Meet the 84000 team

Through scholarly research, specialized translation, technological innovation, and necessary administrative support, we embrace a collaborative and cross-functional approach in service of our mission: to translate the Tibetan Buddhist canon and make it accessible for all.

Who We Are

Our team is made up of academics, Dharma teachers, technology experts, translators, and practitioners working remotely from twenty-two cities around the world, and all bound together by our core values. Learn more about us! 

The 84000 Board
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Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Board Member and Founding Chair

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is a student of important Tibetan Buddhist lamas including Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Kyabje Sakya Trizin, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, and the 16th Karmapa.

Daniel Aitken
Daniel Aitken
Board Member

Daniel Aitken is CEO/Publisher of Wisdom Publications and is an experienced business executive with decades of insights gathered from corporate and consumer marketing executive roles.

Erik Pema Kunsang
Erik Pema Kunsang
Board Member

Erik Pema Kunsang is a Dharma teacher and translator of tantric texts and pith instructions of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages.

Huang Jing Rui
Huang Jing Rui
Executive Director

Huang Jing Rui has been the appointed Executive Director since 84000 began as the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project in 2009.

Ivy Ang
Ivy Ang
Strategic Planning Consultant

Ivy Ang has over thirty years of extensive experience in international business and organizational development.

Sara McClintock, Ph.D
Sara McClintock, Ph.D
Board Member

Sara L. McClintock, PhD, is Associate Professor of Religion at Emory University in Atlanta where she teaches courses in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and narrative traditions.

Executive Committee
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Khenpo Choying Dorjee
Khenpo Choying Dorjee
Executive Committee Member

Khenpo Choying Dorjee is assisted in this role by Sonam Jamtsho.

Huang Jing Rui
Huang Jing Rui
Executive Director

Huang Jing Rui has been the appointed Executive Director since 84000 began as the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project in 2009.

Ivy Ang
Ivy Ang
Strategic Planning Consultant

Ivy Ang has over thirty years of extensive experience in international business and organizational development.

Dr. Andreas Doctor
Dr. Andreas Doctor
Editorial Director

Andreas Doctor has been involved in translating and editing for 84000 since its earliest days and currently serves as Editorial Director.

Pema Abrahams
Pema Abrahams
Communications Director

Pema Abrahams has always been drawn to mission-driven projects with vast social impact potential. She initially joined 84000 as a volunteer in 2017.

Jeff Wallman
Jeff Wallman
Director of Technology

Jeff Wallman has 20-plus years of experience leading cultural heritage organizations with a keen focus on strategic technology planning and implementation.

Translation Team
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Dr. Andreas Doctor
Dr. Andreas Doctor
Editorial Director

Andreas Doctor has been involved in translating and editing for 84000 since its earliest days and currently serves as Editorial Director.

Dr. John Canti
Dr. John Canti
Senior Editor

John Canti was a founding member of 84000’s executive committee and editorial team and is now senior editor.

Dr. Ryan Damron
Dr. Ryan Damron
Research Editor

Ryan Damron began working for the 84000 in 2013 as a translator with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Dharmachakra Translation Committee and joined the editorial team in 2017.

Dr. David Fiordalis
Dr. David Fiordalis
Research Editor

David Fiordalis has had a lifelong personal interest in the religions, cultures, and history of Asia, especially South Asia and the Himalayan region.

Dr. Torsten Gerloff
Dr. Torsten Gerloff
Research Editor

Torsten began his academic studies in 2008 at the University of Hamburg where he studied Sanskrit (major) and Tibetan and Thai (minor).

Dr. George FitzHerbert
Dr. George FitzHerbert
Research Editor

Before starting work with 84000 in 2022 George FitzHerbert was a lecturer teaching Tibetan and Tibetan Studies full time at the University of Oxford in England.

Dr. Rory Lindsay
Dr. Rory Lindsay
Research Editor

Rory Lindsay is a research editor at 84000 and an assistant professor in the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Bob Miller
Dr. Bob Miller
Research Editor

Bob Miller has been working as an interpreter and translator of Tibetan since completing the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program in 2000.

Dr. Nathaniel Rich
Dr. Nathaniel Rich
Research Editor

Nathaniel Rich studied philosophy and history as an undergraduate in Texas and completed an MA and PhD in religious studies at the University of California Santa Barbara.

Line Tofte
Line Tofte
Editorial Manager

Line Tofte was born and grew up in Denmark but has spent a large part of her life living and working in other European countries.

Lowell Cook
Lowell Cook
Associate Translator

Lowell Cook completed his MA in Translation Textual Interpretation and Philology at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in 2017.

Dr. Catherine Dalton
Dr. Catherine Dalton
Associate Translator

Catherine Dalton has worked as an oral interpreter and textual translator of Tibetan Buddhist teachings since the early 2000s.

