploma in Health Science, specialising in infectious disease and public health. She has over 40 years’ experience as a nurse, including significant history with DKCLI, in Chauntra, India, setting up a hepatitis B vaccination program in the shedra for the 600 resident monks and staff, a program that continues to this day, in addition to providing health care and education to the monks.

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche at Vajradhara Gonpa, Kyogle, Australia, in 1996 and have been studying with him ever since he bestowed the Longchen Nyinthik Ngöndro teachings in 1998. I have been very fortunate to receive teachings and attend retreats and drupchens all over the world with him and many of our beloved Lineage masters. I am currently in the Dharma Gar Asia program and have been an active member of the Siddhartha’s Intent Australia committee since 2009.

CommunicationsInternational Presentations Coordinator
Donor RelationsTeam Member

Mee Wah is responsible for Global Presentations, which involves working closely with communications, design, country, and regional representatives, local sangha, and volunteers to set up a consistent visual and verbal presentation of KF at Rinpoche’s public teachings. She is also part of the website team, as well as the South East Asia representative.

Mee Wah’s background is in marketing, branding, communications, and investor relations. Following her exit from the corporate world, she focused on nonprofits. She is a certified professional coach, a Virtues Project facilitator, and a certified spinning instructor.

My connection with Rinpoche was established in 2009, when I was given a copy of What Makes You Not a Buddhist.

Ashoka GrantsChair

Ngodrup chairs the Ashoka Grants Committee. The committee evaluates two sets of grant applications, a winter batch and a summer batch. The applications received are mostly dharma related, and the committee’s task is to evaluate them for their relevance to promoting and preserving the dharma. Committee members evaluate the grant applications independently, and conclusions are based on the committee members’ independent comments and scores. The main task of the committee chair is to put together a succinct report for Rinpoche to help him decide which applications deserve the financial support of Khyentse Foundation.

Ngodrup studied hotel business administration in Germany, tourism marketing at Surrey University, and professional accounting in London. He started his career working in the tourism industry in Bhutan and did a short spell as undersecretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Bhutan. He is currently semiretired, looking after accounts and tax affairs for a few old clients in the film and theatre industry.

My connection to Rinpoche and his family started with Dudjom Rinpoche’s arrival in Bhutan when His Holiness and his family escaped from Tibet during the cultural revolution. Their escape route was through Eastern Bhutan. During Dudjom Rinpoche’s stay in Eastern Bhutan he bestowed the Rinchen Terdzo empowerment and during that time my family established a close connection with His Holiness. I have had the good fortune to receive teachings and blessings from Rinpoche, his father HH Dungse Thinley Norbu, and his grandfather HH Dudjom Rinpoche. During my time in Thimphu, Bhutan, I also had the good fortune to receive blessings from Rinpoche’s maternal grandfather, Lama Sonam Zangpo.

RepresentativesGermany Representative

TranslationFrench Translator
RepresentativesSwitzerland Representative

Marie is the contact for French speakers who are interested in KF and its activities, and serves as a link between KF and SIE for French speakers. She coordinates translations into French, including subtitles of Rinpoche’s video teachings and other translations.

Marie worked for 30 years in journalism and publishing work, in French.

I met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in 1992.

Investment Committee AdvisorsAdvisor

Miles Santo is an advisor to the Investment Committee and manages investments for Siddhartha’s Intent Canada.

Miles is a Canadian investment advisor, managing money primarily for individuals and families through his own company, Miles Santo and Associates Inc. He is a mutual fund dealer registered with the securities commissions in Ontario and B.C., Canada. He has four decades of experience in achieving above-average long-term investment performance for his clients. His advisory style has evolved since his intersection with Buddhism 30 years ago. Currently, the six paramitas guide his investment strategy, while meditation invokes clarity to help him pursue beneficial client outcomes. Every activity has the potential for practice, and managing money is no exception.

Academic Development CommitteeCommittee Member

Mingyuan joined the KF Academic Development Committee in 2021. In addition to evaluating proposals about academic projects, he mainly concentrates on KF’s cooperation with the institutions in relation to Buddhist Studies in China and individual applications from Chinese students for KF scholarships. He also participates in designing the KF Goodman lectures, particularly in Chinese media.

Mingyuan had been obsessed with western philosophical questions. In 2009 he encountered Buddhadharma when he read Khyentse Rinpoche’s What Makes You Not a Buddhist, which sparked his interest in studying Buddhist doctrines. With financial support from KF, Mingyuan got his PhD under the supervision of Ven. Prof. KL Dhammajoti, the recipient of the 2015 Khyentse Foundation Fellowship. His PhD thesis won the 2020 Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies. His research is mainly based on Abhidharma and early Yogācāra texts in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Classical Chinese.

When being funded by KF while doing my doctorate, I was deeply impressed by KF’s genuine sincerity in helping applicants and promoting Buddhist scholarship. The nonsectarian and nonbureaucratic way that KF evaluates applications on a case-by-case basis without emphasis on requiting or cult of personality concretizes the true teachings of the Buddha. I feel truly honored to work with KF to help those who are devoted to seeking the Buddhadharma.

Grants Management and SupportBeneficiary Coordinator

Pat has volunteered as a beneficiary coordinator since 2006. In this role she is a liaison between Khyentse Foundation and grant awardees for the term of their grant—and often beyond. She also produces grant agreements, arranges for the transfer of funds, and requests and archives the annual reports regarding grant-funded activities.

Pat was raised on the Canadian prairies but was drawn to the West Coast as if by magic as well as by love. With a degree in anthropology, qualification as a rehabilitation consultant, and training in archival administration, she has enjoyed a diverse career, including managing a forensic clinical practice and organizing the records of an international company. Pat divides her time between Vancouver and her cabin in the woods, where she and her husband watch the deer play, listen to the owls hooting, catch and release the mice, and dream of becoming crazy-wise cat people.

With immense gratitude, in 2005 I was accepted as a student by DJKR. Since then, I have attended and volunteered at various teachings and retreats, and several times I have been honoured to serve Rinpoche at these events.

Pawo Choyning Dorjee helps the Scholarship Committee review applications. He finds it a very enriching and inspiring experience hearing personal stories of hope and aspiration from devoted Buddhist practitioners and students from the world over. Hearing their stories makes him appreciate the richness of the Buddhadharma even more.

Pawo is a story teller. He undertook a 5-year project of retracing Xuanzang’s 7th-century Journey to the West. He traveled the ancient silk roads of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India documenting the region’s ancient Buddhist sites and cultures. The photos and stories are documented in his book The Light of the Moon. He was the Producer of Rinpoche’s fourth feature film, Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait. In 2019, he wrote and directed his own feature film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. The film, which was made entirely with solar batteries in the world’s most remote school in the Himalayan glaciers, has won numerous international awards and became Bhutan’s first Oscar entry in 33 years.

I have been serving Rinpoche as part of his Khyentse Labrang in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, since 2006.

Investment CommitteeCommittee Member

Marco has been the foundation’s treasurer since its inception. He is responsible for overseeing the general financial management of KF, including maintaining its books and records, financial reporting, budgets, compliance with all federal and state regulatory requirements, and annual audit preparation and reporting.

Originally from northern Minnesota, Marco graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, with a major in economics. He was instrumental in establishing several cooperatives in Madison, Wisconsin, and in the late 1960s and ’70s lived in various communal situations in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. He met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1972 and immediately became his student. Soon thereafter he moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he helped start Naropa Institute. He attended the 1975 Vajradhatu Seminary, where the second of his three sons was born. He moved to Karme Choling, Vermont, in the early 1980s, where he became the business manager and eventually the controller. Later he moved back to Chicago and worked at a CPA firm for 10 years, eventually becoming a CPA. He moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1994, where he has held various managerial accounting positions.

