Her Majesty the Queen Mother Gyalyum Tseyring Pem Wangchuck
Her Majesty the Queen Mother Gyalyum Tseyring Pem Wangchuck is Co-Chair of the Bhutan Foundation. Her Majesty is the President of the Bhutan Youth Development Fund (YDF) in Bhutan and has pioneered programs that work to create more opportunities for the youth of Bhutan, focusing especially on those with mental and physical disabilities and those with chemical dependence. Under Her Majesty's leadership, YDF has initiated scholarship programs to ensure basic education for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and provided recreational amenities at the Youth Development and Rehabilitation Centre for juvenile delinquents.
Mrs. Lucy Goelet
Mrs. Lucy Goelet is the Co-Chair of the Bhutan Foundation. Mrs. Goelet began her travels to Bhutan in the 1980’s. Early in her career, she worked as a special assistant and editor to Laurens van der Post, coordinating his writings and many of his expeditions. Lucy later joined Operation Raleigh – a multi-faceted education programme at sea – to manage their selection of potential students. A Fellow of the Royal Georgraphical Society, Lucy worked with Nigel Winser, Deputy Director and Head of the Expeditions, and Shane Winser, Head of the Expedition Advisory Centre. She has previously served on the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries Advisory Council, the board of The Oldfields School, and a member of the New York Botanical Gardens Patrons Committee. Lucy and her husband Christopher have settled with their three daughters on a farm in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Mr. Henry Lewis
Mr. Henry Lewis is the Vice Chair of the Board of the Bhutan Foundation. He is the co-founder of Sudoc, a company developing a sustainable chemistry that can outperform toxic chemicals in many applications, including water treatment and restoration/remediation. He is a former Director of Hunter Lewis LLC, where he managed investment strategy and digital communications. He also serves as a strategic advisor for BDA Farm. In 2016, Mr. Lewis spent a summer abroad studying Buddhism at Taktse Institute of Language and Culture in Trongsa, Bhutan. He is a graduate of the College of William & Mary with a BA in Religious and Hispanic Studies.
Mr. Brian J. Menkes
Mr. Brian J. Menkes is Treasurer of the Bhutan Foundation. Mr. Menkes is the secretary and general counsel to the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Menkes was a member of the tax practice group at the international law firm of WilmerHale in Washington, DC. He is the former chair and vice-chair of the DC Bar Association Taxation Section, Exempt Organizations Committee, and is an author and frequent speaker on issues affecting non-profit organizations. He has served on numerous boards of directors of non-profit organizations and is a current member of the Board of Trustees of the Bhutan Foundation and an officer of Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas. He earned his master’s in law, JD, and bachelor’s degree from New York University School of Law, Western New England College School of Law, and Central Connecticut State University, respectively.
Mr. William Tacon
Mr. William Tacon is the Secretary of the Board of the Bhutan Foundation. He is a UK Chartered Accountant and formerly Managing Partner of Ernst & Young and, later, Zolfo Cooper in the British Virgin Islands, where he specialized in Corporate Finance, Insolvency, and Restructuring until he returned to the UK in 2012. William first visited Bhutan in 1996 when he completed a traverse of the country by mountain bike. He has been actively involved with Bhutan ever since and works extensively with the Bhutan Foundation’s partner organization, Loden Foundation, promoting entrepreneurship and advises the Bhutan Foundation on financial management.
Tshewang Wangchuk
Tshewang Wangchuk is the Executive Director of the Bhutan Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s strategic direction, programs, operations, and partnerships. A pioneer in Bhutan’s conservation efforts, he was among the first Park Managers during the establishment of the country's protected area system, now covering over 51% of Bhutan. His research on snow leopards and the Bhutan takin deepened his understanding of both the natural habitats and the mountain communities of northern Bhutan.
From 2003 to 2005, Tshewang coordinated WWF International’s Global Tiger Program, collaborating with biologists and conservationists across Asia and the Russian Far East. He is Bhutan’s first National Geographic Explorer, a member of the Explorers Club, and serves on the board of directors of the Snow Leopard Conservancy.
He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Conservation Biology from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, with additional graduate research in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana.
Contact:
tshewang.wangchuk@bhutanfound.org
Dr. Bruce W. Bunting
Dr. Bruce W. Bunting is President Emeritus of the Bhutan Foundation and the Foundation’s former President. Prior to this, Dr. Bunting was a Managing Director and Vice President of the World Wildlife Fund. He first visited Bhutan in 1986 and has been a long-time advisor to the Bhutanese government on a variety of issues including the establishment of Bhutan’s national park system, the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, the world’s first such trust fund, and the Bhutan Health Trust Fund. He has authored several articles, including “Bhutan, Kingdom in the Clouds” for National Geographic Magazine. He received a B.S. in zoology and a doctorate in veterinary medicine with high honor from Michigan State University.
Mrs. Daphne Hoch Cunningham
Mrs. Daphne Hoch Cunningham has served on the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund, the Associates of The Asia Society, the Associates of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, on the Evanston Arts Council as appointed by the Mayor and is currently active with The Explorer’s Club, The Field Museum of Chicago and the Corporation Board at WHOI. Mrs. Cunningham studied art history and French at Tufts University and was owner and director of Hoch Sculpture International of New York and Chicago for 15 years. She has a special interest in and friendship with the people of Bhutan, having first visited in 1973, and is particularly interested in preservation of the environment and culture.
