About Us

Secretary - Member of the Board of Directors

Petra is a versatile professional with over 30 years’ background in business administration, text & layout, marketing, social media. Her experience includes working in the EU representation of a federal lobby organisation in Brussels, where she provided extensive administrative support to policy advisors and coordinated... Petra is a versatile professional with over 30 years’ background in business administration, text & layout, marketing, social media. Her experience includes working in the EU representation of a federal lobby organisation in Brussels, where she provided extensive administrative support to policy advisors and coordinated press relations, publications and events. She has been practicing on the tantric path of Tibetan Buddhism since 2012 and is very grateful to be a devoted disciple of Khentrul Rinpoche since 2021. Fluent in German, English and French, she volunteers as a translator and also manages our youtube project, which aims to translate and dub Rinpoche's video content to make it available in more than a dozen languages worldwide. Read More

Member of the Board of Directors

At an early age, Julie searched for a deeper meaning to life until finally at the age of 22 found the precious Buddhist path of Dharma. She dedicated her life to the practice, living in temples and serving teachers from around the world practicing the... At an early age, Julie searched for a deeper meaning to life until finally at the age of 22 found the precious Buddhist path of Dharma. She dedicated her life to the practice, living in temples and serving teachers from around the world practicing the Buddhist teachings and living according to its principles. Julie has spent the last 34 years practicing this ancient path and for the past twelve years has lived at the Tibetan Buddhist Rime Institute in Tecoma helping the resident teacher Khentrul Rinpoche.

Julie is now one of the senior teachers at the Rime Institute giving classes on meditation and basic Buddhist principals that can be applied to our everyday lives. Julie also manages the temple and arranges a program of courses, tours and fundraising activities to support the temple. Read More

Chief Financial Officer - Member of the Board of Directors

Ryan Cortez has more than 14 years of experience in GPU Physical Design Engineering with a Fortune 500 company, regularly interfacing with a diverse global workforce to design cutting edge technology for the world. He co-authored a paper published in IEEE’s International Solid-State Circuits Conference... Ryan Cortez has more than 14 years of experience in GPU Physical Design Engineering with a Fortune 500 company, regularly interfacing with a diverse global workforce to design cutting edge technology for the world. He co-authored a paper published in IEEE’s International Solid-State Circuits Conference highlighting the pivotal release of the world’s first 3D-stacked processors for exascale computing. He received both his BS and MS from Northwestern University. Ryan developed a keen interest in Philosophy more than 13 years ago and since has received more than 330 hours of Yoga Teacher Training. Read More

Chief Executive Officer - Member of the Board of Directors

Yeshe Wangmo (Chloe Bregman) has over 20 years of experience in corporate leadership, Product Design, Agile Transformation and corporate leadership. Previously, she was Enterprise Agile Transformation Coach for a Fortune 500 company and Director of Design at Onelogic. Yeshe Wangmo has over 900 hours in... Yeshe Wangmo (Chloe Bregman) has over 20 years of experience in corporate leadership, Product Design, Agile Transformation and corporate leadership. Previously, she was Enterprise Agile Transformation Coach for a Fortune 500 company and Director of Design at Onelogic. Yeshe Wangmo has over 900 hours in yoga teacher training, completed five years of meditation teacher training at the Kalachakra Mind Illuminated and two years of meditation teacher training with Culadaca.
Yeshe Wangmo brings her in-depth experience building teams and technology products to Shar Khentrul Rinpoche's global community. In 2016, Yeshe Wangmo created Rimé Kalachakra to support Shar Khentrul Rinpoche's Sangha activities in the United State and founded Dzokden in 2018. Since 2019, Yeshe Wangmo has worked full-time expanding Dzokden according to Rinpoche's vision while in residence at the affiliate center, Tashi Gadu in Sacramento, California, USA.
Yeshe Wangmo is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Dzokden and continues to serve as Shar Khentrul Rinpoche's primary assistant. She is an Advisor to the Dzokden Kalapa Board of Directors and senior staff member.
Yeshe Wangmo has built an organization of over 250 active volunteers who work to realize Shar Khentrul Rinpoche’s vision to bring about a second Golden Age of peace and harmony for our world. Her many projects include the redesign of the Kalachakra Temple at Dzokden Kalapa, which she conceived together with Rinpoche in 2022.
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Spiritual Director - Member of the Board of Directors