I met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche at the cremation of Trungpa Rinpoche in 1987 and became a devoted student of his in 1992. I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon, with my wife Penny since 1994 and have been fortunate to attend nearly all of Rinpoche’s teachings in the Pacific Northwest and California over the years. When time permits, I enjoy visiting my grown sons and granddaughter in Colorado and Michigan. I also try to journey to Northern Minnesota once a year to frolic with my numerous siblings and their families, listen to the loons, and replenish my supply of noncultivated wild rice.

RepresentativesUnited Kingdom Representative

Penelope tends the UK KF bank account and sends the funds to the main KF account in the United States twice a year. She also answers queries and emails related to KF, and makes sure that our donors are in the loop. She is vice president of Lotus Outreach.

She grew up in New York City, where she studied and worked as a model. She now lives in London and has two grown-up children. She has just completed her first novel.

I met Rinpoche in 1992.

AdvisorsAdvisor

Patrick spent the first 12 years of his life in Kenya, where he was born to a German mother and French father. He went to school in Austria and then read history in Cambridge, where he graduated with an MA honours degree. After military service in the French army, he obtained an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau. He then worked as a management consultant, specialising in business strategy, until he founded his own business, The Daylight Company, in 1988. Currently he is the owner and chair of this company, which specialises in designing and manufacturing ergonomic task lighting for artists, craftsmen, people with sight loss, industry, and health and beauty.

I have been a student of Khyentse Rinpoche since 1992.

RepresentativesNew Zealand Representative

TranslationChinese Translator

RepresentativesUnited States of America Representative

As USA representative, Linda is available for all inquiries regarding KF and its activities in the United States. She also participates in KF activities during teachings and retreats.

Linda was administrative coordinator for the Translation Project in India, which later became 84000. She also worked for an international import/export company for 30 years, handling the logistics for the movement of their products. She is currently working on video editing projects and writing.

I have been a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche for 27 years. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with him and to receive so many blessings!

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
Executive CommitteeCommittee Member
OfficersExecutive Director
Donor RelationsTeam Member

Lynn first volunteered for Khyentse Foundation in 2007. She later became the administration director, overseeing the foundation’s operations and volunteer coordination. In 2024, she stepped into the role of executive director, taking over from retiring director Cangioli Che. Lynn is a member of the board of directors as well as the Executive Committee, and is involved with most of the working committees.

Lynn has a BA in Philosophy from Clark University in Worcester Massachusetts, and in 2001 she received a master’s degree in Asian and Comparative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

I have been a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche since 2004.

Grants Management and SupportArabic Language Consultant

Kholoud Barakat has served for over fifteen years as a university lecturer, educational coach and regional program coordinator for school teachers, refugees, and grassroots activists. She has worked at local, regional and international-level organisations in the Middle East. She received her Masters in Translation (Arabic – English) from Jordan University in 1999, and went on to translate professionally for over 12 years.

Since moving to the United States, I have immersed myself in Buddhist studies and have translated through the support of Khyentse Foundation several books in my effort to introduce Dharma teachings to the Arab world.

Investment Committee AdvisorsAdvisor
RepresentativesBrazil Representative
ScholarshipsCommittee Member
Grants Management and SupportMajor Grants Supervisor
TranslationPortuguese Translator

Luciana is KF country representative for Brazil. She helps translate the KF website into Portuguese. The Portuguese website uploads and provides information related to KF projects and programs and how to support KF. On the Scholarships Committee, she helps review the applications twice a year. As an advisor to the Investment Committee, she provides information related to Brazil risk.

Luciana has spent most of her professional career working with global banks in corporate finance. She has also pioneered environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices as a researcher, teacher, and advisor, helping corporate clients to assess risks related to climate change, natural resource constraints, and broader ESG factors. She has an MSc in energy planning from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPE- UFRJ) and in environmental technology from Imperial College of London. She also holds an MBA in international finance from Pace University, NY and a bachelor’s degree in statistics from ENCE in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I have been a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche since 2002. I met Rinpoche at Chagdud Gonpa Khadro Ling during his first trip to Brazil. I helped organize Rinpoche’s teachings and group practice in Brazil. I also coordinated Buda de Ipanema from 2006 until 2017, when SI Brasil was established.

Khenpo Choying Dorjee was born a student of the Khyentse lineage. He was also a devoted student of the late Khen Rinpoche Kunga Wangchuk. He joined Dzongsar Institute in 1992, when it was still located in Bir. In 1998 he was granted his shastra degree in Buddhism, which is the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. He received his archaya title, which is the equivalent of an MA, in 2001. He received his khenpo title in 2002 and received his khenpo degree, which is the equivalent of a PhD in Buddhism, in 2004. Khenpo worked as a revision teacher (kyorpon) at the shedra from 1999 to 2000 and continued as a head teacher until 2013. In 2010, he was appointed as a teacher of Sakya Dungsay Avikrita Rinpoche. He served as assistant principal of the shedra from 2008 to 2012, and Rinpoche appointed him to be DKCLI’s head principal for the 2013 to 2016 term. From 2006 to 2007 he studied English at the British Council in Singapore. In 2011, Rinpoche sent him to UC Berkeley as a visiting scholar, sponsored by KF.

Ashoka Translation GrantsCommittee Member

John Canti is a founding member of the Padmakara Translation Group. He was a Tsadra Foundation Fellow from 2001-2012, and received the 2016 Khyentse Foundation Fellowship. In 2009, when 84000 first started, he was appointed editorial chair and he is now editorial co-director.

I studied medicine and anthropology at the University of Cambridge. While still a medical student in the early 1970s, I studied with some of the great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the older generation, especially Kangyur Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. I qualified as a doctor in 1975. After practicing medicine in the UK, and then in northeastern Nepal in the late 1970s, I moved to the Dordogne, France, where I completed two 3-year retreats. I have remained primarily based there ever since.

Ashoka GrantsCommittee Member

Lisa has been the foundation’s secretary since its inception in 2001. She also helps review applications for the Ashoka Grants committee.

Lisa lives in Seattle, Washington, where she works as an internal medicine physician.

Ashoka Education GrantsCommittee Member

Lucia assesses the applications for the Ashoka Education for Children subcommittee.

Over the past 20 years, she has been part of a number of formal and informal educational institutions worldwide as a teacher, facilitator, and consultant.

In 2008 I went to Deer Park Institute in India with a class of little children while working for Tibetan Children Village as a teacher. When I got there, it felt like arriving home. And so my Buddhist path started from there.

TranslationChinese Translator

Joanne joined KF as a message translator when the foundation was established in Taiwan. She works with 84000 as well. It is a blessing to be part of the team—she says, “What I have received is far more than I have done.”

Joanne is a statistician with 20 years’ working experience in Taiwan and the United States. She relocated to Shanghai 12 years ago, mainly to focus on consumer behaviors.

It was the greatest blessing to meet Rinpoche by surprise in the airport in 1999. I barely knew him at that time. He was having breakfast in the airport café with a few disciples. I don’t know why I had the courage to sit down with them. It must be the glory of wisdom emitted from Rinpoche that inspired me at that moment. I followed him to the gate and said “Rinpoche, please come back soon.” With that magic connection, I have followed Rinpoche’s teachings ever since. Without Rinpoche’s blessings, I would never have had a chance to know that there is a path to enlightenment.

RepresentativesCanada Representative

Johannah is responsible for responding to public inquiries regarding donations, activities, and local events.

She has more than 30 years’ experience as an actor in the television and film industry. As an acting instructor for the past 8 years, she is inspired by the power and possibility of creative expression and storytelling informed by a Buddhist worldview — specifically the interface of dharma and film as a vehicle for education and social change.

TranslationChinese Translator
Trisong GrantsCommittee Member

Li-Hao works on translating the information on the KF website from English to Chinese.

He is an associate professor in psychology and has been conducting research related to bilingualism and mindfulness.

I have been following DJKR’s teaching and guidance since 2010.

TechnologyDatabase Support

In 2013, Josh was appointed to the board of Siddhartha’s Intent Hong Kong as a director and contact person. In the same year he met Margret Sablatnig, the database manager of Khyentse Foundation, and began assisting her with the Chinese data. He is responsible for Chinese mailings for the Siddhartha’s Intent International Chinese translation team.