Dr. Lisa Danzig
Dr. Lisa Danzig is Chief Medical Officer at Excision BioTherapeutics and prior to that she was Chief Medical Officer at PaxVax, a specialty vaccine company in Redwood City, California. She also serves as an advisory to Pandefense Advisory and is the co-founder and managing partner of Amicitiam Partners. Dr. Danzig is an expert in vaccines. She has contributed to the development of meningococcal vaccines (Menjugate®, Menveo® and Bexsero®) and has worked in Siena, Italy, Cambridge, MA, and Hangzhou, China. During her two years as an EIS officer with the U.S. CDC, she investigated outbreaks of healthcare associated infections and taught epidemiology in Côte d’Ivoire to district health officers in West Africa. Dr. Danzig received her medical degree from Oregon Health Sciences University and completed residency and fellowship training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases in San Francisco. She is an independent director at OrSense, and serves on the boards of the Sustainable Sciences Institute and the Karuna Foundation and is an advisor to Kernel, and the Lemelson Foundation. Dr. Danzig received Peru’s “Order of Merit for Distinguished Services” at the rank of Grand Official from President Francisco Sagasti for contributions that enabled effective vaccine procurement. Dr. Danzig has been involved with Bhutan for many years through the Karuna Foundation and also serves as an advisor to the pandemic response in Bhutan.
John and Henrietta Goelet
John and Henrietta Goelet founded the Bhutan Foundation in 1986 and are Director Emeriti of the Bhutan Foundation. They have shared their passion for education and agriculture with Bhutan for over 60 years. Mr. Goelet is a renowned vintner with four wineries: Clos Du Val in California, Clover Hill and Taltarni in Australia and Domaine de Nizas in France. His oyster company Satmar is one of Europe's largest. Mr. John Goelet and his family are involved in various business interests and a number of philanthropic endeavors.
Ms. Katherine van Hengel
Katherine van Hengel serves as President of the Advisory Council and Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee for the Bhutan Foundation. As an entrepreneur and filmmaker, she works currently as the founder of Thruhike, dedicated to enhancing local travel experiences through impactful storytelling and community engagement. An honors graduate of Cornell University, Katherine has a strong connection to Bhutan and has been involved with the Foundation since 2011.
Mr. Theodore N. Kaplan
Mr. Theodore (Ted) N. Kaplan is a partner at Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, a leading law firm focusing on real estate, trusts and estates, and general business law. Prior to joining Kaplan Fox, he served as general counsel and estates counsel to Sotheby’s. Ted has served on the board of many nonprofits such as the National Academy of Design, the International Foundation for Art Research, the Ballet Foundation, Heckscher Museum, Parish Museum, and the New York Committee for Young Audiences. He currently serves as president of the board of the Northport Historical Society. His love for textiles and the arts led him to visit the weaving community of Koma in eastern Bhutan. He continues to support cultural projects in Bhutan through the Foundation.
Mr. Eric Lemelson
Mr. Eric Lemelson owns and manages Lemelson Vineyards, a producer of Pinot noir and other cool-climate wines located in Carlton, Oregon, but his real passion is for the earth. In addition to being co-vice president of The Lemelson Foundation, he manages a small foundation that focuses on climate change impacts in the Himalayas. He received a J.D. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland in 1992. Eric is a Board Member of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, 1000 Friends of Oregon; Potential Energy; and several other NGOs and private companies.
Mrs. Donna E. Marshall
Mrs. Donna Marshall is a board member of the Bhutan Foundation. She is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in New York specializing in multicultural psychology with adults. She has been involved for many years in women's education.
She has served on the Board of Trustees of Stephens College where she established the Marshall Lecture Series, which exists to widen the knowledge of students about government and world affairs. Continuing her involvement in women's education, she has established several scholarships in Bhutan and has long supported the Bhutan Foundation's work in education. Continuing her involvement in women's education, she has established several scholarships in Bhutan and has long supported the Bhutan Foundation's work in education.
She also has a deep interest in historic preservation and has worked with older building preservation in New York.
She has visited Bhutan several times since 2010. Her heartfelt interest in the culture and the Bhutanese people is a cornerstone of her long involvement in the Wangduechhoeling Palace project to ensure that it will serve both current and future generations as a valuable source to learn and celebrate their governmental and cultural past.
Mr. Phuntsho Norbu
Mr. Phuntsho Norbu is the Consul General of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United States of America and he also the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York. Over his two decades of service with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has served at various posts at the Ministry including as Chief at the Economic Development Division with the Department of Multilateral Affairs and Deputy Chief at the Department of Bilateral Affairs. He also served at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in New Delhi and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations in Geneva. He completed his undergraduate from Sherubtse College in Kanglung and Master of International Studies from the University of Queensland in Australia.
Ms. Rosemary Phelan
Ms. Rosemary Phelan was a co-founder and board member of The Bhutan Canada Foundation (BCF), which continues the Canadian–Bhutanese collaboration on education in Bhutan by placing English-speaking teachers in remote Bhutanese schools and makes further impact on educational and social institutions across Bhutan. Rosemary has been a frequent visitor to Bhutan and looks forward to a renewed philanthropic role in the country. She is a member of a fifth-generation family company in Canada and serves in an official capacity on several family-related companies. She is also a board member of volunteer organizations, including the George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, Canada.
Mr. Michael Philipp
Mr. Michael Philipp is a Managing Partner of Ambata Capital Partners, a merchant bank that seeks to develop businesses as a positive force for change for the people, communities, and environments in which they operate and to advance sustainability as a core competency. Michael has over 25 years of experience as a senior banking executive and was a member of the Group Executive Board of Credit Suisse from 2005 to 2008, as well as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Europe, Middle East, and Africa. From 1995 to 2002, Michael helped build the investment bank at Deutsche Bank. From 2000 to 2002, he was Global Head of Asset Management and a member of the Board of Managing Directors, responsible for the Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Michael spent over a decade at the forefront of the rapidly expanding global futures and options industry. At Goldman Sachs (1982 to 1990), he held a variety of positions in the Fixed Income and Futures Services departments; and at Merrill Lynch (1990 to 1995), he was Global Head of Futures and Options. Mr. Philipp is also a board member of Reykjavik Geothermal and Bhutan for Life. Michael has a BA and MBA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and lives in Vermont with his wife, Sherry.