Dr. Dylan Esler
Dr. Dylan Esler
Associate Translator

Dylan Esler is a scholar and translator of Tibetan Buddhist texts. He holds a PhD from the University of Louvain and an MA in Buddhist Studies from SOAS University of London.

Dr. Bruno Galasek-Hul
Dr. Bruno Galasek-Hul
Associate Translator

Bruno Galasek-Hul has translated part-time for 84000 since 2015 and joined the organization as an associate translator in 2022.

Dr. Paul G. Hackett
Dr. Paul G. Hackett
Associate Translator

Paul Hackett completed his doctorate in Indo-Tibetan studies at Columbia University in 2008, building on his previous studies at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Annie Heckman
Dr. Annie Heckman
Associate Translator

Born in Chicago, Annie Heckman is an Associate Translator for 84000. Her research focuses on stories about nuns in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya.

Dr. Adam C. Krug
Dr. Adam C. Krug
Associate Translator

Adam C. Krug began working with 84000 in 2017 as a translator and editor with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Dharmachakra Translation Committee.

Dr. Ana Cristina O. Lopes
Dr. Ana Cristina O. Lopes
Associate Translator

Ana Cristina O. Lopes holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Sao Paulo. Specialized in the transnationalization of Tibetan Buddhism.

Wiesiek Mical
Wiesiek Mical
Associate Translator

Wiesiek Mical has been translating Buddhist texts for 84000 as member of the Dharmachakra Translation Committee since 2010; in 2020 he formally joined 84000 as an Associate Translator.

Sophie McGrath
Sophie McGrath
Trainee Translator

Sophie McGrath fully immersed herself in Tibetan language culture and traditional philosophical studies for nine years by pursuing the geshé degree curriculum in nunneries in India and Nepal.

Dr. Dawn Collins
Dr. Dawn Collins
Copyeditor

Dawn Collins holds an MA in Buddhist Studies from SOAS University of London and a PhD from Cardiff University focusing on Tibetan landscapes and ritual healing.

Ven. Konchog Norbu
Ven. Konchog Norbu
Copyeditor

Ven. Konchog Norbu is a graduate of Brown University where he primarily studied 19th and 20th century American literature and creative writing.

Laura Goetz
Laura Goetz
Associate Editor

Laura Goetz started as a digital editor with 84000 in 2017. She studied Indo-Tibetan Buddhism along with Sanskrit and Tibetan at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, and is currently completing her PhD studies at the University of Vienna.  

Grants Committee
  • Huang Jing Rui, Chair
  • Dr. John Canti
  • Dr. Andreas Doctor
  • Dr. Ryan Damron
  • Dr. Rory Lindsay
  • Dr. Nathaniel Rich
  • Amy Ang, Grants Coordinator
  • Line Tofte, Grants Administrator
84000 remains a collaborative endeavor. Texts are also translated on a project-basis by our translation Grant Recipients.
Advisors
  • Dr. Tom Tillemans Professor Emeritus, University of Lausanne
  • Dr. James Gentry Stanford University
  • Drian Gregor, M.A. Google Analytics Consultant
Content Team
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Huang Jing Rui
Huang Jing Rui
Executive Director

Huang Jing Rui has been the appointed Executive Director since 84000 began as the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project in 2009.

Ivy Ang
Ivy Ang
Strategic Planning Consultant

Ivy Ang has over thirty years of extensive experience in international business and organizational development.

Dr. Andreas Doctor
Dr. Andreas Doctor
Editorial Director

Andreas Doctor has been involved in translating and editing for 84000 since its earliest days and currently serves as Editorial Director.

Jeff Wallman
Jeff Wallman
Director of Technology

Jeff Wallman has 20-plus years of experience leading cultural heritage organizations with a keen focus on strategic technology planning and implementation.

Pema Abrahams
Pema Abrahams
Communications Director

Pema Abrahams has always been drawn to mission-driven projects with vast social impact potential. She initially joined 84000 as a volunteer in 2017.

Andrea Bringmann
Andrea Bringmann
Project Manager - Content

In 2009, after working for ten years in advertising in Italy, Andrea moved to Nepal to embark on a spiritual journey.

Technology Team
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Jeff Wallman
Jeff Wallman
Director of Technology

Jeff Wallman has 20-plus years of experience leading cultural heritage organizations with a keen focus on strategic technology planning and implementation.

Dominic Latham
Dominic Latham
Head of Digital Editions

With 25 years of experience building technical solutions for organizations, Dominic enjoys engaging with 84000's readers, editors, and translators, and then developing elegant tools to suit their respective needs.

Aman Sharma
Aman Sharma
AI and Data Lead

Aman Sharma is a serial technology entrepreneur with three startups and has deployed over a dozen digital or AI products.