Josh was born and raised in Hong Kong. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Finance degree and became a certified financial planner with a focus on customer service.

My parents, Simon Lee and Annie Wong, first met Rinpoche in the late 1980s, and my whole family became Rinpoche’s students in the early 1990s.

RepresentativesBrazil Representative
TranslationPortuguese Translator

Leticia Braga is one of the Khyentse Foundation Regional Representatives in Brazil. She has worked with KF since 2008, helping to organize the events that the foundation presents in her country. She is also involved in organizing the translation and publication of texts and posts relating to KF’s global activities.

Leticia’s education was in law and psychology. She worked in the publishing field for some years, engaging in literary production, text revision, and graphic manufacturing of books.

I came into contact with Buddhism in the late 1990s, when I joined the Nyingma Institute in Rio de Janeiro as a student and volunteer. In the early 2000s I met and started to study under the guidance of Chagdud Khadro. Later, at a consecration ceremony in Khadro Ling, I met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and since then have joined the group of Brazilian students who study and practice under Rinpoche’s guidance.

RepresentativesUnited States of America Representative

Joh Solomon coordinates and communicates KF activity in the Los Angeles California region. He serves on the Khyentse Foundation Fundraising Committee and is a KF representative for the USA.

John is a film, animation, branding, talent, theme park, and internet consultant. His clients have included Disney, Warner Brothers TV Animation, Power of Entertainment, 6 Point Harness Animation Studios, Media Eagles, Ghostbot Animation, The Vault, and Big Stage. John began his career working in feature films for Francis Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, followed by Scott Rudin and Freddie Fields Productions, and later Witt-Thomas Films, where he associate produced the films “Mixed Nuts” and “Final Analysis.” In 1992 he began a 15-year stint at the Walt Disney Company, as a VP of filmed entertainment at Imagineering and as head of Disney Television Animation’s Shorts Lab. He then shifted to the arena of social justice, producing a campaign for human rights in Burma, followed by a political campaign for Dan Adler for Congress. He was a consultant for Rinpoche’s film “Vara: A Blessing.” As an avid contemporary art collector, his eclectic tastes range from William Wegman to Andy Warhol to Christo to Claes Oldenberg. Recently, he restored Richard Neutra’s Taylor House, a modernist gem in the hills above Los Angeles. He was a founding board member of the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

CommunicationsCommunications Director
RepresentativesHong Kong Representative
Donor RelationsTeam Member

Jun’s main role is overseeing all the work related to the foundation’s communications, including writing, editing, and sending online newsletters, as well as social media posts and website posts, She also hosts online events. She is also a member of the Academic Committee, maintaining relationships with universities in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China. And she looks after donor-related work, focusing especially on Chinese-speaking donors and friends.

I met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Vancouver, Canada in 2002. After completing my MBA degree at the University of British Columbia, I began to volunteer for Lotus Outreach Society Canada, a secular charitable organization under the guidance of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. I later moved to Hong Kong and was appointed by Rinpoche as a KF Hong Kong representative in 2010.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
RepresentativesTaiwan Representative

As a member of the board of directors, Kris Yao supports several Khyentse Foundation projects. He is particularly interested in maintaining academic excellence in traditional Buddhist institutes in China and India, and in promoting Buddhist studies in western universities. He was instrumental in endowing the Khyentse Chair in Buddhist Studies at UC Berkeley.

Kris is one of Taiwan’s most prominent architects. He is the founder and principal of ARTECH Architects, with offices in Taipei and Shanghai. Recognized for his distinctive creative flair as an architect, he has produced many award-winning designs and has received both local and international acclaim. He began to broaden his knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism upon entering the fourth decade of his life. Since then, his studies have had a profound impact on both his life and his concept of architectural design.
Despite his busy work schedule, Kris is also one of Rinpoche’s most valued translators. In addition to oral translation of Rinpoche’s teachings in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, he translated Rinpoche’s book What Makes You not a Buddhist into Chinese. The Chinese edition was published in Taiwan and China and became a best seller in a few Asian countries. This book introduced Rinpoche and his teachings to a broad Chinese reading audience. Many readers attribute their introduction to Rinpoche’s teachings to Kris’ translations. Most recently, Kris translated into Chinese and published Rinpoche’s book What to Do at India’s Buddhist Holy Sites. With Rinpoche’s encouragement, after many years of hard work, he also completed the translation and published Patrul Rinpoche’s Words of my Perfect Teacher.

In discussing the next five-year plan for Khyentse Foundation, I was extremely moved by Khyentse Rinpoche’s view on preserving the old while not forgetting to help the new generations around the world, which epitomizes the expansiveness of the endeavor to support the Buddhadharma. The continuation of the precious vision of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion is central to the foundation’s work, and I am humbled and most honored to be a tiny part of this team.

I have slowly come to realize the possibility of merging artistic creativity with spiritual practice. Actually, it is almost imperative that these two elements be combined.

TranslationChinese Translator

TechnologyTechnology Support

Dr. Dalton contributes to Khyentse Foundation as a member of the Fellowships Committee, helping to select candidates for the foundation’s Translation Studies Scholarship and Ph.D. Scholarship. He also hosts the annual Khyentse Lecture in Tibetan Buddhism at UC Berkeley, helps to select the recipient of UC Berkeley’s annual Khyentse Foundation Award for Excellence in Buddhist Studies, and occasionally helps out in less formal ways.

Jacob Dalton, Khyentse Foundation Distinguished Professor in Tibetan Buddhism at UC Berkeley, works on tantric ritual, Nyingma religious history, and the Dunhuang manuscripts. He is co-author of Tibetan Tantric Manuscripts from Dunhuang: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Stein Collection at the British Library (Brill Publishers) and author of The Taming of the Demons: Violence and Liberation in Tibetan Buddhism (Yale University Press), Through the Eyes of the Compendium of Intentions: The History of a Tibetan Ritual Tradition (Columbia University Press), and Conjuring the Buddha: Ritual Manuals in Early Tantric Buddhism (Columbia University Press).

Strategic Planning and Organizational StructureConsultant
ConsultantsStrategic Planning and Organizational Structure

As a strategic consultant to KF since 2002, Ivy helped set up KF’s Executive Committee structure, is a coach and team member for the Kumarajiva Project, and consults with Executive Director Cangioli Che as needed. She has held a similar role for 84000 since their inception. She is a member of the board of directors for 84000, and is a member of the Executive Committee, dealing with planning and organisational development.

Ivy Ang has more than 30 years of extensive experience in international business and organizational development. Her professional background includes VP of Human Resources roles in the fields of high technology, biotechnology, strategic design Consulting, and finance. She held VP positions for global industry leaders such as Genentech, AIG, Madge Networks, and Landor Associates. She also has extensive experience consulting with for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Ivy is founder and president of Visionlinc, a company dedicated to linking vision, People, and strategies. She is a strategic planner and executive coach to CEOs and their teams in creating innovative culture and optimizing people practices to achieve
organizational missions. In her work with executives, Ivy focuses on increasing executive capacity and confidence through inquiry, self-discovery, and experiential practices. She has a deep belief in people’s innate potential and the possibility of transformative behavior to generate extraordinary results. Her coaching emphasis is in linking the executive leadership impact to the business vision and results. Her areas of expertise include strategic vision and planning, leadership and management with emphasis on high performing teams, and integrating joy and meaning in our work life.
She has been featured in Fortune magazine and on CNBC. She has served on several boards, including the World Affairs Council, the Mind Body Awareness Project, and Forum 21.

I met Rinpoche through Cangioli’s kind introduction to his teachings in 2001. I attended his teachings on “Words of My Perfect Teacher” and asked to be his student. I feel so enormously blessed to have Rinpoche as my guru. Cangioli asked me to help with the strategic planning for KF in 2002 and that’s the beginning of my involvement with the foundation. I continue to be inspired to contribute to Rinpoche’s Mandala with much gratitude in my heart.