Lyonpo Om Pradhan
Lyonpo Om Pradhan is cofounder and Director Emeritus of the Bhutan Foundation board of directors. He has served in the Royal Government of Bhutan since 1969 in various capacities including twice as Ambassador and Permanent Representative at the United Nations in New York and as Minister for Trade and Industries. In 2007, His Majesty the King appointed him Chairman of Druk Holding and Investments. He is also author of "Bhutan the Roar of the Thunder Dragon.”
Ms. Rebecca Donner Winsor
Rebecca Winsor serves as the West Coast Development Committee Chair for the Bhutan Foundation. She is an artist, photographer and storyteller. Rebecca has worked for a number of media organizations; and as a consultant for non-profit organizations, philanthropists, and businesses. Having lived in 10 countries, she is dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding. From 2007-2008, Rebecca worked for the Bhutan Youth Development Fund, which inspired a long-term admiration for Bhutan. Rebecca also sits on the board of the William H. Donner Foundation and the Donner Canadian Foundation. She studied Visual Arts at Brown University (BA) and holds an MPhil, Latin American Studies from Cambridge University. Rebecca is currently working on a cultural documentary project in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is passionate about environmental conservation, and connecting people to nature. Rebecca is based in San Francisco, CA, where she lives with her husband and two sons.
Hon. Frank G. Wisner
Hon. Frank G. Wisner is Director Emeritus of the Bhutan Foundation. Ambassador Wisner is an International Affairs Advisor at Patton Boggs, LLP. Mr. Wisner has served extensively in the U.S. government, including Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs. He was ambassador to India, Zambia, Egypt and the Philippines. In 2005, he was the special representative of the Secretary of State to the Kosovo Status talks. Mr. Wisner is a member of the Boards of Directors of EOG Resources, Chartis and Ethan Allen, as well as the boards of numerous non-profit organizations. He is an advisor to Kissinger Associates. A native of New York, Mr. Wisner was educated at Princeton University.
Ms. Norbu Dema Country Director
Ms. Norbu Dema is the Country Director of the Bhutan Foundation based in Thimphu, Bhutan. She holds a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering from VTU Bangalore India and an MA. in Public Policy with a specialization in development studies from Australian National University. Norbu comes with a wide range of experiences of having worked for more than 16 years with the Royal Government of Bhutan, international development partners, and civil society organizations in Bhutan.
Ms. Dema worked for more than ten years in the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources in various capacities managing programs and strategic planning in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Human Resource Development. After leaving her government job, she worked as Program Manager for the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), managing a Governance Program in the areas of anti-corruption & transparency, public service delivery, media, and youth engagement. She also worked as the Bhutan Country Facilitator for LOGIN-Asia (Asia Centric Regional Network), aiding reforms in decentralization and local governance. She also consulted for Asian Development Bank as a TVET policy advisor and as a monitoring and evaluation expert. Before joining the Bhutan Foundation, she worked briefly with the Bhutan Network of Empowering Women (BNEW).
During her free time, Norbu enjoys spending time with her children, indulging in craftwork, and is passionate about issues surrounding special needs children and their educational needs.
Contact: norbu.dema@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Tshering Choden Finance and HR manager
Ms. Tshering Choden is the Finance Manager of the Bhutan Foundation office based in Thimphu, Bhutan. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Gaeddu College of Business Studies. She worked for four years at DHI-Infra Ltd. (now merged with Construction Development Corporation, Ltd.), where she served as a Finance Officer in the Finance and Accounts Department. She was also the Core Team Member of the company’s system SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) for the module FICO (Finance and Controlling) and FM (Funds Management). She interned with Bhutan National Bank Limited, Thimphu, for several months before joining DHI-INFRA Ltd. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and doing volunteer work.
Contact: tshering.choden@bhutanfound.org
Mr. Sangay Chedar Program Manager
Mr. Sangay Chedar is a Program Manager at Bhutan Foundation based in Thimphu. He holds Masters Degree in Environmental Science with specialization in Environmental Management from The University of Western Australia (UWA), Australia. Mr. Chedar has a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration from Royal Institute of Management, Bhutan. Mr. Chedar worked with erstwhile Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC) for 13 years as Planning Officer. Subsequently, he served as Deputy Chief Programme Coordinator with the Department of Planning, Budget and Performance (DPBP) and Department of Macro-Fiscal and Development Finance (DMDF) under the Ministry of Finance. While in GNHC, he was involved in formulating the long- and medium-term development plans of the country. At the DPBP, Sangay worked with Local Governments on strengthening the planning and budgeting system. While in DMDF, Mr. Chedar was involved in coordinating with the development partners and resource mobilization. He enjoys reading, travelling and hiking during his leisure time.
Contact: sangay.chedar@bhutanfound.org
Mr. Chimi Dorji Senior Program Officer
Mr. Chimi Dorji is the Senior Program Officer at the Bhutan Foundation Office in Thimphu. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Geography and Dzongkha, and a postgraduate degree in Public Administration from the Royal Institute of Management. He served as a Research Officer at the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) for over seven years, where he was responsible for market research in the ICT and media sectors, coordinating annual statutory reports, managing capacity development projects, and reviewing content for print and broadcast media, including films. After his tenure at BICMA, Mr. Chimi worked as a Senior Program Officer with the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) under the Ministry of Home Affairs for over four years. In this role, he was instrumental in developing disaster management plans for various sectors and agencies, raising awareness about disaster risk management, and implementing related plans and programs. Additionally, Mr. Chimi was a member of Bhutan’s National COVID-19 task force secretariat, responsible for drafting meeting minutes and conveying decisions. Chimi enjoys gardening, hiking, and exploring nature.
