FRANCES & ADI ARDIKA
Founders, Tresna Bali Cooking School
Frances is Canadian who left her work as a global media entrepreneur in 2000 after meeting her partner Adi Ardika in his native Bali. Together they created the Tresna Bali Cooking School in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. When Covid-19 hit, they shut down their businesses and, at the same time, learned about families in their community going hungry. Starting on March 23, 2000, they decided to address the food insecurity in their community. They began with providing food for 20 families and with five weeks they were supporting 500 families. Frances and Adi and their team are now working full time to Feed Bali and have already supported 2,200 families in 7 months of the global pandemic. $30 USD feeds a family of four for two weeks. Frances organizes, coordinates and communicates does the essential work of running the mission behind the scenes. As a native Balinese with an extensive network in Bali, Adi does the vital work of creating close relationships of trust with the local communities and with local village leaders.
​MICHELLE AUERBACH
Michelle Auerbach solves problems and creates change through story across diverse contexts. She works with businesses on change management, leadership, and creativity through story. She works with communities on creating social good, connection, and working across difference through story. She coaches and teaches individuals through workshops, trainings, and one-on-one explorations. She writes for the New York Times, The London Guardian, and is the author of three books: Resilience: the Life Saving Skill of Story, Alice Modern, and The third Kind of Horse
TSERING BISTA
Video Producer, NPR
​Tsering Bista (she/her) is a visual journalist who has produced, shot, and edited for video teams at NPR, PBS Frontline, Newsy, CNN, Great Big Story, and New York Magazine. Her personal work broadly concerns memory, family history, and language as it relates to cultural preservation. She has made homes (some physical, some spiritual) of Jersey City, Kathmandu, and Mustang. If you'd like to collaborate, you can reach her at: www.tseringbista.com
UGYAN CHOEDUP
Cofounder, Khyeltam Podcast
Ugyan Choedup is from Bir, India. He completed his M.Phil in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Currently he is a PhD candidate in History at Pennsylvania State University. His dissertation is tentatively titled "Genealogy of Modern Exile Tibetan Nationalist Discourse: Exploration into the Questions of Colonialism, Modernity, and Nationalism." He is also a co-founder of Khyeltam, a Tibetan language based podcast on soundcloud.
TENZIN CHOEPHEL
Cofounder, Easy Tibetan
Tenzin Choephel was born in Tibet and completed his MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies at the University of Oxford. He has taught Tibetan language at SOAS and Sarah College, and he studied Buddhist philosophy at Drepung Loseling Monastery in south India.
DAVID COLEMAN
Director of Choral Music, Dana Hall School
An outstanding figure in choral directing, David Coleman has been actively involved in theater and gospel music throughout New England. He has also served as music director and rehearsal pianist for the 2012 Tony Award-winning production of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, and Choir Boy for which he received an Elliot Norton Award Nomination for Outstanding Musical Direction and other productions. He has experience working with choirs for Mariah Carey, Bobby McFerrin, Patti Labelle, Phish, and Academy Award Nominee Ryan Gosling. Performance locations include House of Blues, the Wang Center, Fenway Park, Symphony Hall, the Vatican, Carnegie Hall and the White House. In 2010, BBC World News America featured David in their "First Person" series which was broadcast to 300 million people worldwide.
Recognized by Boston musicians for his work in gospel music, David was the 2007 recipient of the Thomas A. Dorsey Award from the New England Conservatory. In 2013, David received awards for Best Male Gospel Artist, Best Gospel Producer, and Best Gospel CD at the New England Urban Music Awards. David Coleman holds a B.Mus. Boston University and M.A. in composition from Tufts University. He is currently the Director of Choral Music at the Dana Hall School in Wellesley and director of the 225-voice Tufts University Third Day Gospel Choir at Tufts University.
TENZIN DECHEN
Epidemiologist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Tenzin Dechen is an Epidemiologist at the Center for Health Care Delivery Science at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She assists in building study designs and statistical programming for various research projects to generate data and insights to support improved healthcare delivery and outcomes. Since March of 2020, she has been part of a team at the Center in building a COVID-19 projection model in a network of hospitals in the Boston area. In addition, she has conducted various analytics in Covid-19 research on standard of care and health equity. Outside of work, she is a core member of the Tibetan Resettlement Stories: Voices of Boston oral history project since 2015. Dechen with her team has produced a book under the same title last year documenting the life stories of early Tibetan immigrants in the Greater Boston area. She has also served as a liaison to archive all detailed interviews and historical documents of the Tibetan Resettlement Stories at the Library of Congress and the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives.
TSERING WANGMO DHOMPA
Author & Faculty Member, Villanova University
Tsering Wangmo Dhompa was born in India and raised in the Tibetan refugee communities of India and Nepal. She is the author of the poetry books, My Rice Tastes Like the Lake, In the Absent Everyday and Rules of the House (all from Apogee Press, Berkeley). Dhompa's first non-fiction book, Coming Home to Tibet was published in the US by Shambhala Publications in 2016 and by Penguin, India in 2014. She teaches in the English Department at Villanova University.
DHELA
Cofounder, Munsel and Munger
Dhela is the co-founder of two startups, Munsel, an online language learning platform that promotes cultural understanding and empathy, and Munger, a literacy program that nurtures young readers in Western China. She is also a disability rights advocate who enjoys building ramps in the Himalayas, a passion she found while working on civilian security and disability rights at the US Department of State in Washington DC. She holds a Masters and a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and a diploma in Chinese language studies.
CHEMI DOLKAR
Cofounder, Online Tibetan Education
Chemi Dolkar is a Finance Operations Manager at Clinton Health Access Initiative where she oversees financial performance and grant management. She is also a co-founder of Online Tibetan Education, an initiative started in 2011 to preserve the Tibetan culture, including language and religion.
TENZIN DOLMA
Machik Khabda Host, Calgary
Born and raised in India, Tenzin Dolma (Tendol) finished her schooling from TCV and later attended the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Currently based in Calgary, Canada, Tendol is a Health information management professional with Alberta Health Services. In this role, she helps transform health data into outcomes that impact policies, economies, and most importantly people. She believes the best gift to your community is you. Your time, your skills and your involvement will uplift and help sustain the community that nurtured you and hence would like to pass it down to the future generation.
LAUREN ECKERT
PhD Candidate, University of Victoria
Lauren Eckert is a conservation scientist, adventure enthusiast, and storyteller. An undergraduate career with ecological field experiences around the globe and exposure to the wisdom of local and Indigenous peoples motivated Eckert to delve into interdisciplinary conservation research, which values local and Indigenous knowledge systems alongside Western scientific knowledge towards collaborative and inclusive conservation. She completed her M.Sc. working collaboratively with Coastal First Nations on an Indigenous-led research project to bolster local marine conservation strategies and understand the changes to groundfish populations over the last century in the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia, Canada. Eckert is now a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Victoria and studies Conservation Conflict Transformation towards holistically understanding and overcoming conflict between environmental policies and knowledge types, between competing interests of conservation stakeholders, and between humans and wildlife. Eckert is a 2015 and 2018 National Geographic Young Explorer grantee, a Raincoast Conservation Fellow, and a Canada Vanier Scholar.