Investment Committee AdvisorsAdvisor

Gene Chan volunteers for Khyentse Foundation as an advisor to the Investment Committee.

A Canada-born Chinese who spent most of his childhood in Hong Kong, he moved back to Canada to complete his education, obtaining a B.Math degree at the University of Waterloo with a major in computer science and a minor in economics. He began his career in financial services in Toronto in 2005, and is now an executive at Citco Fund Services, the world’s largest administrator of alternative investment vehicles. After a 3-year stint in Manila, Philippines, he has come full circle, residing in Hong Kong since 2019.

Ashoka Education GrantsCommittee Member

Jennifer evaluates applications for the Ashoka Grants.

Jennifer is a learning specialist and has run an educational tutoring company since 2000. She offers courses in reading, writing, and spelling to students with learning differences during the school year and runs summer intensive academic courses for high school students, as well as parent and teacher training seminars.

The teachings I have attended have changed my life for the better (and continue to do so). I am deeply grateful to Rinpoche and Khyentse Foundation for their excellent activities.

CommunicationsVideo Team Chair
TechnologyWebsite Development Support

As chair of the Video Team Jesse oversees videos made for KF, from the Goodman Lecture series, to focus pieces and 108 second videos. She also works on the website.

Jesse’s background is in art and film. She earned her BA from Bates College with a major in Studio Art and went on to work as an assistant editor and visual effects editor on documentaries, commercials, and feature films. She lived in Los Angeles, California for many years and has recently returned to her home state of Vermont with her husband and their two sons.

Shortly after meeting Rinpoche, while traveling in India with my now husband, Isaiah, in 2001, I volunteered for Lotus Outreach, taking photographs of the work the organization was doing in the Yamuna Busti in Delhi, and the Tibetan Children’s School in Bir.

ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Jacqui is a member of the team that evaluates applications for Individual Practice Grants and Buddhist Studies Scholarships. She reads scholarship applications that are submitted twice annually, evaluating them according to criteria and making recommendations for funding.

Jacqui is a long-time aspiring practitioner who volunteers extensively with organizations that support Buddhism and Buddhist practitioners, including Khyentse Foundation. She has a BA in journalism and currently works as a manager for a not-for-profit organization associated with medical education and assessment.

Khyentse Vision ProjectStrategic Planning Consultant

Jan’s main roles are as coach and mentor to the Khyentse Vision Project director, contributing to budget review and operational updates with the project director and Khyentse Foundation representatives, and facilitating strategy meetings.

Jan is currently an executive coach to senior leaders in corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations. She previously had more than 20 years of executive experience as a human resources director, consulting partner, and operations leader in professional service firms and corporate businesses. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Science in coaching psychology.

I have been a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche for 20 years. I was a member of the management committee of Lotus Outreach Australia, and have been involved with the Khyentse Vision Project for the past 18 months, working with the project director. My partner and I live in a beautiful natural environment on the Illawarra coast, an hour south of Sydney. I love our local birdlife, walking in the nearby rainforest, and swimming in the ocean pools.

RepresentativesMexico Representative

Emiliano has been the communication bridge between KF and the Mexican sangha for the last 3 years, involved in online meetings with the Latin American and North American sanghas. He was in charge of the Mexican sangha video offering to Rinpoche last year in a virtual celebration, and he composed the music for that video.

Emiliano is from Mexico. He has a degree in International Affairs, with professional experience in the field of international cooperation and cultural diplomacy. He is passionate about ancient cultures and about recognizing the latent potential of individuals and societies. For several years, he has been in contact with different cultures through his academic studies, travel, work life, musical experience, and teaching. He is an experienced teacher of yoga and other self-observation methods. He has taught yoga and relaxation techniques for the last 15 years in schools, universities, and retreat centers, as well as in the Valle de Bravo Prison (Estado de México). He is the creator of “Respira salud” (“Breathe health”) a comprehensive program for individuals and groups, whose aim is familiarization with breathing as a basic tool for health. He is currently teaching at the Environmental University (UMA) at Valle de Bravo, Mexico. He has traveled to India, Nepal, Canada, and New Zealand, taking teachings from different Buddhist traditions including Tibetan Buddhist teachings and empowerments, mainly with DK Rinpoche.

I met Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche in May 2012 in Mexico City during his first visit to this country. That year I traveled to India and spent 3 months in the dam ngag dzo (Collection of Precious Teachings), which took place near Bir, Himachal Pradesh. I then spent a year in Asia traveling, taking teachings, and doing some short retreats in north and south India and Nepal. In September 2015 I took Madhyamika teachings in Kathmandu, Nepal, with DKR. In December 2018 I went to Chagdud Gonpa in Brazil for 2 weeks for the Khandro Sangdu drupchen. I would love to get involved more in this mandala, contributing to the spread of Buddhist wisdom and creating a more inclusive and compassionate world.

Donor RelationsTeam Member

Florence loves friends and nurturing friendships. During her previous professional career as a business woman, and in her current involvement with Rinpoche’s mandala in working for the dharma, she has met and fostered close connections and relationships with many individuals. Through sharing information with them about the great projects that Khyentse Foundation supports, many of them have been inspired to support the foundation’s work as well.

Florence was born and raised in Malaysia in a Mahayana Buddhist family. Her parents sent her to Buddhist elementary and secondary schools, and guided her to take refuge at the age of three.

Growing up I had no question that I was a Buddhist, but I did not start any dharma practice until meeting Rinpoche in 1990. He changed my life. Working for the guru and the dharma is not only my aspiration but also my passion. There is nothing more meaningful and gratifying than seeing the Buddhadharma flourish.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
Investment CommitteeChair
Executive CommitteeCommittee Member
Impact MeasurementTeam Member

Bel was a long-time student of Chagdud Rinpoche and has been responsible for the investments of Chagdud Gonpa Brasil for more than 20 years. She has been the chair of Khyentse Foundation’s Investment Committee since 2004.

Bel holds an undergraduate degree in computer science from the Catholic University of Campinas, Brazil. She received an MBA from the University of San Francisco in 1994. After graduating, she worked for Pactual Bank, ING, Deutsch Bank, BBA Capital (a joint venture of the Capital Group in Brazil), and BankBoston Asset Management, the third-largest asset management in Brazil at the time. She manages funds for private clients and foundations through her company Gesar Capital Management, is the portfolio manager for the Los Angeles office of Carnegie Investment Counsel, and is a Registered Investment Advisor.

Meeting Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche was so refreshing! Rinpoche delivers the teachings in a contemporary way that helps me add to the foundation built through years of practice with Chagdud Rinpoche. Rinpoche is so connected to the modern world that it is always a pleasure to work in any capacity to help Khyentse Foundation carry forward his vision.

RepresentativesSingapore Representative

Frank shares information about Rinpoche and KF with all those who are interested. He also helps to distribute gifts and materials.

Frank graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and worked for Lucent Technology as an engineer. He was a national team player on the Singapore table tennis team (1995-96) and is currently a professional table tennis coach.

I learned about Rinpoche in early 2000 and was fortunate to meet him and receive teachings overseas on several occasions. In 2002 , I received refuge vows from Rinpoche and have been learning from him ever since.

Investment Committee AdvisorsAdvisor

Mr. Nelson is an advisor to the Investment Committee.

Mr. Nelson currently serves as chief executive officer and director of Global Net Lease (GNL) . He is an independent director and audit committee member for Xerox, Chewy, Inc., and Herbalife Corporation, among many others. His experience includes audit committee positions in companies involved in technology, media, entertainment, real estate, and video game publishing, and in financial services.

Kumarajiva ProjectExecutive Director

Jennifer Yo is currently the executive director of the Kumarajiva Project, in charge of the general operation of the project. Drawing on her wide network, her role includes finding qualified translators and consulting scholars in various fields. With her experience in the translation of Buddhism, language education, and Chinese literature, she is also in charge of developing the curriculum of the translator training program, with the help of many specialists. She is also in charge of finding ways to make the Chinese translations more widely available for Chinese readers and arousing their interest in reading the new translations.