Contact: chimi.dorji@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Phenki Program Officer
Ms. Phenki is a Program Officer with the Foundation. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Environmental Studies from Royal Thimphu College, Royal University of Bhutan, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in English from Samtse College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan. She taught for a year at Dr. Tobgyel Middle School in Thimphu. After her PGDE, she taught in-service for four years. She volunteered at the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival and with WWF Bhutan at the Global Earth Hour Campaign. She strongly believes in women’s empowerment. Phenki is passionate about building an enabling environment for every child. She enjoys editing videos and pictures, journaling, taking landscape photographs, and dancing during her leisure hours.
Contact: phenki@bhutanfound.org
Mr. Lungten Associate Program Officer
Mr. Lungten holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan. Before joining the Bhutan Foundation, he began his career in biodiversity conservation at the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) as an intern, where he served for about three years. He made significant contributions to various conservation and research projects at RSPN, particularly focusing on the conservation of the White-bellied Heron, wetlands, and freshwater biodiversity. In addition to his conservation work, he played a key role in the development of several RSPN conservation projects. Moreover, he has successfully secured several small research grants for studies on threatened waterbirds that share habitats with the White-bellied Heron in Bhutan. Mr. Lungten has a deep fondness for nature and enjoys engaging in wildlife photography, hiking, and birding. He is also passionate about environmental conservation and spends most of his leisure time learning about and exploring nature.
Contact: lungten@bhutanfound.org
Mr. Tshewang Dendup Associate Program Officer
Mr. Tshewang Dendup, with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan, embarked his career as a Program officer at the Draktsho. Before joining the Bhutan Foundation, he left an indelible mark by drafting and executing numbers of projects that significantly contributed to environmental resilience, societal advancement, and economic empowerment, particularly for persons with disabilities. During his tenure, Tshewang established adeptness in navigating the intricate landscapes of social, civic, and economic spheres. His collaborative efforts with diverse stakeholders ensured the seamless implementation of programs and projects, reflecting his commitment to holistic development. With a versatile background encompassing over three years in civil society organizations (CSOs), Tshewang possesses a robust foundation in environmental research, program management, and community engagement. Beyond his professional pursuits, Tshewang's passion extends to being a voice and advocate for marginalized sections of society, with a primary focus on disabilities. His enthusiasm is not confined to the formulation and execution of projects; rather, he is propelled by a diverse skill set and an unwavering dedication to learning, while his fondness for stargazing aligns with his long standing dream of becoming a theoretical physicist. Tshewang Dendup philosophies, "Learning is what remains after your education," encapsulating his belief in the continuous pursuit of knowledge. His leisure time is spent immersed in programming, reading, and contemplating dreams, symbolizing a harmonious blend of intellectual curiosity and visionary aspirations.
Contact: tshewang.dendup@bhutanfound.org
Mr. Kuenzang Dorji Office Secretary
Mr. Kuenzang Dorji is currently serving at Bhutan Foundation as the office secretary. Over the last decade, he has served with dedication and commitment at the GNH Centre Bhutan in various assistant level capacities. He have contributed towards the other clerical and administrative responsibilities for the Centre. He believes that fostering a sense of solidarity and kinship among team members is pivotal for developing and realizing the goals of any organization. In his free time he loves to learn new things from everyone, playing games and hiking.
Contact: kunzang.dorji@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Passang Gyem Accounts Officer
Ms. Passang Gyem is the Accounts Officer at Bhutan Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Gedu College of Business Studies. She started her career as an accountant at Tashi Infocomm (Tashicell), where she worked for one year. Following that, she served as an Assistant Finance Officer at Bhutan Lottery Limited in Phuntsholing for five years. Currently, she is with Bhutan Foundation. In her free time, she enjoys exploring and learning new things.
Contact: passang.gyem@bhutanfound.org
Mr. Kunzang Dorji Communications and IT Officer
Mr. Kunzang Dorji is the Communication and IT Officer at the Bhutan Foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Sherubtse College. He began his career as a Photographer, Videographer, Visual Editor, and Designer at Yeewong Media. He then worked as an IT Technician and Graphic Designer at the Indo-Bhutan e-Library. Following this, he served as an Assistant ICT Officer for the ePIS Project at GovTech, employed as an SSA by the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Bhutan. In this role, he was responsible for managing the Bhutan Vaccine System during the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing the advocacy, training, and distribution of ICT equipment for electronic Patient Information Systems.
Contact: kunzangd@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Dechen Wangmo Communications Officer
Dechen is the Communications Officer at the Bhutan Foundation. She holds an MA in Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship from the National University of Singapore and is passionate about leveraging digital experiences to promote and celebrate arts and culture. Her experiences include working as a metaverse game developer for the Bhutanverse project, a graphic designer for Upskill Bhutan—where she contributed to the Trans Bhutan Trail, an ancient highway revived as a hiking trail—and an experience designer for the Bhutan Innovation Forum.
Contact: dechen.wangmo@bhutanfound.org
Tshewang Wangchuk Executive Director
Tshewang Wangchuk is the Executive Director of the Bhutan Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s strategic direction, programs, operations, and partnerships. A pioneer in Bhutan’s conservation efforts, he was among the first Park Managers during the establishment of the country's protected area system, now covering over 51% of Bhutan. His research on snow leopards and the Bhutan takin deepened his understanding of both the natural habitats and the mountain communities of northern Bhutan.