Founder, L.A. Kitchen & D.C. Central Kitchen
Robert is the founder of both L.A. Kitchen and DC Central Kitchen, leading the latter group for 24 years. Collectively, these businesses have used donated food to produce over 40 million meals, and helped over 1,600 people gain full-time employment. Robert innovated the first "community kitchen" model in which food donated by hospitality businesses and farms fuels a nationally recognized culinary arts job training program. He steered this model into a $12-million-a-year, self-sustaining social enterprise in service of the local community. He also founded CForward, an advocacy group promoting the economic role that nonprofits play in every community and also serves on the board of Chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen. Robert is an award winning author (Begging for Change, HarperCollins), and is sought after speaker around the world on innovation, leadership, the role of nonprofits and social enterprise.
NAWANG GURUNG
Researcher, Endangered Language Alliance
Nawang Tsering Gurung is an independent researcher and community activist, who works with local Himalayan communities and scholars to document languages, culture, social histories, and histories of migration. Gurung was born in Ghiling, Mustang, pursued studies in Nepal and Boston, and is now located in New York City. He has worked for many projects and organizations such as the New York Tibetan Service Center (NYTSC) and Voices of the Himalayas (Endangered Language Alliances). He is widely published on the topic of his native culture, works as a translator, has been involved in documentaries, and organizes cultural tours.
DR. DALAL HANNA
Freshwater Ecologist & National Geographic Explorer
Dr. Dalal Hanna is a freshwater ecologist, science communicator, and National Geographic Explorer who works to generate the information and momentum required for society to shift toward more sustainable and equitable living. She completed a PhD on freshwater conservation at McGill University in 2020, and continues her conservation research today as a postdoctoral fellow at Carleton University, in Canada, where she is from. She is also the co-founder and director of Riparia, a charitable organization that works to create better connections between youth, science and water by bringing youth on free, multi-day, freshwater science expeditions. When Dalal is not busy asking scientific questions about the environment and sharing her passion for its conservation with others, she's usually exploring it. She has hiked across the Fagarash mountains in Romania, biked around the Gaspésie peninsula in Canada, dived through caverns in Mexico, and paddled 7000km across Canada to raise funds and awareness for watershed conservation.
GEORGE HOFMANN
In his book Resilience: Handling Anxiety in a Time of Crisis, George Hofmann applies years of experience managing his own mental illness to present a meditation-focused practice anyone can use to predict, prevent and manage challenging episodes of anxiety. He maintains the site "Practicing Mental Illness," which promotes meditation, movement and meaningful work as keys to growth and healing. His new project, The Psalms Meditations Project, considers Christian texts through the lens of Buddhist practice. George lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife, their daughter and two poorly behaved dogs.
PAULA KAHUMBU
CEO, Wildlife Direct Kenya
Considered a driving force behind Africa's conservation movement, Paula Kahumbu, CEO of NGO WildlifeDirect, has demonstrated an enduring passion for preserving threatened wildlife and habitats in Kenya and beyond. She currently runs a conservation charity WildlifeDirect, and produces and hosts Africa's First Wildlife Documentary series Wildlife Warriors which is broadcast on national and African Channels. She has spearheaded award winning successful Conservation Campaigns and lectures and conducts field courses for Princeton University where she received her PhD. Among her many roles, Kahumbu was previously in charge of Parks for the Kenya Wildlife Service and has co-authored globally best-selling children's books Kahumbu is the winner of many awards that recognize her achievements in fostering conservation. These include Jury for the Rolex Awards (2019), is a member of the Board of the Prince Albert the Second of Monaco Foundation (since 2018), the Princeton in Africa Medal (2017), The Tribeca Disruptive Innovations Award, the Whitley Award (2014), the Presidential Award, Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (2014), and the National Geographic/Buffet Award for Leadership in Conservation in Africa (2011). She is an honorary warden of the Kenya Wildlife Service, was named Brand Kenya Ambassador (2013) and is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer (2011). ​
TSERING KYI
Journalist & Poet
Born and raised in Amdo, eastern Tibet, Tsering Kyi has been educated in Tibet, India, England and Germany. While in India, she became Miss Tibet in the early 2000s and later traveled to many countries to speak on Tibetan women's and children's lived experiences. Afterwards, Tsering studied English, Chinese and journalism while in Europe. For the past 15 years, she has written poems, lyrics, and articles in Tibetan and published three books of poetry. The high regard for her poetry in Tibet has led people to publish her collected works. Tsering Kyi is known to be the longest running Tibetan female blogger with readership totaling over 1 million, and was the sole woman in the well-known writers group Mirab Sumpa in Tibet. Tsering's work reaches a wide audience of mainstream readers, including pastoralists, monks and nuns, students, and educators. Currently, she is active with several writers associations and works as a broadcast journalist for TV and radio.
​KUNSANG KYIRONG
Animation Artist
Kunsang Kyirong graduated from the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2020 with a Bachelor of Media Arts in 2D + Experimental Animation. Her grad film, Yarlung, is currently a part of the international festival circuit. It was awarded Best Canadian Student Animation at the 2020 Ottawa International Animation Festival and was selected as the President's Media Award for Excellence at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design. She enjoys working under the camera, using 2D traditional methods that explore various textures and materials. Her animating is often shaped by tactile materiality, hand-drawing frames in sequence which play a fundamental role to how her storytelling takes shape. Kunsang weaves together her cultural history, and themes of identity through her research and practice. ​
​​JESSICA MANDANDA
​Country Coordinator of Malawi
Jessica Mandanda is the IYAFP Malawi Country Coordinator. She is a feminist Communications specialist, writer and an expert in gender, and sexual and reproductive health and rights with over three years experience in activism and advocacy for women's rights.
Founder, Exploration Connection
Rebecca Martin—Founder and President, Exploration Connections—has spearheaded pivotal programs at National Geographic and has cultivated extensive networks of explorers. She is widely recognized as a leader in empowering explorers around the world. Rebecca served as Senior Director of Explorer Programs at National Geographic, where she oversaw high-profile explorers—including Sylvia Earle, Robert Ballard, and Mike Fay—among many others. In addition, she significantly expanded National Geographic's prestigious Awards Program, supported many cutting-edge exploration projects and developed a new mentorship program tailored for explorers. While she was director, the Expeditions Council awarded nearly 800 grants totalling $24 million for exploration around the world. Rebecca created the Young Explorers Program at National Geographic or exceptional fieldwork in exploration, conservation and storytelling. In 11 years nearly 800 Young Explorers received grants. She was recognized by Outside magazine on "The Power List" of the 25 most influential people in the outdoor world—alongside Yvon Chouinard, Melinda Gates and Conrad Anker. Rebecca serves on the Board of Machik and
Telluride Mountainfilm. She has traveled widely, including two trips to Tibet.