Jennifer grew up in a Chinese Mahayana Buddhist family. She has academic training and field experience in marketing, Chinese literature, education, teaching Chinese as a second language, and cognitive science. She has translated into Chinese Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames. She began working for Khyentse Rinpoche in 2006 when he started Deer Park Institute in India. In 2014, she began to work for the KF cross-translation projects between the Chinese and Tibetan canons. She has also worked for the Language Program of DKCLI in India, the English for Buddhist Scholars program, and the Buddhist Education for Children committee.

It is such a great honor to be part of KF and to be able to serve Rinpoche’s vision. The impact of what Rinpoche envisioned to do for Buddhadharma 20 years ago is increasing day by day. It is always so inspiring to read about the various practices, studies, preservation, and translations that are accomplished through the support of KF and the dedication of these KF friends. These are truly dharma in action.

Grants Management and SupportCambodia Projects Support

TranslationChinese Translator

PhD ScholarshipsCommittee Member
Ashoka Translation GrantsCommittee Member

Ashoka Translation GrantsCommittee Member
Ashoka GrantsCommittee Member

Jeff is Director of Technology for Khyentse Foundation and 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha and looks after technology planning for the Khyentse Mandala.

Jeff has 20+ years of experience leading cultural heritage organizations, with a keen focus on strategic technology planning and implementation. In 2001, after quitting his corporate engineering job to attend a month-long silent meditation retreat, he met Gene Smith in Cambridge, MA. He worked closely with Gene during the formation of Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center building technical and organizational capacity, and establishing TBRC’s first digital library in 2006.

In 2009, Jeff became Executive Director at Gene’s request. During his tenure he established foundational programs that significantly advanced the organization’s mission. He established the Harvard University Repository for the Long-Term Preservation of Tibetan Texts, and the massive digital preservation program for Tibetan culture in China funded by the United States Agency for International Development. In 2015, he led the formal expansion of TBRC, funded by the American Council of Learned Societies, into all Buddhist languages. He founded the Buddhist Universal Digital Archives (BUDA) as a linked-data fueled hub of Buddhist texts, funded by the Robert H.N Ho Family Foundation, the Fragile Palm Leaves digitization project in Bangkok, Thailand, and the preservation and access of the National Library of Mongolia.

In 2018, Jeff stepped down in a planned transition and led the search committee to hire his successor Jann Ronis. In the last few years, Jeff has worked to advance technology in a variety of cultural initiatives, including Asian Legacy Library, the Hip-Hop Education Center, Tolani Lake Enterprises (Navajo Nation), and the Owl Bonnet Cultural Preservation Organization (Lakota Nation).

I met my teacher Tai Situ Rinpoche at the introduction of Gene Smith and under Rinpoche’s direction, completed the 8-year Mahamudra transmission at Sherab Ling, Bir, India. I am a Sun Dancer in the Sicangu Lakota Oyate tradition of Yuwipi Medicine Man Chief Keith Horse Looking, Sr. in Rosebud, South Dakota. I live with my family in Western Massachusetts and our four dogs, who notoriously hijack Zoom meetings. I have a BA in Philosophy and an MS in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics.

TechnologyTechnology Consultant

As a technology consultant, Dave Zwieback helps KF make long-term technology decisions.

Dave Zwieback has been working with complex, mission-critical technology systems and teams for almost 30 years. He mentors and advisers senior leaders in technology. His career spans small high-tech startups, non-profits, and massive technology, financial services, and pharmaceutical firms. Dave is the author of “Beyond Blame: Learning from Failure and Success“.

I first met Rinpoche in New York City around 2003.

RepresentativesGermany Representative

Doris Wolter is country coordinator for KF in Germany. She helps care for the sponsors and provides information to the media and individuals about our work.

Doris studied literature, comparative religion, and fine arts in Berlin. She worked for Rigpa Germany for 13 years, and served on the board of the German Buddhist Union for 8 years. For 17 years she has coordinated and overseen the development of the study programme “Knowing – Understanding – Experiencing: Buddhist Wisdom in the Diversity of Traditions,” for the German Buddhist Union, inviting speakers from all the main Buddhist traditions in the spirit of inter-Buddhist dialogue. She also initiated a website with material on Buddhism for German school teachers. In 2008, under the guidance of Rinpoche and in cooperation with Arne Schelling and Roland Walter, she co-founded the German publishing house Manjughosha Edition and serves as its editor in chief.

I have been a student of Rinpoche’s since 1990. I am deeply touched to be a tiny little part of this thrilling, manifold undertaking. It is a real honor to contribute to the preservation of the precious Buddhist teachings, making them available for generations to come through translation, and supporting people who study and practice them. It shows Rinpoche´s vast vision and deep care and engagement for the future of Buddhism.

Khyentse Vision ProjectExecutive Director

Dolma initiated the Khyentse Vision Project in May 2020, under the guidance of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. As project director, she is responsible for developing and overseeing the project and managing its day -to-day operations, processes, people, and resources.

Dolma’s first degree was in anthropology from the University of Melbourne. She also studied Tibetan at the Manjushree Institute in Darjeeling, in 1997. After completing a traditional three-year retreat in France, she obtained a law degree from the University of Sydney and subsequently worked as a litigation lawyer, and as a senior editor and writer for Thomson Reuters for seven years. She was on the board of Lotus Outreach Australia for four years as fundraising director. She is also the founder of Happy Dance Films, for which she directed the award-winning short film Finding Manjushri.

Although I was brought up by parents who immersed me in Buddhist philosophy from a young age, my own practice path was cemented when I met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche in Australia, in the early 1990s. I have been extremely fortunate to have received a wealth of teachings and guidance over the past 30 years. In 1995, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche gave me my first Khyentse Wangpo text to translate, and in 1996, Dzongsar Khyentse gave me the video camera he used to make his first short film. My life has unfolded accordingly.

RepresentativesAustralia Representative
Khyentse Vision ProjectKF Liaison

Chantal was Administrative Director of Siddhartha’s Intent Australia from 2012-2020. As country representative for Australia, she is the eyes and ears of the foundation in Australia and ensures that Khyentse Foundation has an ongoing visible presence in Australia. As Khyentse Foundation liaison to the Khyentse Vision Project, Chantal represents Khyentse Foundation on the Operations Team.

Chantal was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 1984. In Australia she trained as a registered nurse and worked in oncology and palliative care. She also spent many years working in clinical cancer research. Chantal left clinical cancer work in 2010 and became a project manager for the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA).

Ashoka GrantsCommittee Member
Trisong GrantsCommittee Member

Deborah, together with her team colleagues, assesses the grant applications. This involves carefully reading each application, researching, cross-checking when necessary, and submitting scores accordingly.

Deborah began as a professional dancer, then ran a successful hair salon in London, and finally trained as a psychodynamic couple and individual therapist.

I am so happy to be contributing to Rinpoche’s vision and to have the opportunity to support practitioners and the dharma. It’s truly inspiring to be a part of the Scholarship Committee and to read about the amazing activities people are engaged in. May all beings benefit!

Ashoka Education GrantsChair
Trisong GrantsCommittee Member
Buddhist Teacher TrainingProject Coordinator

David is a member of the Trisong Grants Committee, which reviews applications for mental health and well-being programs and initiatives that are grounded in principles of kindness and compassion. He is also a member of the Education Committee, a category of Ashoka Grants that reviews applications for educational programs supporting core Buddhist values in their curriculum design and teaching methodology.

David taught school for 5 years and then earned a social work license and had a psychotherapy practice for 25 years.

I was a student of Trungpa Rinpoche from 1972 until his death. I then collided with Khyentse Rinpoche in 2005.

KF IndiaBoard Member
India Programs CommitteeChair

As a member of the India Programme Committee member, Deepa works to fulfil Rinpoche’s and KF India’s vision.