From 2003 to 2005, Tshewang coordinated WWF International’s Global Tiger Program, collaborating with biologists and conservationists across Asia and the Russian Far East. He is Bhutan’s first National Geographic Explorer, a member of the Explorers Club, and serves on the board of directors of the Snow Leopard Conservancy.
He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Conservation Biology from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, with additional graduate research in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana.
Contact:
tshewang.wangchuk@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Tshering Yangzom Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy
Ms. Tshering Yangzom is the Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy for the Bhutan Foundation, based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Biology from Westminster College and a Master’s in Public Health from George Washington University in Washington, DC. At the Bhutan Foundation, Tshering collaborates with national and district leaders, civil society organizations, and youth to identify and address critical societal gaps requiring technical and financial support. Notably, she has championed initiatives to provide support and resources for children and individuals with disabilities across Bhutan, partnering with parents, caregivers, civil society organizations, and the Ministry of Education. Over the past decade, she has also worked to restore a national heritage site into a museum and cultural center. Tshering’s dedication to her country’s needs allows her to forge connections that effectively address key issues on the ground. She also works to develop partnerships with organizations in the U.S. and internationally to support Bhutanese initiatives. To raise awareness of Bhutan, Tshering has delivered numerous lectures, talks, and written articles both in the U.S. and abroad.
Contact: tshering.yangzom@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Dawa Sherpa Director of Programs & Operations
Ms. Dawa Sherpa is Director of Programs and Operations for the Bhutan Foundation. She is also President and co-founder of the Greater Himalayas Foundation, which supports conservation and humanitarian programs in the Himalayas. Ms. Sherpa holds a Bachelors of Science from Virginia Tech, and Masters in Global and Community Health from George Mason University. She has international development experience working in the field on HIV/AIDS programs in Nepal with the United Nations Development Program, implemented rural public health awareness programs through Students Partnership Worldwide in the US, and helped develop the emergency medical services and public health programs with Bhutan’s Ministry of Health.
Contact: dawa.sherpa@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Pemma Lhazin Development Associate
Pemma Lhazin is the Development Associate for the Bhutan Foundation. She has a BA in International Studies with a minor in English from Endicott College in Beverly, MA. At the Bhutan Foundation, she partners with the Communications team to enhance the visibility of Bhutan and share updates on the foundation's wide-ranging projects. She is involved in creating engaging content, managing social media platforms, and developing communication materials to effectively convey the Foundation's mission and initiatives. Her work plays a crucial role in connecting the Bhutan Foundation with a global audience and supporting its efforts to address critical issues in Bhutan. She has worked in fundraising in the environmental non-profit space and is passionate about environmental sustainability and health equity. She passed out of the 44th Desuung Training Program in Tendruk, Samtse and volunteered during the pandemic in 2021.
Contact: pemma.lhazin@bhutanfound.org
Ms. Sonam Deki Tshering Operations Officer
Sonam is the Operations Officer for the Bhutan Foundation. She holds a B.A. in Environment and Information Studies from Keio University in Japan. Sonam is passionate about social justice and sustainable development and is committed to fostering positive change through her active engagement in community service.
Contact: sonam.tshering@bhutanfound.org
Hon. Brian Baird
Hon. Brian Baird is the Honorary Consul for Bhutan from Seattle, Washington. He is the former Democratic Party congressman from the state of Washington’s 3rd congressional district. Brian is a licensed clinical psychologist who has practiced in Washington state and Oregon. He also taught at the university level and is a former chairman of the Department of Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University. Brian received his BS from the University of Utah and his MS and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Wyoming. He has published a number of journal articles and has authored two books: The Internship and Practicum Handbook and Are We Having Fun Yet?.
Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr.
Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. is Senior Director at McLarty Associates where he leads the firm’s work for clients in South Asia and Indonesia. He served for 31 years in the State Department in a wide range of leadership positions including Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Deputy Chief of Mission in India and U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia. He is Co-Chair of the Board of the U.S.-Indonesia Society. Ambassador Blake holds a BA from Harvard College, and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. He and his wife Sofia have three daughters.
Hon. Curtis S. Chin
Hon. Curtis S. Chin is a Milken Institute Asia fellow and has served as a trustee of World Education Services of New York and is a former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank. As a member of the ADB board, he pushed for strengthened governance, risk management and development efforts focused on people, planet, and partnership, particularly on infrastructure projects in Asia's least-developed nations. Through his advisory firm RiverPeak Group LLC, Chin now advises a range of startup firms and impact investors in Asia, including Equator Pure Nature, a leading ASEAN-based, natural consumer products company and cleantech pioneer, and the Dolma Impact Fund, the first international equity fund focused on Nepal. Chin previously was a senior executive with Burson-Marsteller in the US, Switzerland, and Asia, where he oversaw Beijing and Hong Kong operations. He has provided counsel to a wide range of governments and businesses on stakeholder engagement, public affairs, corporate responsibility, crisis management and market entry. Curtis has been a long-time friend of Bhutan and has travelled to Bhutan extensively.
Diana Cohn
Diana Cohn has worked as a teacher, as a media activist and as a senior program officer and executive director in philanthropic foundations for almost 3 decades. She has a BA in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic and an MA in Educational Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a certified professional Co- Active Coach (CPCC) and is currently focused on leadership development with foundation and non-profit leaders. Diana is the award-winning author of 7 books for children, including Crane Boy that was inspired after her first visit to Bhutan in 2012. It was published and launched at the Crane Festival in Gangtey in 2015 in partnership with the RSPN. In addition to her children’s books, she has written on native pollination practices in Mexico and Malaysia for the American Bee Journal. She currently serves as a board member for the Magnum Foundation, and for NABU, a global mother-tongue literacy organization. She lives with her husband on a houseboat in northern California.