​Senior Fellow, Aspen Institute & Senior Advisor, Children & Nature Network
Juan D. Martinez is a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions. He is a co-founder of Fresh Tracks, a youth-led cross cultural revolution, rooted in the healing power of the outdoors, as well as implementing the tribal and indigenous community of practice for the Opportunity Youth Forum. His work has helped to grow the silo-breaking strategy for systems change and youth power building while also lifting up successful stories of civic engagement and community organizing.
Juan has over 15 years of nonprofit management and implementation of strategy and was named a National Geographic Explorer in 2011 for his work to engage the rising generation of youth to the healing power of the outdoors. Juan also serves on The Wilderness Society's governing council, is a TED Speaker and author, and is dedicated to bringing the power of equity and justice to life through youth and community-driven solutions. Juan has committed to help empower the next generation of leaders dedicated to addressing systems of inequity and access to opportunities by working with community leaders, non-profits, and businesses across the country. Juan resides in Springfield, Illinois, with his wife, Vanessa.
LYDIA NAGELHOUT
Summer 2012 Cultural Mapping Project Participant
Lydia Nagelhout is a first-year law student at Georgetown University. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University where she studied economics and sustainable development. Lydia was a participant in Machik's Cultural Mapping Project (CMP) in Gyalthang, Tibet, during the summer of 2012. Following her experience with CMP in 2012, as a senior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, Lydia worked as a program intern at Machik's office. During the summer of 2013, Lydia coordinated the CMP program in Amdo. Recently, Lydia has been working as a volunteer with Machik to finalize the production of the three CMP books.
TENZIN NORBU NANGSAL
Vice-President, Tibetan Arts & Language Initiative (TALI)
Tenzin Norbu Nangsal is Vice-President of TALI. Born in Lhasa, he graduated from Tibet University in 1990 with a B.A. in Biology. From 1990 to 1993 he taught Tibetan language and biology in middle schools in Lhasa. From 1993 to 1996 he worked as environmental researcher in India. He has published a general introduction to Tibet's environment and two volumes on endangered species of Tibet, all written in the Tibetan language. He has taught courses on Tibetan language and culture at Virginia University, Indiana University and Columbia University. He has translated eight volumes of the Open Eye Children's Series into Tibetan. He has written several Tibetan-language children's stories: A Little Frog and a Crow, Little Shepperd, Little Shepperd, What Are You Doing?, Lhamo Trung Trung, Ten Early Readers, Concise Tibetan-English Visual Dictionary of Plants and Animals etc. He is one of the main contributors to a series of textbooks to teach Tibetan language to children. Tenzin Norbu Nangsal lectures widely around the world on techniques to teach Tibetan language to children.
BAKANG NDABA
​Botswana Coordinator, IYAFP
Ivan is a 21 year old activist, poet, debater, post modern feminist and NGO management student who is interested in learning new things and passionate about what he believes in. He has over 3 years of experience in resource mobilization, conflict resolution, and project management. He would like to build his knowledge and contribute in Botswana through research and advocacy. Ivan believes that governments and society at large need to recognise the importance of inclusiveness. He is committed to working with his team to ensure the sexual and reproductive rights of everyone are safeguarded at all cost. ​​
DR. SANDHYA NARAYANAN
Visiting Assistant Professor, Washington & Lee University
Dr. Sandhya Krittika Narayanan is a linguistic anthropologist who specializes in the maintenance of multilingualism in indigenous and minority communities around the world, and the relationship between linguistic diversity and social and political change over time. In 2014, she received a National Geographic Young Explorers Grant to conduct preliminary fieldwork on indigenous multilingualism on the Peru-Bolivian border. In 2017, she was named as a National Geographic Young Leader Explorer, which gave her an additional platform to begin promoting her research on indigenous multilingualism. She is currently expanding her research to include a new project on indigenous language revitalization in the US, and and a future project on indigenous and minority multilingualism in India. She has spoken at national conferences and at National Geographic, and actively outreaches to K-12 students and teachers across the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Narayanan received her Ph.D in Linguistic Anthropology from the University of Michigan in 2020. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Washington and Lee University.
TENZIN NORZIN
Student, Australian National University
Norzin is an undergraduate research student at the Australian National University. They are currently studying how the performance of alpine plants under warming global temperatures is affected by their phenotypic plasticity, i.e., the ability to respond to environmental change. Specifically, they are interested in whether a plant's memory of responding to warming temperatures can be transmitted to its offspring to influence the offspring's performance under the warming climate. Norzin has also previously interned as a summer researcher at the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation and the Australian National University to investigate plant physiology and evolution. They enjoy discussions on improving accessibility and equity within scientific institutions.
DR. YONTEN NYIMA
Visiting Research Scholar, New York University
Yonten Nyima, originally from Nagchu in central Tibet, is a human geographer specializing in Tibetan pastoralism. He is currently a visiting Research Scholar at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University. His main research interests are development and environmental policies, pastoralism, rangeland and natural resource management and access, indigenous knowledge and climate change, and cultural politics and resistance. Having earned degrees in human geography (Ph.D., University of Colorado-Boulder, U.S.A., 2012) and international affairs with a concentration in economic and political development (M.A., Columbia University, U.S.A., 2006), in meteorology (B.S., Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, Nanjing, China, 1994), Dr. Yonten Nyima draws from political ecology and political economy in examining rationales for, implementation of, and socioeconomic, cultural, political and ecological effects of China's ongoing development and environmental policies in Tibet. He has published peer-reviewed articles on Tibetan pastoralism in journals including Conservation and Society, Society and Natural Resources, Journal of Contemporary China (upcoming), Human Ecology, and Area.
DR. GAURAV PATHANIA
Professor, Georgetown University
Gaurav J. Pathania holds doctorate in​ Sociology of Education. He currently teaches 'Introduction to Sociology' at Georgetown University in Washington DC. He has taught Social Movements at George Washington University and served as a visiting scholar to University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Post-Doctoral Research Associate at University of Southern California. He authored his first book "The University as a Site of Resistance: Identity and Student Politics" (Oxford University Press, 2018).
MIKE PERRY
Executive Director, City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team
A lawyer and social worker by profession, Mike Perry is currently Executive Director of the City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team based in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. Mike provided shared leadership to bring a universal basic income (UBI) pilot project to his home community and then brought legal action pro bono against the provincial government for the early cancellation of the UBI pilot. He is a sessional lecturer about Canada and the Role of Law at Trent University and alumni of the Public Leadership Program at Harvard. Mike is an advisor to the Institute for Change Leadership in Toronto and has appeared in international media on issues related to university basic income. Mike is Métis and has always wanted to visit Tibet.