Rafael Ortet
Rafael Ortet
UX and Design Lead

Rafael Ortet has dedicated more than two decades to helping Buddhist organizations produce Buddhist publications for print and digital media channels, including large collections of scripture in several languages.

André Rodrigues
André Rodrigues
Senior Digital Editor and Glossary Lead

André Rodrigues first trained and worked as an architect in Lisbon, where he grew up, and also in Venice and London.

Celso Wilkinson
Celso Wilkinson
Publications Manager

Celso Wilkinson is a graduate of Naropa University where he studied Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Language.

Martina Cotter
Martina Cotter
Digital Editor

Martina Cotter began her career in marketing but began to pivot as her interest in Dharma studies developed.

Sameer Dhingra
Sameer Dhingra
Digital Editor

Sameer’s interest in Buddhism started in 2015 while he was traveling through India. He visited the ancient Buddhist caves at Ajanta and started learning to meditate in Dharamshala.

David Scheuneman
David Scheuneman
Technology Infrastructure Lead

Since the 1990s, David Scheuneman has followed a dual career path in information technology and religion. In addition to training and certifications in computer science, he has a master’s degree in theology.

Ruby Ostrow
Ruby Ostrow
Research Assistant

Ruby Ostrow completed her bachelor’s degree at Bard College, where she majored in Computer Science and Classical Studies.

Matt Lindsey
Matt Lindsey
Computational Linguist

Matt supports research, AI, machine translation and other computational linguistic efforts at 84000.

Communications Team
Your experience of 84000 is in our hands, and we love hearing from you. We are constantly improving the ways in which you learn about new translations and how you explore our embedded resources and tools; how you are inspired by the stories of our team and our supporters and how you can engage with the words of the Buddha. You will see us at the outreach tables during teaching events, behind the scenes of our online event series, at the helm of our newsletter, and on social media. If you have suggestions or feedback, reach out.  
Pema Abrahams
Pema Abrahams
Communications Director

Pema Abrahams has always been drawn to mission-driven projects with vast social impact potential. She initially joined 84000 as a volunteer in 2017.

Carol Tucker
Carol Tucker
Communications Editor

Carol Tucker has worked as a communications professional throughout her career, starting as a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles and most recently as a senior public relations specialist.

Rafael Ortet
Rafael Ortet
UX and Design Lead

Rafael Ortet has dedicated more than two decades to helping Buddhist organizations produce Buddhist publications for print and digital media channels, including large collections of scripture in several languages.

Ushnisha Ng
Ushnisha Ng
Community Outreach Manager

In 2010, Ushnisha Ng joined 84000, then known as the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project, and left her job in healthcare the following year to take on the full-time role of Executive Assistant.

Siyu Tian
Siyu Tian
Social Media Specialist

Born and raised in China, Siyu Tian has ten years of corporate experience in marketing, content strategy, and social media management across a diverse range of industries in Europe, Australia, and China.

Cabie Sim
Cabie Sim
Associate, Communications and Development

A natural people-person, Cabie Sim loves to serve the community and is deeply interested in preserving the natural environment.

Devlen Yeoh
Devlen Yeoh
Content Manager and Lead Translator

Devlen Yeoh is a professional translator and interpreter specializing in Chinese-English translation for organizations, including Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia, Ka-Nying Ling, KL, and TedX (Petaling Street).

Jain Feng
Jain Feng
Translation Reviewer

Jain Feng is based in Taiwan, and reviews 84000's Chinese communications.

Joie Chen
Joie Chen
Translation Consultant

Joie Chen is currently a PhD candidate in Buddhist Studies (Study of Religion) at Harvard University where her research interests include pre-modern Tibetan religious life writing institutional history travel literature and Buddhist art.

Qiu Hong
Qiu Hong
Proofreader

Qiu Hong proofreads 84000's Chinese communications.

Wang Lang
Wang Lang
WeChat Manager

Wang Lang manages our WeChat account, and provides guidance for our Chinese communications.

Zhang Yanjun
Zhang Yanjun
Translator

Zhang Yanjun translates the summaries of 84000's new publications for our Chinese communications.

Development Team
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Huang Jing Rui
Huang Jing Rui
Executive Director

Huang Jing Rui has been the appointed Executive Director since 84000 began as the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project in 2009.

Cabie Sim
Cabie Sim
Associate, Communications and Development

A natural people-person, Cabie Sim loves to serve the community and is deeply interested in preserving the natural environment.

Michelle Trisno
Michelle Trisno
Special Projects Associate

Originally from Indonesia, Michelle Trisno is an experienced project manager.

Operations Teams

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Operations Committee

Huang Jing Rui
Huang Jing Rui
Executive Director

Huang Jing Rui has been the appointed Executive Director since 84000 began as the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project in 2009.