Dasho Paljor Dorji
Dasho Paljor Dorji (Dasho Benji) has served the government of Bhutan since 1966. He was appointed Chief Justice of Bhutan in 1985 to 1987 and then Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Social Services. In 1991 he was sent to Geneva as Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and also was accredited to Austria, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, EU (Brussels), IFAD (Rome), and FAO (Rome). From 1994 to 1998 Benji served as Deputy Minister of the National Environment Commission, and currently he is a special advisor to the National Environment Commission. Benji has been a long-time advisor to the Bhutan Foundation, in particular on our environment and conservation programs.
Mr. Dechen Dorji
Mr. Dechen Dorji is the Senior Director for Asia at WWF-US. Dechen oversees WWF-US’s wildlife efforts in Asia, working closely with their goal teams and leadership, WWF’s country offices, and the Wildlife Practice and other WWF initiatives to help develop, implement and mobilize resources for our wildlife conservation priorities in Asia. Dechen isn’t new to the WWF organization, previously serving for seven years as WWF’s Country Representative in Bhutan, where he led a number of successful conservation efforts, notably the ‘Bhutan for Life’ initiative, through which he worked closely with our leadership and the former Bhutanese Prime Minister to raise $43 million, and launched some of Bhutan’s first nationwide conservation efforts for threatened species such as tigers, Snow leopards and Golden Mahseer. Dechen also received the National Order of Merit, Gold, from His Majesty the King for the Bhutan for Life initiative and his services to the Bhutanese environmental sector.
Dr. Peggy Dulany
Dr. Peggy Dulany is Chair of The Synergos Institute, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to creating effective, sustainable and locally based solutions to poverty. Her career has included heading a Boston-area public high school program for drop- outs for six years and consulting with the United Nations and the Ford Foundation on health care and family planning in Brazil, the United States and Portugal, and with the National Endowment for the Arts on nonprofit management and planning. She was Senior Vice President of the New York City Partnership, where she headed the Youth Employment and Education programs. Dr. Dulany is an honors graduate of Radcliffe College and holds a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University.
Ms. Caroline Gabel
Ms. Caroline Gabel is President and CEO of the Shared Earth Foundation, an adventure traveler, and a major fan of Bhutan, which she has visited more than four times. As the former chair of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, a partner of the Bhutan Foundation, she especially admires Bhutan’s dedication to conserving wildlife, including their iconic snow leopards and their forests, which provide habitat for the country’s rich wildlife. She supports the Bhutan Foundation, especially its dedication to environmental values.
Eloise Goelet Hackett
Ms. Eloise Goelet Hackett is a wine industry professional currently working in administration and vineyard management at Clos Du Val Winery in Napa Valley. Eloise is a graduate from Middlebury College with a BA in International Studies. In 2009, Eloise volunteered in Bhutan for 5 months, working with both the Bhutan Foundation and the Tarayana Foundation. Through the Bhutan Foundation, Eloise taught English to primary students in Thimphu. Eloise also spent time travelling throughout Bhutan performing site visits for the Tarayana Foundation, focusing on assessing childhood nutrition as part of a larger study. Upon returning to the US, Eloise worked at World Education, a nonprofit focused on developing education health and infrastructure around the globe. Since 2011, Eloise has worked in both Australia and the US, pursuing her interest in sustainable agriculture and business administration.
Mr. Douglas W. Hamilton Jr.
Douglas Hamilton currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Hamilton Associates and related entities, a family of entrepreneurial companies where he served as CEO for 37 years, until his retirement in 2012. One company, Elevator Safety Company, is a leading manufacturer of elevator suspension systems, used by major elevator companies throughout the world. A second firm, Air Techniques International, manufactures filter and gas mask test equipment, used in both commercial and military applications in the area of nuclear, biological, and chemical protection. He and his wife, Tsognie, through a family foundation, support educational and monastic projects in Mrs. Hamilton’s birth country (now state of India) of Sikkim, Bhutan’s immediate neighbor to the west. The Hamiltons have trekked extensively in Sikkim beginning in the early 1970’s. Since 2007, along with their neighbors and good friends, Christopher and Lucy Goelet, the Hamiltons have sponsored a Bhutanese Archery tournament for members of the American Bhutanese community at Tashiding, their country property in Maryland. From 2011 through 2017 Mr. Hamilton served as President or Chair of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He currently serves on the board of the Valleys Planning Council, a land preservation advocacy organization in North Central Maryland.
Ms. Jane Hancock
Ms. Jane Hancock is President of the Music of Bhutan Research Center (MBRC), USA. She is a credentialed educator and photographer (B.A.). Since co-founding MBRC in 2008 with Kheng Sonam Dorji and Dr. Janet Herman, ethnomusicologist, she has lived part-time in Bhutan assisting MBRC in Thimphu with many creative projects and fundraising. Ms. Hancock has served as lead photographer on several expeditions and is a consultant and voice-over specialist on MBRC films. In 2011, she helped MBRC establish the Annual Bhutanese Folk Music Festival. Ms. Hancock is also involved in music education in the schools in Thimphu and introduced a vision-screening program for young school aged children.
Dr. Steve Harris
Dr. Steve Harris worked as a telecommunications/internet lawyer and executive for over 30 years. He then returned to his love of history and received a Ph.D. in Modern European History at UC Davis in 2015. He now teaches history of democracy, historiography, modern European, and world history at San Francisco State University, where he is also co-director of the History for the 21st Century Project.