Deepa holds a postgraduate degree in psychology. She worked for 10 years as a flight attendant and then volunteered for 84000 and other projects under the umbrella of Khyentse Foundation.

I am from Bir and will always remain a student of Rinpoche. I am working according to my simple understanding to help in any way I can to fulfil his vision in India while practicing the Buddhadharma. I met Rinpoche in 2009 and was deeply inspired to follow the Buddhist path.

RepresentativesSingapore Representative

Danny handles general enquiries of local potential and existing sponsors and donors, coordinates Rinpoche’s teachings events in Singapore with SI Singapore and 84000, and supports
ad hoc projects in Singapore.

He is a graduate in business (marketing). He has been interested in Buddhist studies since his 20s, attending basic Buddhism courses in a local monastery. Rinpoche appointed him KF country representative for Singapore in 2013.

I was first introduced to Rinpoche by my dharma bro Arjuna in Bir, India, in 2006. I was unemployed at that time, and my kind dharma brother and sisters sponsored an air ticket for me to meet Rinpoche. Thanks to their kindness, I had the opportunity to receive Rinpoche’s first advice and his teachings in Dzongsar Shedra. That was a priceless connection with Rinpoche! We met again in Baron Bay, Australia, when I attended his teachings in 2007. I was afraid to request Rinpoche to be my guru, but my dharma brothers and sisters encouraged me. When I finally picked up my courage, Rinpoche had a big smile on his face and gave me a nod. I felt like I had won the lottery! I will always listen and contemplate Rinpoche’s teachings and apply them in my daily life. His teachings inspire me to be a better person. I hope that the little service I am contributing to KF will help Rinpoche to fulfil his vast visions to benefit all.

AdvisorsAdvisor

Chagdud Khadro is on the board of Middle Way School and aspires to coordinate with Noa Jones, using her modules for training children in Buddhist concepts and values, for a kids’ camp, first at Chagdud Gonpa/Khadro Ling, then hopefully to be replicated in other South American centers. Khadro’s 40 years’ experience of living in Buddhist centers has attuned her to both maintenance and legacy of such communities. As a KF advisor, Khadro aspires not only to rejoice in such far-reaching educational programs but to be a strong and informed support for them.

Chagdud Khadro grew up in Texas and Connecticut. She spent two years in the Peace Corps teaching in a village elementary school in Sierra Leone, and seven years in Boston and New York, where she worked as researcher in a Cambridge consulting firm, and then as a fact checker for various magazines including The New Yorker, Harper’s, and Audubon. Money from a freelance article paid for a ticket to Asia, which began her Buddhist journey. She met Chagdud Tulku in Nepal in March, 1978, and married him in California 18 months later. In Rinpoche’s sangha she served as a cook, housekeeper, and events organizer, and later as the managing editor of Padma Publishing. He ordained her as a lama in 1997, and she travels widely to teach p’howa. Since his death in 2002, she has been the spiritual director of Chagdud centers in South America. She resides at Khadro Ling in southern Brazil.

In 1978, when Khyentse Rinpoche was among the young tulkus attending Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse’s empowerments, without knowing who he was, I stopped him on the steps of the monastery and took his photo—unsmiling, gaze unwavering, expression unreadable. About 15 years later, at Chagdud Rinpoche’s request, he came to Rigdzin Ling in California and bestowed a Sera Khandro empowerment into an aspect of Tara. In 2000 he came to Khadro Ling and gave teachings on the Bodhicharyavatara. Since Chagdud Rinpoche’s death in 2002, his kindness, offered in many subtle ways, has been unceasing and unrepayable. We would not have accomplished the building and consecration of our Zangdok Palri without his insistence that artists and lamas travel to Brazil.

RepresentativesTaiwan Representative

As a representative of Khyentse Foundation in Taiwan, Su-ching is responsible for explaining to inquiries about the progress, vision, and donation methods of KF’s activities. She is also the liaison for visiting scholars and recipients of scholarship programs established by KF and the National Taiwan University and the National Chengchi University.

Su-ching graduated from the Geological Institute of National Taiwan University and currently works in the earth sciences.

In 1987, I attended Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings and took refuge as a Buddhist. I think that working for KF is a practice, and it is a way to serve guru as well. May what I do become the cause for the liberation of all sentient beings.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
CommunicationsChinese Communications Coordinator
Executive CommitteeCommittee Member
Donor RelationsTeam Member

As a member of the KF Executive Committee, Christine Ng works with other members to review grant applications. She also attends meetings to resolve day-to-day issues and assists in budget preparation for the annual Board of Directors meeting. Through Donor Management and Communications, she is responsible for donor relations. To actively promote KF’s vision and mission, she communicates and interacts with individual donors to answer any questions they might have.

She graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics major. She is the mother of two and happily married.

I met Rinpoche in 1990, became his disciple in 2005, and have devoutly followed his teachings since.

TranslationChinese Translator

Investment CommitteeCommittee Member

ScholarshipsCommittee Member

Ashoka Education GrantsCommittee Member

The KF Education for Children committee is a major focus for Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. The committee hopes to develop new ways to support Buddhist education programs all over the world. The primary role of the committee is to review Ashoka Grants, which are submitted twice a year, in February and August.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member

Drubgyud Tenzin Rinpoche is the abbot of Chökyi Gyatso Institute (CGI), in eastern Bhutan. Born in Nepal in 1983, he was recognized by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche as the incarnation of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s maternal grandfather, Lama Sonam Zangpo, who was a great yogi from Bhutan and the founder of CGI. Drubgyud Tenzin Rinpoche trained at DKCLI and at some of the Himalayan region’s monastic colleges institutes. He studied Sanskrit in Varanasi, India, and completed a 3-year retreat in Paro Bhutan. He is an advisor to Middle Way Education. He is married and a father.

Ashoka GrantsCommittee Member

Brinda serves as a member of the Ashoka Grants Committee, which supports individuals and teams who wish to apply Buddhist concepts to everyday life and to elevate Buddhist activities that can benefit others.

Originally from India, Brinda was raised in a family and community infused with a lively constellation of views, from agnosticism and atheism to Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Parsee, and Protestant perspectives. She has researched secular Muslim families, and is married to a man with deep Jewish roots.
Brinda trained as a social scientist at the University of Cambridge, and works as a strategic consultant in California. Today, she uses behavioral research and foresight to help global change makers and organizations innovate, and to create new technologies and services in domains such as health and well- being, clean technology, and education.

As a student of the ecumenical Thubten Chökyi Gyamtso Rinpoche, I especially value Rinpoche’s fresh, contemporary perspectives on teachings that are 2000+ years young.

RepresentativesMalaysia Representative

Ang Gah Lin is the KF Representative for Malaysia. He coordinates with local sangha on activities for Rinpoche and KF.

He a mechanical engineer and is involved in building construction in Malaysia.

My family and I met Rinpoche through our oldest brother, Ang Chui Jin, more than 20 years ago. We have since been following Rinpoche and attending his teachings and pujas in India and Taiwan. Our family are deeply grateful for this connection with Rinpoche and his guidance, and we aspire to be diligent in our practice.

Donor RelationsTeam Member

Amy’s role is to connect interested people to all KF activities.

Amy is a business woman and can contribute anything related to textiles.

I have been Rinpoche’s student since 1990.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
RepresentativesHong Kong Representative
Donor RelationsTeam Member

In addition to serving on the KF board of directors, Anita’s roles as Hong Kong representative and member of the Donor Relations Committee involve developing relationships and maintaining regular contact with the local sangha, donors, and friends.

Anita graduated from Pratt Institute. Before retirement, she and her partner had an architectural and interior design firm for many years.

Born and raised a Buddhist, I have been mesmerized by Rinpoche since first meeting him in 1988.

TranslationChinese Translator
Donor RelationsDonations Manager

Candice helps to maintain relationships with individual donors and maintains the donor database.