TENZIN PHAKDON
PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona
Tenzin Phakdon is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Water Energy and Sustainable Technology Center and Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) fellow at University of Arizona. Born and raised in Bir, a Tibetan settlement in India. She has an undergraduate in Civil Engineering and a master's in environmental engineering with scholarship from Tibetan Scholarship Program. Currently, pursuing doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering. Her research project includes electrochemically enhanced high efficiency reverse osmosis process for converting brackish water into potable water and engineering processes for treatment and disposal of waste brine produced in various membrane processes.
JAMYANG PHUNTSOK
Jamyang Phuntsok studied physics at Pennsylvania State University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He founded the Tibetan language podcast Khyeltam with Ugyan Choedup in 2018. He also draws political cartoons for Tibetan Review news website. After years in science, he now aims to study and pursue filmmaking. He devotes the leftover time, of which plenty, to birding and watercolor.
TENZIN RABGA
Cofounder, Driwa Podcast
Tenzin Rabga is a PhD candidate at Michigan State University in Experimental Atomic Physics with a focus on precision measurements and tests of fundamental symmetries. Using techniques in cold atom physics, laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms, he probes the sources of violations of the CP (Charge and Parity)-symmetry of our physical theories, in hopes to shed light on the origin of matter in our Universe. He also founded the new Tibetan language podcast called Driwa with Dhundup Tashi Rekjong.
THOMAS REBBECCHI
Materials Engineer
Tom Rebbecchi is a 9-year volunteer of Engineers Without Borders-USA who currently serves as the Professional Chapter Representative on EWB-USA's Board of Directors. Tom brings his experience as former Hartford Professional Chapter President and Project Lead to this role, as well as experience from working on EWB-USA projects spanning 4 continents. In 2017, Tom helped to complete a water system project in Sabhung, Nepal. Tom is a Materials Engineer at Pratt & Whitney and also leads Raytheon Technology's growing EWB volunteer team.
TSONDUE SAMPHEL
Senior Program Coordinator, Emory SEE Learning
Tsondue Samphel is the Senior Program Coordinator for the SEE Learning Program. He joined the SEE Learning team in November 2018 to take on the responsibility of coordinating the international aspects of the SEE Learning Program. He also co-facilitates SEE Learning in-person workshops. Prior to taking on this role, Tsondue has worked as a senior translator for the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, a monastic science education initiative of the Center and translated scientific materials into Tibetan. Mr. Samphel holds a BS degree in physics from Emory University, and Pharchin Rabjam (BA equivalent degree) and Uma Rabjam (MA equivalent degree) in Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics.
DR. PATRICIA SCHIAFFINI
President, Tibetan Arts & Literature Initiative (TALI)
Patricia Schiaffini-Vedani is the President and Founder of TALI. Patricia holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Literature from the University of Pennsylvania. She has taught Chinese language, as well as Tibet and China-related courses, at the University of Pennsylvania, Pomona College, Southwestern University, and Texas State University. Her articles on different aspects of sinophone modern Tibetan literature and modern Chinese literature, as well as some interviews with prominent Tibetan writers, have been published in the Journal of International Affairs, World Literature Today, Latse Library Newsletter, Quimera, Estudios de Asia y África, Revista Española del Pacífico, Contemporary Tibetan Literary Studies (Leiden: Brill, 2006), Sinophone Studies: A Critical Reader (Columbia University Press, 2013). Her volume Modern Tibetan Literature and Social Change, co-edited with fellow TALI board member Lauran Hartley, was published by Duke University Press in 2008. She has recently published Enticement: Stories of Tibet, a translation of short stories by Tibetan writer Pema Tseden (SUNY Press, 2018).
PHAKMO SHATSO
Ph.D. Student, Nihon Fukushi University
Phakmo Shatso was born and raised in Cantsa, in the Amdo region of Tibetan. She holds a BA in Tibetan & Japanese from Qinghai University for Nationalities. In 2014, Phakmo started her journey to Japan to further study, from which she earned her MA in Social Welfare from Osaka Prefecture University. Currently, Phakmo is a Ph.D. student in Social Welfare Studies at Nihon Fukushi University, Japan. Phakmo's research topics include Tibetan pastoralists' resettlement policies, social security systems, and multi-residence models.
TENZIN SHAMPHEL
Production Manager, Markarian, Coco Shop & Big Drop NYC
Tenzin Shamphel is a production manager with over a decade of experience in the fashion industry. He started out as an intern working on concept, trend, and development at Cache shortly after graduating High School in 2009. While juggling his college courses and internship he received an Associates degree in Fashion Design in 2012. He currently manages production for womenswear brands Markarian, Coco Shop, and Big Drop NYC in New York.
​CAROLINE SHIN
Founder, Cooking with Granny
Caroline Shin is a food and culture journalist. She was a video producer at New York magazine before officially launching her Cooking with Granny YouTube series and in-person workshops where diverse immigrant grandmothers teach family recipes and tell deeply human, richly cultural stories. CWG has been critically acclaimed by the New York Times, BuzzFeed, Food and Wine, Refinery29, and NBC, and garnered collaborations with LinkedIn, Tenement Museum, and Apollo Theater. She has an MS from Columbia Journalism School and a BA from Brown University. A Queens girl with a monstrous appetite created by her North Korean refugee grandmother's home cooking, she is drawn to food stories showing the courage, resilience and contributions of immigrants and women across the cultural landscape of New York City and the larger U.S. You can see her work on Eater, New York Times, and www.CookingWithGranny.tv or @CookingWGranny on Instagram.
RAMNATH SUBBA SIDDHI
Ramnath Subba Siddhi is a therapist and social activist in the Siddhi community in Karnataka, in southern India. He completed his MA in education, MA in sociology, and MSc in counseling and psychology. Ramnath Subba Siddhi is from the Siddhi community who are Africans living in six different states in India. He worked with filmmaker, photographer and storyteller Asha Stuart to create the film "Lost Tribe of Africa." He continues to work for social change in his community.
DR. TENZIN SONAM
Assistant Research Scientist, Emory SEE Learning
As an assistant research scientist with the SEE Learning program, Tenzin Sonam's primary responsibility is setting up research agenda for SEE Learning facilitator and educator training, and currently manages the facilitator training research. Sonam received his Ph.D. in Teaching and Teacher Education from University of Arizona in 2017 and joined the Emory's Center for Contemplative Science Compassion-Based Ethics the same year. He is interested in cross-cultural exploration of how key constructs in SEE Learning such as compassion, self-compassion, and resiliency are understood and adopted by educators from diverse sociocultural background within different educational settings, and how sociocultural perspective in education can lead to an effective and sustainable adoption of SEE program around the world.