Mr. Eric Hoffman
Mr. Eric Hoffman is a creative director with a solid reputation designing projects for both boutique agencies and corporate advertising firms at home and abroad. His work branding, re-launching and strategically positioning fashion, beauty and retail clients has to date amassed a roster of professional affiliations that includes AR Media, Arnell Group, EuroRSCG Worldwide, Drill (Japan), Select Communications, and Young & Rubicam. He has also worked for Vogue and W Magazine and numerous advertising campaigns including Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Versace. Other clients include Johnson & Johnson, David Yurman, Elie Tahari, Judith Leiber, AERO Studios, Marui (Japan), Nars Cosmetics, Target Corporation, Williams-Sonoma and Hachette Book Group. Eric graduated from Bard College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and the School of Visual Arts with a degree in Digital Design. He then served as a Peace Corp volunteer in 1996, and as an International Honors Program participant in 1991, studying global ecology worldwide in seven different countries (England, Colombia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the USA).
Hon. Kenneth I. Juster
Hon. Kenneth I. Juster has over forty years of experience as a senior government official, senior business executive, and senior law partner. He recently completed service as the twenty-fifth U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of India (2017–2021). He previously served in the U.S. government as Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, on both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council (2017), Under Secretary of commerce (2001–2005), Counselor (acting) of the State Department (1992–1993), and Deputy and Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger (1989–1992). In the private sector, Juster has been a Partner at the global investment firm Warburg Pincus (2010–2017), Executive Vice President at Salesforce.com (2005–2010), and a Senior Partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter. He is currently Senior Counselor at the global law firm Freshfields, Senior Adviser at the institutional investor CDPQ, Strategic Adviser at the software company Salesforce, and Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Ambassador Juster developed a long-term friendship with Bhutan when he was Ambassador to India. He supported the funding of many new U.S. government initiatives in Bhutan, such as enhancing STEM Education and the restoration of the Wangduechhoeling Palace through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
Mr. Rudolf Laager
Mr. Rudolf Laager (Ruedi) is Chair of the Advisory Council. Mr. Laager is President of LuKaDa International in Larchmont, NY. He is also Director of Global Development for the GreenTeam, a public relations agency in New York and serves on the board of The Resource Foundation, an organization focused on sustainable development in Latin America. Ruedi and his wife Alix have been particularly involved in the Bhutan Foundation’s special education program.
Mr. John LaValley
Mr. John LaValley is an award-winning real estate developer and the Founder and President of Sunday Development. He has over 15 years of navigating all facets of real estate development and has acquired and executed over $1 billion worth of real estate investments. John’s differentiated value proposition comes from his end-to-end ability to take a project from an initial vision to the effective delivery of outcomes through creative and purposeful execution. His clientele includes institutional investors and notable organizations, such as the largest student housing operator in NYC and one of the largest hotel owners in the US at 25K rooms. He is passionate about transformative development opportunities that support environmentally sustainable practices and historic buildings, which has led him to an interest in the Bhutan Foundation. Previously, John was the Founder and Managing Partner at Thelius Capital Partners, and Vice President of Investments at Onyx Equities, where he was recognized as Tomorrow’s Leader in Real Estate and won Deal of the Year. John’s career began in private equity as an analyst at Centersquare Investments, after he received a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of his work, he is a competitive rock climber and devoted husband.
Ms. Linda Leaming
Ms. Linda Leaming moved to Bhutan in 1997. She has worked with UNDP Bhutan, the Centre for Bhutan Studies, the Institute for Language and Cultural Studies, the Zorig Chusum, and numerous other agencies of the Royal Government. Her Dzongkha is weak but her love for Bhutan and all things Bhutanese is strong. Linda’s writing has appeared in the Guardian, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping India, and Mandala Magazine, among other publications. Her memoirs, Married to Bhutan (Hay House 2011, Malik National Geographic 2012 and 2016) and A Field Guide to Happiness(Hay House 2014), have been translated into numerous languages including Korean, French, and German. She also wrote the text for the photography book, Vanishing Faces of Bhutan: The Study of a Timeless culture, by Joseph N. Barker, published in April 2016 by the Bhutan Foundation. Originally from Nashville, she has an MFA in fiction from the University of Arizona. She regularly speaks about Bhutan at colleges, churches, seminars, and book groups, as well as podcasts and radio programs. She lives just past Tashichhodzong in Thimphu and is married to Bhutanese artist, Phurba Namgay.
Mr. Jeffrey H. Lynford
Mr. Jeffrey H. Lynford has actively supported historic preservation locally, nationally and internationally for over 35 years. He is a trustee emeritus of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and formerly a Vice Chairman of the Global Heritage Fund and an ex officio trustee of the Lower Eastside Tenement Museum located in NYC. Jeffrey has received three gubernatorial appointments and presently is Vice Chairman of The Port Authority of NY & NJ. He is a former Trustee of New York University and NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Currently, he is President and CEO of Educational Housing Services, Inc. the leading non-profit provider of safe and affordable housing for college students and interns in NYC. Jeffrey holds degrees from SUNY at Buffalo, Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, and Fordham University School of Law. His wife, Tondra Lynford, is a psychotherapist and an acknowledged expert in autism. They are the parents of four children and two grandchildren.
Mr. Michael Mars
Mr. Michael Mars served on the board of the Bhutan Foundation from 2006-2019. Michael is the founding principal of mTerraVentures, LLC, an early-stage venture capital practice focused on catalyzing the development of technologies for a sustainable economy. Before founding mTerra Ventures in 2007, he managed various business units for Mars Incorporated in Asia and North America. Michael currently serves on the board of Echogen Power Systems, Natel Energy, and Mars, Incorporated. He is also involved in a variety of philanthropic interests primarily in the area of conservation of nature, education, and healthcare. He is currently vice-chair of the School for Field Studies and serves on the Board of Visitors for the MIT School of Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Sciences and the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment. Michael is a graduate of Duke University.