Ivy Ang
Ivy Ang
Strategic Planning Consultant

Ivy Ang has over thirty years of extensive experience in international business and organizational development.

Administration

Michelle Trisno
Michelle Trisno
Special Projects Associate Executive

Originally from Indonesia, Michelle Trisno is an experienced project manager.

Finance

Amy Ang
Amy Ang
Finance Manager

Born and raised in Malaysia, Amy Ang first met Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Singapore in 2012 and thereafter started her journey into Tibetan Buddhism.

Marco Noailles
Marco Noailles
Treasurer

Originally from northern Minnesota, Marco Noailles graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL with a major in Economics.

Wu Lin
Wu Lin
Accountant

Originally from Yunnan, China, Wu Lin graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology in 1992, and spent eight years working at the Bank of China.

Yeo Pei Shan
Yeo Pei Shan
Finance Assistant

Pei Shan is based in Singapore, and provides assistance to 84000's Finance team.

Isabel Pedrosa
Isabel Pedrosa
Investment Advisor

Isabel Pedrosa has been responsible for the investments of Chagdud Gonpa Brasil for more than twenty years. She has been a long time student of DJKR and the chair of Khyentse Foundation’s Investment Committee since 2004.

Finance / Donations Management Support

Celia Chew
Celia Chew
Donations Support

Celia provides donation management support to 84000's Finance team.

Ratna Liu
Ratna Liu
Donations Support

Ratna provides donation management support to 84000's Finance team.

Diana Tan
Diana Tan
Donations Support

Diana provides donation management support to 84000's Finance team.

Karen Choo
Karen Choo
Donations Support

Karen provides donation management support to 84000's Finance team.

Awing Choi
Awing Choi
Donations Support

Awing provides donation management support to 84000's Finance team.

Lizzy Tam
Lizzy Tam
Donations Support

Lizzy provides donation management support to 84000's Finance team.

Finance / Regional Volunteers

Dellay Phuntsho
Dellay Phuntsho
Volunteer (Bhutan)

Dellay Phuntsho is an 84000 volunteer based in Bhutan.

Sangay Tenzin
Sangay Tenzin
Volunteer (Bhutan)

Sangay Tenzin is an 84000 volunteer based in Bhutan.

Tashi Tobgay
Tashi Tobgay
Volunteer (Bhutan)

Tashi Tobgay is an 84000 volunteer based in Bhutan.

Qiu Hong
Qiu Hong
Volunteer (China)

Qiu Hong proofreads 84000's Chinese communications.

Wang Lang
Wang Lang
Volunteer (China)

Wang Lang manages our WeChat account, and provides guidance for our Chinese communications.

Andrea Bringmann
Andrea Bringmann
Volunteer (Europe)

In 2009, after working for ten years in advertising in Italy, Andrea moved to Nepal to embark on a spiritual journey.

Lizzy Tam
Lizzy Tam
Volunteer (Hong Kong)

Lizzy provides donation management support to 84000's Finance team.

Deepa Thakur
Deepa Thakur
Volunteer (India)

Deepa Thakur is an 84000 volunteer based in India.

Jain Feng
Jain Feng
Volunteer (Taiwan)

Jain Feng is based in Taiwan, and reviews 84000's Chinese communications.

Legal Counsel

Alexander Halpern
Alexander Halpern
Legal Counsel, LLC

Alex Halpern has practiced law in Colorado since graduating from the University of Denver College of Law in 1976. He has had a wide-ranging career assisting clients throughout the State and the country.

Alumni
Over the course of this one-hundred-year project, many dedicated people have contributed their time, effort, and knowledge to 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Here we would like to acknowledge some of those who have made exceptional and significant contributions to the project.
Dr. James D. Gentry
Dr. James D. Gentry

Dr. James D. Gentry served as 84000 editor from 2015-2019. Dr. Gentry is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. He specializes in Tibetan Buddhism, with particular focus on the literature and history of its Tantric traditions.

Dr. Steven D. Goodman
Dr. Steven D. Goodman

Dr. Steven Goodman, a scholar and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism for nearly 30 years, was founding member of the working committee of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. He passed away in 2020 leaving behind a legacy of humor, deep knowledge, and dedication to his students.

E. Gene Smith
E. Gene Smith

E. Gene Smith, founder of the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (now Buddhist Digital Resource Center), dedicated his life to preserving Tibetan literary culture, studying extensively with Tibetan masters and contributing significantly to the preservation of Tibetan texts world-wide.

Dr. Tom Tillemans
Dr. Tom Tillemans

Tom J.F. Tillemans served as 84000 Editor-in-Chief from 2011-2019. Tillemans is Professor Emeritus of Buddhist Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Languages and Civilizations at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. With a focus on Buddhist logic and epistemology, Madhyamaka philosophy, and comparative philosophy, he was from 1998–2006 co-editor of the Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies.