Our People
Board, Advisory & Staff
Meet the dedicated individuals who guide, support, and bring the work of HCSC to life.
Leadership
Patron & Executive Leadership
His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa
Ogyen Trinley Dorje
Patron
Lama Tsewang
Founder & Executive Director
Former abbot of Nenang Monastery, Lama Tsewang founded the Danang Foundation in 2006 — a New York-based nonprofit advancing humanitarian and cultural efforts with a focus on education, poverty alleviation, healthcare, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability.
Governance
Board of Directors
Dechen Pema
Board Member
M.A. in Tibetan Studies (Central University for Nationalities, Beijing) and Anthropology (UC Berkeley). Director of Administration at BDRC. Previously worked at UC Berkeley's East Asian Library. Fluent in Tibetan, Chinese, and English.
Tenzin Gelek
Board Member
Expert in Himalayan art and culture, former Senior Specialist at the Rubin Museum of Art. Co-founder of The Latse Project. M.A. in Nonprofit Management from The New School University and B.A. in Anthropology from Oxford Brookes University.
Steve Zhu
Board Member
Steve Zhu serves as Vice President at the Commercial Division of Compass in New York City. Through his connection with Venerable Caiwang Rinpoche, he was introduced to the Danang Foundation and developed a deep appreciation for Buddhist culture, philosophy, and values. As a Committee Board member, Steve is committed to supporting the Foundation's mission by contributing his professional expertise and community network to help advance the principles of compassion, wisdom, and service.
Advisors
Advisory Board
Venerable Geshe Lhakdor
Advisory Board
Has served His Holiness the Dalai Lama as translator and religious assistant since 1989. Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives and leader of its Science Education Project. Director of the Central Archive of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Rinchen Dharlo
Advisory Board
Former President of the Tibet Fund for 18 years. Co-chaired the Tibetan-U.S. Resettlement Project, facilitating resettlement of 1,000 Tibetan refugees across 21 cities in the United States between 1992 and 1993.
Sonam Tsering
Advisory Board
Director of the Tibetan language program at Columbia University. Previously taught at University of Michigan, with remote teaching at Yale and Ohio State. Originally from Rebgong (Qinghai, PRC). Founder and editor of Tibet Times newspaper.
Kristina Dy-Liacco
Advisory Board
Tibetan Studies Librarian at Columbia University's C.V. Starr East Asian Library and at the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, University of Toronto. Co-founder of The Latse Project. MA in Tibetan Studies from Indiana University; MLIS from University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Staff
Core Team
Tenzin Norbu
Program Director | Music & Dance Director
Trained artist from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA), specializing in traditional Tibetan music and dance. Born in Lhasa, educated in India, and has performed internationally across India, the US, Germany, Taiwan, and Bhutan. Based in New York since 2014.
Sonam Yangdon
School Principal
Sonam Yangdon has been with HCSC since its inception, serving as the Principal of Danang Lobdra (Weekend and Summer Camp), overseeing school operations, program implementation, and providing a fun and compassionate learning environment for students. She holds Acharya degree from Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies and master's degrees in library science from Indira Gandhi National Open University. She has dedicated many years to teaching Tibetan language and culture to Tibetan communities in New York and New Jersey. She is dedicated to help younger generations stay connected to their Tibetan heritage, language, and traditions
Tenzin Namdak
Senior Librarian & Researcher
Lama Tenzin Namdak (Lama Tenam) studied at the historic Dzogchen Monastery in Tibet and later at Dzogchen Monastery in South India. He has served in several important roles under Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, including as a key contributor to the Nitartha Digital Input Center. Lama Tenam collaborated in the development of the widely used Sambhota Tibetan fonts and continues to lead the Nitartha Digital Library, helping preserve and share Tibetan Buddhist texts worldwide.
Jampa
Library Coordinator
Jampa has been with the HCSC as a Production Manager of Danang Publication, overseeing the entire production process of published materials in different languages, from manuscript submission to final print. Born in Tibet, moved to India to pursue advanced studies in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, where he earned a Pharchin Rabjampa degree. In 2008, he relocated to the United States.
Phuntsok Palden
Library Coordinator
Born in Tibet, he graduated from TCV School and earned a bachelor's degree in 3D Animation and Visual Effects from MAAC in Chennai, India. He is an experienced graphic designer and children's book illustrator with expertise in publication design and print production. Since 2022, he has served as a Graphic Designer at Danang Publishing, creating a wide range of print and digital materials while supporting the publication process from design to production. Previously, he worked as a freelance illustrator for educational organizations, developing culturally meaningful books and learning materials for young Tibetan readers.
Chungdak
Library Coordinator & Researcher
Chungdak Nangpa worked as a university lecturer in Beijing for eight years, where he primarily taught Buddhist Studies and History. He later served for many years as a full-time librarian at the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center in New York and Boston. In addition, he has extensive experience as an interpreter and translator for numerous Tibetan Buddhist masters from various traditions, serving mainly across North America as well as internationally.
Teaching Faculty
Program Staff / Instructors
Tenzin Wangmo
Tibetan Language Instructor
Nyima Tenzin
Mindfulness Instructor
Dorjee Gyaltsen
Tibetan Language Instructor
Jigme Gyatso
Tibetan Language Instructor
Dawa Dhondup
Tibetan Language Instructor
Gadhong Wangdak
Tibetan Language Instructor
Tsekyi Dolkar Tsultrim
Music Instructor
Tenzin Dolker
Teaching Assistant