ASHA STUART
Asha Stuart is a photographer and film-maker whose work focuses on sociocultural themes. Her passion for storytelling has taken her across the world—documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh to women's issues in Southern Africa. Asha's story interests are rooted in the lives of people living in marginalized communities and facing injustice in areas of racial and economic inequality, social exclusion, women's rights, and environmental issues. Her works have appeared on National Geographic, CNN, PBS, and other news outlets. Asha is also a National Geographic Explorer.
SANG MOTA
Specialist in Domestic Violence
Sangmo Ta was born and grew up in Amdo Chapcha Tibet (Tsolu prefecture). She was a dancer/singer at Tsolu Dance Troupe for 6 years. Later, she worked as a choreographer and a book-keeper in a Tibetan middle school in Chapcha. In the early 1990s, Sang went to Northern India, Dharamsala. In 1996, Sang came to America as a translator and has remained in the United States since. Sang completed her Bachelor's degree (B.A) in Psychology at Hunter College and completed her Master's Degree in Social Work (2009) at Hunter College. From 2009 to 2016, Sang has worked as a social worker in the Victim Services Unit of the Kings County District Attorney's Office. She specializes in domestic violence (DV) in the Eastern Asian population,
and also works in Human Trafficking, Homicide, and Crimes Against Children offering cultural competent services and supportive counseling. Since May, 2016 to present, Sang works as a
​Real Estate salesperson at Douglas Elliman In New York.
​DR. GABI TAYAC
Associate Professor in History, George Mason University
Gabrielle Tayac, PhD is a member of the Piscataway Indian Nation and an Associate Professor in History at George Mason University. Dr. Tayac has long combined scholarship and activism. She completed her BS in Social Work and American Indian Studies at Cornell University and then her PhD in Sociology at Harvard University. Formerly, she was a curator and historian for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, researching the lives of peoples indigenous to the western hemisphere both before and after the colonization of the Americas. She co-curated one of the museums inaugural permanent exhibits, "Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identity" and co-curated the traveling exhibit "IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas." Tayac was a co-founder of the League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations, a hemispheric alliance of Native people and also served as a curator for the Spirit Aligned Leadership Program.
DR. CHIP THOMAS
Physician & Artist
Chip Thomas is a photographer, public artist, and physician who has been working between Monument Valley and The Grand Canyon in the Navajo Reservation for the last 28 years. There, he coordinates the Painted Desert Project – a constellation of murals across the Navajo Nation painted by artists from all around the world. These murals aim to reflect the love, culture and rich history shared by the Navajo people back on to the community. He is a member of the Justseeds Artists Co-operative, a collective of 30 socially-engaged artists. You can find his largescale photographs pasted on the roadside, on the sides of houses in the desert, on the graphics of the Peoples Climate March, and on 350.org carbon emissions campaign materials. In beauty it is finished.
DR. DECHEN TSEWANG
Dr Dechen Tsewang is a daughter of two former teachers who together taught Tibetan children in diaspora for thirty years in India. She immigrated to USA with her family where she obtained her medical degree at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. She feels fortunate to work as a Family Physician serving many indigenous communities in the region. She is passionate about equality, social justice and women's rights. She lives in Santa Fe with her husband and two daughters.
RIGNAM WANGKHANG
Producer, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Rignam Wangkhang is an award-winning Tibetan Canadian multimedia Producer with the CBC. He is currently with the CBC Creator Network, which seeks to improve the relevancy of the public broadcaster by discovering and developing the work of independent filmmakers and digital content creators across Canada. He serves as the Chair DiversifyCBC, an Employee Resource Group that represents over 350 people of colour to advocate for diversity and inclusion at the CBC. He is also a founding member of the Chyssem Project, an oral history project showcasing and celebrating the 50-year immigration story of Tibetan-Canadians. Rignam has produced documentaries, essays, and reported for the CBC from Yellowknife, Winnipeg, and Toronto.
PRASENJEET YADAV
Photographer, National Geographic
Prasenjeet Yadav is a molecular ecologist turned National Geographic Photographer & Explorer. Prasenjeet holds a masters degree in molecular biology and has pursued research in molecular ecology for several years at National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India. Early in his career, he realized his passion is storytelling and now combines scientific research with his photography to popularize ecological and conservation sciences in the wider society. Prasenjeet is one of the very few photographers integrating science deeply into his photo stories. He chooses ignored subjects, landscapes, and species and finds ways to develop engaging and accessible photos. For every story, he collaborates with researchers, managers, policymakers as well as conservationists. Along with the larger stories, he also produces stories that are directed at specific audiences who have the power to create lasting change. His has covered issues such as the effect of climate change on the high elevation Himalaya and effects of windmills on ecosystems. Prasenjeet is a founding member of 'Shoot for Science' which is an initiative to train scientists in science communication. As an explorer, his story on the evolution of species in the Shola Skyislands of the Western Ghats was published and exhibited at National Geographic, Telluride, Banff, NCBS, etc. He is represented by National Geographic Creative and currently works in the Central Asian mountains and the Western Ghats of India. Prasenjeet's luggage is currently based in Bangalore, India and he is constantly on the move.
TIM WARD
CEO, Intermedia Communications Training
Tim Ward is a board member for Machik, and CEO of Intermedia Communications Training, based in Washington DC. He is the author of ten books, including The Master Communicator's Handbook,and Resilience: Virtually Speaking – Communicating at a Distance. His expertise is helping people communicate at their best, including in online meetings, webinars, and interviews. At Machik Fest 2020, Tim will share the five "Big Fails and Quick Fixes" for your best on-screen presence. Tim has been to Tibet three times, and through the work of Machik, he remains a passionate advocate for the Tibetan people.
GLOBAL SESSIONS
​DEON BEN
Native America Program Director, Grand Canyon Trust
Deon Ben is originally from the community of Tohatchi, New Mexico, and rejoined the Trust's Native America Program in 2016. Prior to joining the Trust, Deon worked for the Grand Canyon National Park's Vegetation Program. He earned his B.S. in environmental studies at Northern Arizona University and is currently completing his M.S. in environmental science and policy at NAU. Growing up on Navajo land, Deon experienced the perfect mesh of traditional knowledge and environmental education, which led him to his graduate work focusing on incorporating traditional ecological knowledge to address animal husbandry and grazing within tribal communities that are facing climate challenges. Deon enjoys the isolation and natural beauty of his traditional homeland and looks forward to positive environmental change.
PEMA DOLMA
Pema Dolma was born and raised in India, and is currently based in Leh, Ladakh. She did her schooling from T.C.V and has a Masters in History from (JNU). Pema always believes that it's a moral responsibility of all Tibetans to give back to their community. Working in the Shatsa organization is the best way she can contribute to her community. As a kid, she was not fond of reading and wasn't exposed to various kind of books. She started catching up with reading so late and doesn't want her community kids to do the same. They should get access to different kinds of books and make books a major part of their life. Pema also sees that inculcating reading habits can be the solution for many social issues among Tibetan youth like dropouts and unemployment. With dedication, hard work and modern education, the younger generations can work to see a brighter future for Tibet.
SUNNY DOOLEY
Visiting Professor, Colgate University
Sunny Dooley is a pioneering storyteller, folklorist, and cultural consultant from the Dine (Navajo) Nation. For over 30 years, she has been collecting, learning and retelling the oral tradition of the Diné Hozhojii Hané (Navajo Blessingway stories). When she started storytelling, it was the first time these stories were told by a Navajo person. Since then, she has been sharing stories of the Diné people's world view and details their relationship with their surroundings. Her broad audience includes: Dine community, universities, elementary schools and conferences throughout the US, Canada, Africa, Europe and Mexico including the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the Denver Arts Museum, and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, among others. Sunny Dooley is the Olive B. O'Connor Distinguished Visiting Professor of Literature and Storyteller-in-Residence at Colgate University and the only Native storyteller to be included in the Women's Chautauqua Institute. In 2006, she received the Navajos Making a Difference Award at the annual Navajo Studies conference. She founded the Hané Storytelling Festival for indigenous storytellers and was featured in a PBS Independent Lens documentary. Sunny Dooley lives in Vanderwagon, New Mexico and believes that to know who you are, you have to know your past to keep from feeling lost. ​
DONGAA LHAMO
Founder, My Ama Wore That
Dolkar Lhamo (Dongaa) is the founder of 'My Ama Wore That', a passion project she started online some 2 years ago and today, still in its nascent stages, is a petite studio space that offers handpicked vintage clothing pieces and promotes slow / preloved fashion as a sustainable choice. Dongaa has always loved dressing herself in her amala's old sweaters / coats and mostly her aunt's & uncle's hands-me-down clothes. She was 17, fresh off of high school when she started working for a lifestyle magazine as a writer cum stylist and got knotted in the world of fashion. She later went to work with a nonprofit organization based in Nepal that worked for the Tibetan communities and invested almost 4 years learning and contributing to her best. Along with 'My Ama Wore That', she has been working for past few months to launch another project of her own. Besides these, she manages couple of business firms with their social media pages and during her free time, she helps her sister in her café to make momos and play some of her amazing playlist to woo the customers. *winks*
PASANG LHAMO
Program Coordinator, Drokpo Nepal
Pasang Lhamo is currently working at Drokpo Nepal as a Program Coordinator. She completed her bachelor's in social work and a postgraduate diploma in counseling psychology. She is passionate about making a difference in the community. ​
TSERING LHACHOK
Founder, TSONGRA
Tsering Lhachok was born in Tibet and moved to India at the age of six. He is the Director and founder of TSONGRA, an e-commerce start-up business. His main mission is to improve the economic status of the Tibetan community by developing a marketplace for Tibetan products and bringing Tibetan products within convenient reach of the global market. He founded this startup in parallel to his studies with the fund he received as a Tibetan Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (TEDi) entrepreneur of the year 2017. Since their inception in July 2018, TSONGRA have served customers from over 30 different countries. He graduated from Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), Malaysia, with Bachelors in Software Engineering and MSc in Data Science and Business Analytics.
SHAO MIN
Producer, Writer & Director
​Chew Chia Shao Min is a producer, writer, and director from Singapore. Her film May and June featured at Singapore International Film Festival, Oslo Independent Film Festival, and SF Shorts, and won Best Cinematography at the Maverick Movie Awards. She wrote Wanton Mee (dir. Eric Khoo), which featured at Berlin International Film Festival and San Sebastian Film Festival. Shao Min is a Harvard graduate and attends NYU's Filmmaking MFA program as an Ang Lee Scholar.
XIE SHI MIN
Xie Shi Min is an award-winning writer who lives in a book fort. Her fiction has appeared in journals like Cha. Her first book, Dragonhearted, was shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award in 2014 and published in 2016. It was also shortlisted for the Singapore Book Awards in 2017 and won the Hedwig Anuar Children's Book in 2018. Her new comic, which is in an anthology called Sound, is out now at Kinokuniya and Books Actually. In her spare time, she hugs fat cats. According to her, the fatter they are, the better.
ALFIAN SA'AT
Writer, Playwright & Public Intellectual
Alfian Sa'at, is a prominent English- and Malay-language playwright, poet and short-story writer in Singapore and Malaysia. Known for his politically charged works, Alfian is notable for being the only Singaporean Malay writer to have produced a sizeable body of English-language works and one of the few local authors who have written plays, poems and short stories. He is a three-time winner of Best Original Script at The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards, and the recipient of the Young Artist Award for Literature in 2001.
ENGAGEMENT FAIR
​NYIMA DOLKAR
Program Director, Drokpo Nepal
Nyima works as a Program Director for Drokpo Nepal. Nyima believes in the strength of a woman and its role in making the world a better place to live. She has a Bachelor's degree in Social Work.
RINCHEN DOLMA
Founder & Artistic Director, Made in Exile
Rinchen Dolma was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, and is currently based in Tkaronto. She is the founder and Artistic Director of MADE IN EXILE, an arts-based initiative that engages young Tibetan creatives in exploring their complex identities through contemporary mediums of storytelling in exile. Rinchen's practice is rooted in intentional placemaking, oral tradition, and collaborative storytelling to give an authentic voice to stories untold. She is a community arts practitioner, an emerging playwright, dramaturge, and director currently interning at Theatre Passe Muraille in Artistic Direction as the recipient of the 2020 Metcalf Foundation Performing Arts Program.
DEKI JAMYANGLING
Representative, Chyssem Project
Deki Jamyangling was born in India to Yeshe and Kunchok Jamyangling, who spent 11 years rebuilding their life in exile as restaurant/hotel owners in Mussoories, India. With the hopes of accessing better education and healthcare for their three children, the family later moved to Canada in 1971. Deki's love for her parents and their journey spurred her interest in joining The Chyssem Project. She has 15 years of experience at Rogers, Allstream, Finastra and Bell Canada, with positions spanning from sales to marketing to operations. She hope her professional experience will augment the Chyssem team.
TENZIN JIGME
Founder, Behind the Peaks Podcast
Tenzin Jigme is the host and founder of Behind The Peaks Podcast, which aims to celebrate underrepresented Himalayan professionals in mainstream American discourse. Behind The Peaks, the podcast is a response to the growing number of Himalayan professionals in America and the need to help flourish in each other's professional development. Every episode, we embark on showcasing the unique journeys of Himalayan professionals covering topics such as identity crisis, mental health, imposter syndrome, cultural differences, the transition to America, and many more. One of the main impetus for this initiative was Jigme's involvement in Machik Weekend 2018 and the whole Machik community. He is currently working as a COVID-19 contact tracer in New York City as well as applying for medical school.