I first stumbled upon Rinpoche’s teachings in 2014 through a Facebook video. Growing up as an atheist, for the first time, I felt intrigued by Buddhism and was surprised by how applicable its philosophy still is in the modern world. A few months later, I had the fortune of meeting Rinpoche at Ushnishavijaya in Taiwan and became his student.

Aspi is a resource person, assisting dharma organisations in their projects and activities in the areas of management, legal compliance, and communications. He is also the India coordinator for Siddhartha’s Intent Communications and a board member of the governing body of Siddhartha’s Intent India. The organisations he is involved with are part of Rinpoche’s mandala.

He also helps to guide other organisations that have expressed the aspiration to model themselves after Deer Park in their efforts to revive Indian wisdom traditions and to work on a foundation of Buddhist values. Aspi has 48 years of professional experience in social work, organisation-building, communications and information technology. He has also been involved in documentary film production from script-writing to post production. As a founding member and trustee of VISTAS (Visions and Tasks), he worked in the villages of Ahmednagar District.

I encountered Buddhism in 1992 through the practice of the Lotus Sutra with the Soka Gakkai. Although I am no longer a part of that organisation, I continue with the practice. In 2002 I founded the Dharma Rain Centre in Bombay. I also had the good fortune to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and later organised teachings by His Holiness. I was introduced to Rinpoche by Prashant Varma. Since the inception of Deer Park, I have been attending Rinpoche’s teachings and doing my own personal retreats. My more formal engagement with Deer Park began in 2016.

CommunicationsCreative Support
Grants Management and SupportPolish Language Consultant

Alicja is part of the Communications team. She helps with the website and designs visual materials. She is also part of the Ashoka Grants team and helps to evaluate the Polish translation grant applications. Alicja has created illustrations and animations for the Kumarajiva Project, the Khyentse Vision Project, and the Creative Resilience project. She is also a part of practice teams that lead online practices, including Triratna Anusmriti Sadhana and Zabtik Drolma.

Alicja has a Master’s degree in Journalism and Communication from the University of Wroclaw and also studied theater and painting. She spent several years working in the technology sector managing marketing and community operations and leading workshops in mindfulness for employees. Alicja has also written and illustrated children’s books and worked with children as an art and theater teacher. She likes to make art every day, often integrating physical and digital media in her work. She is passionate about visual, musical, and movement arts, and continues to explore ways of using these art forms to inspire others and connect them with Dharma.

I started practicing and studying Dharma when I was 15 and became Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s student 13 years later.

Ashoka Translation GrantsCommittee Member

Adam is a member of the Translation Grants subcommittee of the Ashoka Grants committee. The subcommittee focuses on individuals and teams that are producing translations.

Adam first encountered Tibetan Buddhism in 1994, when he taught English at two monasteries near Darjeeling, India. He went on to study at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, Oxford University, and SOAS, where he completed his PhD. In 2018, he was a senior teaching fellow at SOAS, lecturing on Buddhist philosophy and critical approaches to Buddhist Studies. His publications include Beyond the Ordinary Mind: Dzogchen, Rimé, and the Path of Perfect Wisdom (Snow Lion, 2018).

I am currently leading a project to translate the entire collected writings of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (1893–1959) into English, with support from Khyentse Foundation and the Terton Sogyal Trust.

AdvisorsAdvisor
Board Of DirectorsBoard Member

Cangioli Che serves as a Board Member and an adviser to Khyentse Foundation, and is actively involved in formulating the Foundation’s strategic plans and direction.

Cangioli started her career in public relations with a nonprofit organization in Hong Kong. In the 1980s she started Management Resources International, one of the first professional event producers in Hong Kong, hosting international conferences and exhibitions in the Asia-Pacific region. She moved to San Francisco in 1988 and served as treasurer of Siddhartha’s Intent Western Door from 1996 to 2001. She was a founding director of Khyentse Foundation, and has served as executive director since the inception of the foundation in 2001, until her retirement in December 2023. Cangioli graduated with honors from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.

I became a student of Rinpoche in 1994. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to serve Rinpoche and the Dharma through Khyentse Foundation for over two decades. This is the best thing that has happened to me. I did not get to know the Dharma and Rinpoche until I had some years of work experience and I am appreciative that this experience was helpful in my work for the foundation.

CommunicationsCreative Support

Carla assists in design matters. She participates in the visual construction of Khyentse Foundation projects, where the main aim is to produce content that communicates graphically and beautifully.

Carla is a journalist, designer, and illustrator. Her work is very much linked to childhood. She spends much of her time drawing, and she is an author and illustrator of picture books. She also develops educational (and fun!) toys. She lived and studied for many years in Spain and is now based in Curitiba, Brazil, where she spends a lot of time drawing and playing with her little son Silvestre. She also collaborates with the Siddhartha’s Intent Brasil team as a designer.

I came to Buddhism through romance. I was tremendously in love with a boy who was a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and who attended the Chagdud Gonpa Buddhist Center in my city. Time passed, we got married, had a child, and I started attending retreats and listening to Chagdud Khadro’s teachings. When my husband died in 2017, following Rinpoche’s teachings became the only viable option for staying alive. Today it’s what keeps me on my toes, following the Buddhist path.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
Academic Development CommitteeCo-Chair
Executive CommitteeCommittee Member

Carolyn joined the Academic Development Committee in 2015 and the Executive Committee and board of directors in 2018.

She studied economics at Yale University and went on to get an MBA from Harvard Business School. She worked in finance (investment banking, private equity, etc.) and management consulting. On top of serving her two young bosses — Dylan and Daphne — at home, she is currently working on a project in children’s education and volunteering her time with a few other organizations.

I met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in 1990 and have been enchanted by him ever since.

Strategic Planning and Organizational StructureConsultant
ConsultantsStrategic Planning and Organizational Structure

Alex is an executive coach, leadership advisor, and professor of leadership at UBC Sauder School of Business. He has worked globally with leaders of businesses, governments, nonprofits, and charitable foundations in more than 50 countries. Born in London to German and Italian parents, he studied theoretical physics, philosophy of science, computer science, and leadership. He is married with two children.

I have been a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche since 1996 and an instructor since 2003. I am inspired by Rinpoche’s fresh yet timeless presentation of the Buddhadharma and by his vision and activities to bring the Buddha’s wisdom to the contemporary world. I am also personally grateful to Rinpoche for his kindness.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
Trisong India GrantsCommittee Member
RepresentativesIndia Representative

Asha is a member of the board of directors and a programs representative for India. Her main activities are having a birds-eye view of various programs of the foundation in relation to the vision, understanding the programs and their implementation, and providing feedback. She fulfills the executive responsibilities of the role.

Asha has 15 years of experience in corporate training and career counselling. She is a visiting faculty member at the Savitribai Pune university for the Mahayana Buddhist psychology course. She also conducts an introductory courses in Buddhist view, “Healing the Mind through Knowing the Mind. “ With her colleagues and the University of Pune, Deer Park, she hosts Rinpoche’s teachings and other Buddhist masters and teachers. She is on the board of directors of DKCLI, and is a member of the governing committee of the Kanishka School, providing advice and guidance to the principal in curriculum development, human resources, management, and overall policy planning to ensure the realization of Rinpoche’s vision for the school.

I live in Pune with my husband Zubin, son Amay, and friends who are active co-passengers on this magical journey.

India Programs CommitteeCommittee Member

AdvisorsAdvisor

TranslationChinese Translator

Alex Kong works with the KF Communications team as a Chinese translator.

Alex has BA degree in pedagogy and a diploma in Sino-US research from the Johns-Hopkins Nanjing center. He now works as an executive coach and management consultant in organization design, talent assessment, and leadership development.

I was born and raised in Mainland China. In 2009, I began to investigate the teachings of the Buddha and met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2010. Since then, I follow Rinpoche’s guidance to study Buddha dharma.

Board Of DirectorsBoard Member
Investment CommitteeCommittee Member

TranslationChinese Translator

TranslationChinese Translator

Yang Yang translates KF documents from Chinese into English.

One evening in 2014 I was trapped at the Shanghai airport by a typhoon. Extremely weary, I walked into a bookstore where I found What Makes You Not a Buddhist among the self-help books. By the time I finished the book, the plane was landing in Shenzhen. Facing the clear sky and shining stars, I made a wish and vow. May I encounter Rinpoche in this lifetime and ask him in person: How does reincarnation come about? Under the influence of my mother, I was a sort of Buddhist believer, but I refused to convert to Buddhism because of doubts about the origin of reincarnation and ignorance.

In early 2015, my family settled in Berkeley, California. On the morning of July 19 , a friend from Beijing told me that Rinpoche was giving a talk in Berkeley that very day. When I rushed into the hall at the last moment, Rinpoche was seated in the center of the stage. The theme of his talk was “Is There Buddhism Without Rebirth?” I couldn’t tell if my face was sweaty or teary. Three months later, I had taken the three refuges and stepped onto the Bodhisattva path.
2014年某一傍晚,我被台风困在上海机场,无聊之际走进一家书店。在一堆自我励志书中发现一本《正见》。作者宗萨钦哲仁波切开示让我醍醐灌顶。我阅遍此书，飞机已到深圳上空等待降落。面对繁星点缀清澈天空,我许下一愿立下一誓。愿此生让我偶遇仁波切,当面请教我的疑问：轮回如何产生?受我母亲的影响，我是一个所谓的信佛者对于轮回和无明起源疑虑而拒绝皈依佛法。不像仁波切的许多追随者,我不愿刻意前往不丹或印度追遇仁波切。2015年初，我家搬至加州伯克利紧邻校园。7月19日一早远在北京的朋友电话告之仁波切在伯克利。最后时刻我冲进大厅时,仁波切座在舞台中央。看着屏幕上演讲主题：没有来生的佛教存在吗？我分不清满脸是汗还是泪。三个月后我受了三皈,开始了我的菩萨之誓。

Grants Management and SupportGrants Manager
Impact MeasurementTeam Member

Annie serves as Khyentse Foundation’s Grants Manager. The role is an integral part of the foundation’s core mission, to support the study and practice of Buddhism. The GM position is fundamental to KF as a grant-offering organization. The GM acts as the main contact between KF and its beneficiaries, and oversees every aspect of the application, review, and funding of KF grants.

Annie has 15+ years in the technology web space with a focus on operations, strategy, and implementation. They grew up in NYC and graduated from University of Rochester with a double major in religion and economics. They have a strong connection to nature, especially to their friends in the forest, and especially the chickadees, chipmunks, and wild turkeys.

Trisong GrantsCommittee Member
Trisong India GrantsCommittee Member

Güzin is a member of the Trisong Grant Committee, which identifies and supports organizations and individuals who are working to promote mental health and well-being. She is a psychotherapist and academic who previously worked internationally and now resides in the UK.

Having lived in different regions of India for over a decade, Güzin collaborated in translation projects for various Buddhist archives while studying Tibetan Buddhist meditation and rituals. She holds MA degrees in forensic psychology, cultural studies, and Tibetan studies. She completed her DPhil in Tibetan Buddhism (Faculty of Theology and Religion) at the University of Oxford, where she leads a weekly university-wide session on the methods of mindfulness and Tibetan Buddhist meditation.
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I have been studying and practising dharma for over two decades, following the rimé or nonsectarian approach to learn meditation techniques and rituals of different Tibetan schools. I am a fully ordained ngagmo in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Established the Khyentse Foundation Distinguished Professorship in Tibetan Buddhism in 2006.

Established the Khyentse Center for Tibetan Buddhist Textual Scholarship in 2011.

Established the Khyentse Gendun Chopel Professorship of Tibetan Buddhist Studies in 2018.

The Departments of Comparative Religion and Asian Studies announced a new position in Tibetan Buddhist Studies in 2021.

Together with the Tara Foundation, secured a tenured professorship in Tibetan and Buddhist Studies in 2020.

Partnered to create the Khyentse Foundation and University Buddhist Education Foundation Lectureship in Tibetan Buddhism, establishing a new academic position in Tibetan Buddhist Studies in 2017.

Deepak Thakur’s main role, as an independent consultant, is to work closely with Prashant Varma of Siddhartha’s Intent Society India (SISI), Uma Pitta of Khyentse Foundation India (KF), Pema Wangchuk in New Delhi, Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Institute (DKCLI), and any other work that Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche may assign to him. He is involved in advising and documentation for projects such as Rinpoche’s trust for property in Bir, for SISI, and Deer Park Institute. He has also interfaced with local government regarding land use, and was deeply involved in Kanishka School documentation and the selection of their principal.

Born in a village in H.P. in 1955, Depak studied in Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, from 1964 to 1973. He graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in Sociology from Hindu College, University of Delhi, in 1977 and earned an LL.B. degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, in 1980. He continued in his litigation practice as well, serving an array of international clients, and became a private litigator in 2002. He has served as secretary to a number of Rinpoches, and acted in an advisory capacity for others. While continuing to assist with the formation of trust and associations for many Rinpoches, including Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche III, Kalu Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, and HH Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, he continues to address cases in the High Courts in Delhi and Shimla, H.P.

I met Rinpoche in Delhi in early 2004. In 2009-2011, Raji Ramanan and I helped to run a meditation centre for Rinpoche. I also assisted Raji in hosting a programme called “What the Panditas and Yogis of India Brought from/ Took to Tibet” in 2009. The speakers included Steven Goodman, John Dunne, Jake Dalton, and Gene Smith.
Meanwhile, I continued to assist in various legal matters relating to rights for Rinpoche’s writing and films.

Board Of DirectorsChairman

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is Khyentse Foundation’s founder and chair. He sets the direction for the foundation’s work by determining the areas that require focus, energy, and funds.

Born in Bhutan in 1961 to a family of renowned Buddhist masters, Rinpoche was recognized as an incarnation of the founder of the Rimé (nonsectarian) movement of Tibetan Buddhism, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. After an extended amount of traditional monastic training in Buddhist philosophy and ritual, Rinpoche began teaching around the world. He is a revered Buddhist teacher to unlimited students around the world, as well as an acclaimed author, filmmaker, and benefactor.
Extended bio here

Leadership

Board Of Directors

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Drubgyud Tenzin Rinpoche

Richard Chang

Cangioli Che

Sean Cheang

Sonam Choden

Tashi Chozom

Lynn Hoberg

Christine Ng

Anita Norbu Lee

Isabel Pedrosa

Asha Pillai-Balsara

Angie Tsai

Kris Yao

Carolyn Yeh

Executive Committee

Sean Cheang

Lynn Hoberg

Christine Ng

Isabel Pedrosa

Carolyn Yeh

Officers

Lynn Hoberg

Stephanie Suter

Shelley Swindell

Advisors

Chagdud Khadro

Cangioli Che

Richard Dixey

Patrick Jacquelin

Peter Skilling

Albert Paravi Wongchirachai

Investment Committee

Isabel Pedrosa

Desmond Chum

Marco Noailles

Angie Tsai

Investment Committee Advisors

Gene Chan

Jim Nelson

Luciana Novaes

Miles Santo

Consultants

Ivy Ang

Alex Li Trisoglio

Operations

Accounting

Shelley Swindell

PiLan Chen

Toni Whittaker

Administration

Valeria Bykova

Maya Norbu

Communications

Jun Xie

Maryann Lipaj

Frances McDonald

Carla Irusta

Christine Ng

Jesse Klein Seret

Mee Wah Tan

Jessie Wood

Alicja Zmigrodzka

Donor Relations

Candice Tsuei

Florence Koh

Amy Lee

Anita Norbu Lee

Christine Ng

Mee Wah Tan

Jun Xie

Lynn Hoberg

Impact Measurement

Annie Ng

Isabel Pedrosa

Technology

Mark Bain

Tze Wai Chiu