Shar Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoche is a Rimé and Jonang Kalachakra Master of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche spent the first 20 years of his life herding yaks and chanting mantras on the plateaus of Tibet. Inspired by the bodhisattvas, he left his family to study in... Shar Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoche is a Rimé and Jonang Kalachakra Master of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche spent the first 20 years of his life herding yaks and chanting mantras on the plateaus of Tibet. Inspired by the bodhisattvas, he left his family to study in a variety of monasteries under the guidance of over twenty-five masters in all the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. While he has genuine respect and appreciation for the variety of spiritual systems, he has the greatest confidence and experience with his personal path of the Kalachakra as taught in the Jonang-Shambhala Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Due to his non-sectarian approach, he earned himself the title of Rimé (unbiased) Master and was identified as the reincarnation of the realized Kalachakra Master Ngawang Chözin Gyatso. Moreover, Rinpoche is considered the 7th emanation of Bodhisattva Akaśhagarbha. Since 2013, he has travelled to more than thirty countries guiding students to realize their own sacred truth of limitless potential through a clear, systematic step-by-step presentation of the Kalachakra Path to enlightenment. By teaching people how to cultivate a flexible mind and remove bias, Shar Khentrul Rinpoche aspires to create compassion-based communities, transforming this world into a golden age of global peace and harmony. Inspired by the Kalki Kings of Shambhala, Khentrul Rinpoche works through his organization, Dzokden, towards the second Golden Age of peace on our Earth by transmitting the Kalachakra teachings in every area of the globe, translated in over 13 languages. He has authored over 20 books related to Shambhala, Kalachakra, and Vajrayana Buddhism. His book The Realm of Shambhala was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021. His newest book The Path of Desire is currently available in Tibetan and English and will be published in more languages soon. Read More

Education & Enlightened Activities Program Co-ordinator, Portuguese Team Lead and Translator

Shylton Dias, from Brazil, is an enthusiastic student of the different ancient spiritual traditions and has been studying and practicing the Buddhadharma for more than 10 years. He has been working for over a decade as a facilitator in Self-knowledge and personal transformation, as well... Shylton Dias, from Brazil, is an enthusiastic student of the different ancient spiritual traditions and has been studying and practicing the Buddhadharma for more than 10 years. He has been working for over a decade as a facilitator in Self-knowledge and personal transformation, as well as an energetic therapist. Read More

Fundraising Co-ordinator

Theresa has experience in creative and administrative roles within the entertainment, non-profit, teaching and alternative health fields, and a long-standing personal commitment to spiritual practice. Since 2010, she has also offered intuitive readings and specialized healing work. In 2020, she established and runs a small... Theresa has experience in creative and administrative roles within the entertainment, non-profit, teaching and alternative health fields, and a long-standing personal commitment to spiritual practice. Since 2010, she has also offered intuitive readings and specialized healing work. In 2020, she established and runs a small all-faith religious nonprofit that provides online community meditation. Theresa's personal spiritual journey began with meditation in 1999, deepening into a dedicated practice by 2006, with a focus on Ekajati since 2012. Taking refuge for the first time with Khentrul Rinpoche in 2024 marked a significant milestone, and she is now immersed in his courses and pursuing the Kalachakra practice. Theresa is drawn to Dzokden's mission and hopes to contribute to the success of everyone benefiting from this exceptional organization. Read More

Global Shambhala Art Exhibition Manager

Eli brings a thoughtful approach to her work, and a sincere appreciation for art and cultural heritage. Her experience includes curating exhibitions and dedicating herself to art-related research, translation, editing and writing, supporting both local and international artists. Drawing from her professional background in academic... Eli brings a thoughtful approach to her work, and a sincere appreciation for art and cultural heritage.
Her experience includes curating exhibitions and dedicating herself to art-related research, translation, editing and writing, supporting both local and international artists. Drawing from her professional background in academic administration and curatorial work, Eli aims to contribute her skills to curating exhibitions, as well as managing art publications. She holds a BA in Art History and an MA in English Studies from the University of Hong Kong, which inform her understanding of artistic practices and evolving global culture. She aims to craft narratives that respectfully represent the artworks and engage audiences, striving to create insightful and accessible exhibition experience for various cultural contexts. Read More