TENZIN KALDEN
Cinematographer, Cofounder at Drung Filmmakers' Collective,
Dharamshala, India
Tenzin Kalden is a Dharamshala based cinematographer and a second-generation Tibetan born in India. He was a Fulbright scholar and studied filmmaking at DFA in New York City. After completing his film studies in 2015, he has worked in the camera department of numerous projects, including feature films, ads, music videos, shorts, and documentaries. Tenzin's last project was Light a candle, a 30-minute documentary that he shot and directed. The film was screened at Dharamshala International Film Festival and Woodstock Film Festival in 2019. Tenzin Kalden is one of the co-founders of Drung Filmmakers' Collective in Dharamshala - a group dedicated to the advancement of story-telling in the Tibetan exile communities. The collective provides a unique mutual support system for local filmmakers to share, build, and realize various film projects by sharing resources and expertise.
TENZIN CHOSANG NGABTAK
Cofounder, Rokpa Mentorship
​Tenzin Chosang Ngabtak is from Chicago, Illinois, and is currently double majoring in Economics and Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He also co-founded Rokpa Mentorship with Tenzin Choyang Namgyal and Dekyi Tsotsong, which serves as a nationwide initiative that aims to empower the next generation of Tibetan-American scholars by helping them navigate the entire college admissions process. Chosang is also passionate about consolidating his interests in developing creative business solutions and social impact, currently serving as an associate consultant for Life Out of Plastic, a non-profit organization in Peru. In his free time, Chosang enjoys playing dhamngye, reading, basketball, and hiking with his loved ones. He aspires to work in finance after graduating.
TENZIN NGODUP
​Cofounder, Munsel
Tenzin Ngodup is a Senior Software Engineer from Intel-based in Oregon USA. At Intel, he works in the Optane Automation Group responsible for producing the latest Intel Optane and SSD products based on 3D XPoint technology. Ngodup holds a Master in Electrical Engineering from Portland State and Bachelors in Physics from Berea College. Besides work, Ngodup enjoys writing tech blogs, hiking, and traveling. He has co-founded language learning start-up Munsel, and non-profit IBEA Foundation which consults startup and NGOs in the Portland Area to transform into a lean and agile organization.
DORJEE NORBU
​Tibetan American Medical Association
Dorjee Norbu is a current 1st year resident at the University of Cincinnati Combined Family Medicine-Psychiatry Residency Program. During his last year of medical school at Rush University in Chicago, he was selected to be part of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Emerging Leader Institute (ELI). As one of the 2019-2020 AAFP ELI scholars, Dorjee worked with other physician leaders, mentors, and supporters to establish the first-ever national non-profit organization for physicians (MDs and DOs), and medical students of Tibetan heritage who reside in the United States-- Tibetan American Medical Association (TAMA). The vision of TAMA is to foster a vibrant community of Tibetan American physicians and medical students are driven to advance health and wellness, medical education, and improve the wellbeing of Tibetan communities, both locally and globally. TAMA will achieve this by creating a venue for Tibetan physicians and medical students to network, exchange experiences, and ideas, and ultimately support each other in our personal and professional development through leadership and service.
SHEDAY NYIMA
GTSU General Secretary
(2017-2018) GTSU Delhi chapter Secretary and Student council of Delhi Tibetan Youth Hostel. (2018-2019) GTSU North wing President and Executive member of RTYC Rohini. (2019-2020) GTSU Council member and Students Council President of Delhi Tibetan Youth Hostel. (2019) President or Chairman of the All Tibetan Student Associations Meet 2019 AITSAM II. (2020) Delhi University Students Union Foreign Students cells Tibetan Representative. In 2020 I Graduated with Bachelor of ARTs in honors Geography.
JAMYANG TENZIN
Program Manager, Edulift Organization
Jamyang Tenzin was raised at Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) and has a degree in Photojournalism from Delhi. From a young age, he has always been interested in bringing art and society together. Jamyang has worked with various organizations in the past such as Wilderness Film India to explore his interests in art and incorporate it into his profession. Currently, he is the Program Manager at Edulift, an educational organization based in Nepal. Along with his team at EduLift, they published a curriculum book titled - "Rethinking Education- a curriculum for developing 21st-century classrooms". He is also the co-founder of Whiteline Graphics which he started with his brother. This is a venture to highlight Tibetan culture, traditions, and art through modern techniques.
DECHEN TSERING
Dechen Tsering is a public health specialist at the City of Berkeley where she manages multiple health programs and administers grants funded by the City of Berkeley's tax on sugary beverages, first in the nation. She has worked in international development, philanthropy, women's and LGBTIQ rights advocacy and health care through Community Health for Asian Americans, Global Fund for Women, Seva Foundation, and Tibetan Delek Hospital. Dechen is the first out-lesbian in the Bay Area Tibetan community and a former president of the Tibetan Association of Northern California. Dechen is a co-founder of ACHA-Himalayan Sisterhood, a volunteer organization empowering survivors of gender-based violence in and outside the US. She is a trained domestic violence counselor and a member of San Francisco's Asian Women's Shelter (AWS) volunteer network. For 10 years, Dechen has been an active participant of a statewide Gathering Strength collaborative of Asian American advocates against gender-based violence. Dechen is passionate about civic engagement, social justice, human rights and the rights of marginalized communities. Dechen lives in Berkeley, CA with her partner.
MODERATORS/DISCUSSANTS
GELEK BADHEYTSANG
Discussant
Gelek Badheytsang is a Tibetan Canadian who lives in Toronto and is a writer and communications professional. He was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, and arrived in Canada as a refugee at the end of 2001. Gelek dabbles in writing and journalism, with an eye towards arts and culture, the environment, equity and social justice. He recently started and hosts a podcast series called "a Good Refugee Podcast."
DR. JULIE BRITTAIN
Julie Brittain is Professor of Linguistics at Memorial University, Canada. Her research focuses on theoretical models of syntax, especially as applied to the Cree-Innu-Naskapi dialect complex, a Central Algonquian language indigenous to Canada. More generally, she is interested in Algonquian languages as well as languages of similar typology (polysynthetic languages, which are characterized by their potential for highly complex word forms). Her research is largely fieldwork-based. Other research interests include first language acquisition, the translation of Algonquian oral literatures, and strategies to maintain and revitalize small languages. She has been director of the Chisasibi (Cree) Child Language Acquisition Study since 2004. This project investigates the linguistic stages through which children pass as they acquire the grammar of Cree as a first language. She is currently working with Speech-Language clinicians in the Cree community to develop Cree language materials for under-fives. She taught English language and ESL methodology at Tibet University, Lhasa, 1987-88 and has, since then, been fortunate to have had opportunities to (re)visit Lhasa and many other regions of Tibet.
CHIME DOLMA
Chime Dolma is the Co-founder and President of YindaYin Coaching, which is a non-profit education organization that aspires to revolutionize education in immigrant communities in New York City. Chime Dolma is professionally an educator and currently works as the Assistant Director of Service-Learning and a History Teacher at Riverdale Country School. She holds an M.A. in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University; she received her BA from Middlebury College with a double major in Political Science and Chinese Language.
