Meet the 84000 team

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

Jing Rui develops and executes 84000’s strategic vision, managing programs, operations and finances.

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

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

Pema leads communications initiatives at 84000 with an emphasis on amplifying the organization’s mission and impact to the world. She drives our campaigns and is responsible for content across all communications channels. She initially joined 84000 as a volunteer in 2017.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.  

2024 Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholar

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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 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 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.

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

Jing Rui develops and executes 84000’s strategic vision, managing programs, operations and finances.

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

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

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

Pema leads communications initiatives at 84000 with an emphasis on amplifying the organization’s mission and impact to the world. She drives our campaigns and is responsible for content across all communications channels. She initially joined 84000 as a volunteer in 2017.

Andrea manages content, driven by her passion for creating meaningful content for future generations

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

Dominic is an experienced software developer inspired by meditation and the Buddhist view.

Aman brings his expertise in AI to translate and preserve the words of the Buddha.

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

André Rodrigues has been a translator for Padmakara Translation Group, into Portuguese, since 2012. He joined 84.000 in 2017, on a part-time basis, and currently focuses on managing the glossary resources.

Celso helps manage 84000's digital publication workflow and generation of translation memories.

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

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.

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

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

Junior Graphic Designer eager to learn and grow through creating impactful designs at 84000.

Pema leads communications initiatives at 84000 with an emphasis on amplifying the organization’s mission and impact to the world. She drives our campaigns and is responsible for content across all communications channels. She initially joined 84000 as a volunteer in 2017.

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

Ushnisha connects people with our content by organizing engaging programs and activities.

Siyu manages 84000’s social media, helping connect a global audience and grow the online community.

Cabie supports public-facing initiatives and promotions at the nexus of outreach and development, as well as providing assistance for 84000's major gifts donors.

Devlen oversees the translation of 84000 material into Chinese, manages the largely volunteer Chinese translations team, and is responsible for the maintenance of all our Chinese-language communications channels.

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

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 proofreads 84000's Chinese communications.

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

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

Jing Rui develops and executes 84000’s strategic vision, managing programs, operations and finances.

Cabie supports public-facing initiatives and promotions at the nexus of outreach and development, as well as providing assistance for 84000's major gifts donors.

Michelle collaborates with the development and operations teams to streamline daily operations.

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 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, 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.

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.