KALSANG DOLMA
Kalsang Dolma is a Tibetan Canadian living in Toronto, Canada and a full-time settlement counselor, helping newcomer families with immigration and settlement. She also manages the youth program, directing events and projects to support youth in their educational, professional and personal goals. She is a co-founder of DreBu, an organization that celebrates and supports immigrant arts and culture in Toronto. She has most recently served as co-chair of the Parkdale Community Legal Services and has also served on the boards of Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust and Toronto Green Community. In 2014, Kalsang was awarded the Ontario Newcomer Champion Award by the Province of Ontario. She recently received the Trailblazer Award at AfroPolitan Women Of Diversity Summit & Awards 2020In the 2018 municipal elections, she ran as a councillor candidate for the riding of Parkdale-High park, placing third with over 5,200 votes. She continues to be deeply engaged and invested in the community of Parkdale and the city of Toronto, lending her expertise, voice and support wherever needed.
TENZIN YEWONG DONGCHUNG
Tenzin Yewong Dongchung is a PhD candidate in East Asian History at Columbia University.
​Her research focuses on the development and spread of woodblock printing technology in Tibet from the 17th to the 19th century. She is originally from Dharamsala, India. ​
TENZIN DOLMA GYALPO
Tenzin Dolma Gyalpo is the eldest of three daughters in her family. She is a senior at Middlebury College studying Computer Science and is passionate about Education, Technology, and Social Work. Recently she gained interest in Tibetan-English Machine Translation, and Tibetan speech and text recognition. She interned at Machik in the summer of 2017 and has since been an active member of Machik community. ​
RAMYA KUDEKALLU
Ramya Jawahar Kudekallu has strong research and advocacy interest in anti-discrimination frameworks within International Human Rights Law. During her time at CLIHHR as the Telford Taylor Human Rights Visiting Instructor, she hopes to focus her work and scholarship on the rights of minorities and atrocity prevention through international intervention. In 2018, Ramya graduated from Fordham School of Law with an LLM in International Law and Justice. Later that year, she secured the Crowley Fellowship with the Leitner Center for International Law. She has been teaching a Human Rights Scholarship class as well as leading research that focuses on labor, gender-based discrimination and access to justice.
Her previous work experience includes research and litigation at the Alternative Law Forum, a collective of human rights lawyers in India committed to responding to issues of social and economic injustice. Her work explored gender and civil liberties at large, representing, in particular, the rights of sex workers and the LGBTIQ community. As part of her early professional experience, Ramya worked with World YWCA in Geneva, Switzerland. She also co-founded IYAFP, an international youth-led reproductive rights organization that advocates for youth access to SRHR services as a human right. Ramya graduated with an LLB degree from Bishop Cotton Law College, India. She attributes her motivation to pursue public interest law to the encouragement and support she received in an all-women's law school.
TENZIN NORDON
Tenzin Nordon was born and raised in Chandigarh, India until she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1998. Since then, she has been living, volunteering, working, and studying in Minnesota. Since 2008, she has been actively involved in various Tibetan community organizations such as Lamton. This September, she was elected as a board member for the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota. Nordon obtained her B.A. in Biology from Carleton College in 2011. She obtained her M.A. in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University in 2020. Nordon's personal and professional aspirations led her to conduct research on how the Tibetan exile community can foster more Tibetan women leaders.
TENZIN NORYANG
Tenzin Noryang is a communications and fundraising professional with over 11 years in the non-profit sector. Her work is guided by her core value to work in the community to create a positive change. Currently, she is the Communications and Development Manager at a Canadian non-profit organization serving immigrants and refugees. She is also the co-founder of Reemuu creative agency with her husband. Previously Noryang worked at Machik as its Communications Director and at the Voice of America Tibetan Service as a Web Editor. Noryang has studied in India, England, United States, and Canada. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Carleton College in Minnesota and has completed an Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurship from Stanford Graduate School of Business in California. Noryang most recently completed an Executive Program in Business and Leadership at University of Toronto's Rotman School of Business. She is a proud alumna of Tibetan Children Village School in Dharamsala, India. She currently lives in Toronto and loves spending time in nature with her husband, her toddler, and 3-year-old husky.
DR. NAWANG PHUNTSOG
Nawang Phuntsog is Professor Emeritus and former Department Chair of Elementary and Bilingual Education, California State University, Fullerton, CA.​
TENZIN DAWA SAMPHEL
Tenzin Samphel has been an animator for over 7 years from network television to corporate events around the US. He has participated in many forms of production from graphics for 2 presidential elections, multiple breaking news packages, and live corporate activations. His music group Indiginis with brother Ngawang Samphel has been a progressive force in contemporary Tibetan music fusing Electronic R&B and Hip-Hop having a total of 10 millions streams collectively on the internet. Dawa currently works at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Washington DC where he has been remotely working for the past 6 months as a contractor for the federal government.
​TIFFANY SIA
Tiffany Sia is an artist, filmmaker, independent film producer and founder of Speculative Place. She is one of the co-founders of the HK to NYC Mask Circuit, which is a transnational mutual aid effort that provides surgical masks to communities in need in New York City and to various groups of Indigenous peoples. Sia is the author of 咸濕 Salty Wet, a series of anti-travelogues on affect and history of Hong Kong. She directed the short film Never Rest/Unrest, which premiered at Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival and screened at Cabaret Voltaire and Chen's [Remote]. Sia is based in Hong Kong.
KUNSANG TSEPHEL
​Moderator
Born in Chamdo, Tibet Kunsang Tsephel left his hometown when he was just four years old. He completed his formal education in Tibetan Children's Village School and did his undergraduate studies at Delhi University. Kunsang has a Masters in Environmental Studies, with his research focused on air pollution and respiratory health in Delhi. Throughout college, he was active in the student council group at Tibetan Youth Hostel. He believes in the power of individual effort to create a cleaner environment; such as segregating waste at home, reducing and reusing plastics. Currently, Kunsang is a team member of Yamuna Khimtsang; a group of young Tibetan students living together in Delhi where he enriches himself with team work skill, social innovation, self sustaining projects and animal care. He likes dogs, adventures, trekking and gardening.
Dechen Tsering currently administers the public health grants raised through the City of Berkeley's soda tax, the first in the nation. She has worked in international development, philanthropy, women's and LGBTIQ rights advocacy and community health education through Community Health for Asian Americans, Global Fund for Women, Seva Foundation, and Tibetan Delek Hospital. Dechen is a co-founder of ACHA-Himalayan Sisterhood, a volunteer organization empowering Himalayan immigrant women. She is a trained domestic violence counselor with the Asian Women's Shelter (AWS) in San Francisco. Dechen lives in Berkeley, CA with her partner.