Mr. Zack McKown
Mr. Zack McKown is a Principal in TsAO & McKOWN Architects, PC. He has been widely recognized for his innovations in the fields of urban design and architecture, interiors, furniture and product design. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Design Trust for Public Space, and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2001 Mr. McKown was inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, along with his partner Calvin Tsao. He has lectured widely, and has been honored by retrospective exhibits at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and The New School University. TsAO & McKOWN is providing technical support on the Bhutan Foundation project to restore Wangduechhoeling Palace.
Elisabeth Meeker
Elisabeth Meeker (Lis) was formerly the first vice president of financial portfolio management at Smith Barney. Prior to her tenure at Smith Barney, she worked in the Field Museum’s Invertebrate Zoology Department. received a B.A. in biology and zoology from DePauw University. Lis has and continues to serve on many boards including the DePauw University Alumnae Association, Women’s Board of the Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University Club of Chicago, and the Council of Foreign Affairs. Lis first traveled to Bhutan in 2007. She subsequently volunteered for WWF Bhutan and has been an advisor to the Bhutan Foundation.
Ms. Gouri Mirpuri
Gouri Mirpuri is co-founder of the award-winning social enterprise, The Learning Farm, which provides livelihood training for vulnerable youth in Indonesia. It was her experience with setting up this social enterprise that led her to cofound the Impact Hub SG in 2011, the first ever co-working space for social entrepreneurs in Singapore. Gouri serves on several global boards. In the US this includes Smithsonian Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Environmental Film Festival and Halcyon Incubator. In Asia, she sat on the Board of Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) and Playeum and BasaBali and is currently the US President of the THK Forum and United in Diversity. Gouri is especially passionate about social entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability. She has published books and articles on wide-ranging topics, is a TEDx and INK speaker. Gouri has lived in various countries over the past two decades and currently resides in Singapore.
Dr. Katharine Morley
Dr. Katharine Morley is an internal medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. She and her husband, Dr. Michael Morley, who is an ophthalmologist, have been involved with Bhutan for many years. Kathy and Michael are also graduates of Harvard School of Public Health and support international healthcare programs in Cambodia, Thailand, and Bhutan. Kathy is currently on the Bhutan Foundation’s Health Advisory Committee, and is interested in advancing health and health related research initiatives in Bhutan.
Hon. Kunzang C. Namgyel
Hon. Kunzang C. Namgyel is the Zhung Dronyer (Chief of Protocol) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bhutan since August 2017. Prior to this appointment, she served a Bhutan's Ambassador & Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York from February 2014-July, 2017 and Deputy Permanent Representative with Ambassadorial rank from September, 2011. During her career spanning over three decades in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has served in various posts at the Ministry as well as Bhutan’s diplomatic Embassies and Missions abroad. Among others, she has served as the Director General of the Multilateral Department, Chief of Protocol, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan in Geneva, and as Director for Bhutan at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Lady Keane College under the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India.
Mr. Brent Olson
Mr. Brent Olson has been traveling to Bhutan for the past 34 years and is deeply passionate about the culture, environment and people of the Kingdom. Brent was formerly the Managing Director of Business Development at GeoEx, a San Francisco based travel company that he worked with from 1987 to 2020. His personal connection with Bhutan and decades of living and traveling there have won him the hearts of the locals, as well as a spot on Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialist list as one of the United States' ranking experts on the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Brent is one of the few lucky Americans to have lived in Bhutan, having worked with its government in the creation of a photographic archive of the country's rich artistic heritage. A veteran of 50 (and counting) trips to the remote Himalayan kingdom he has assisted a variety of local organizations and non-profit groups in Bhutan. From small projects like helping to restore an old manor house to organizing fundraising trips for WWF and RSPN, he has done his best to help the people of Bhutan. One of his greatest accomplishments has been to work closely with H.H. Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche and the nuns at the Pemacholing Nunnery in Tang as they work to build an institution that will benefit women and further their studies of Buddhism. Since 1986, Brent has created and led treks and tours all over the kingdom, and forged close friendships with Bhutanese from many walks of life. His devotion to Bhutan has been mirrored in the unique quality of his itineraries, which are designed to highlight and support the country's determination to maintain its proud culture. He has planned and operated trips to Bhutan for such prestigious organizations as The Asia Society, The Textile Museum of Washington, DC, Dr. Robert Thurman and Tibet House, The California Academy of Sciences, The Society for Asian Art, The Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, The World Wildlife Fund, The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, The National and Pacific Crest Outward Bound organizations and the American Museum of Natural History to name a few. Since leaving GeoEx, Brent looks forward to devoting more time to the goals of The Bhutan Foundation.
Ms. Sonam Ongmo
Sonam started her career as a journalist in Bhutan and became a Communications Consultant for nonprofit organizations like Save the Children and the Environmental Commission of Bhutan. After moving to New York, she worked in citizen media projects like Global Voices - a non-profit project started at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. She also worked with Future Challenges, another non-profit media initiative started by the Bertelsmann Foundation in Germany. In 2012, she started a socio-political magazine in Bhutan called The Raven (archived on the Digital Himalaya site under Journals). In 2015, she was awarded the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale. Sonam has a Certificate in Social Psychology from the University of Queensland, Australia, and an MFA in creative writing from NYU.
Mr. Matthew Oresman
Mr. Matthew Oresman is the Managing Partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s London Office, from where he leads the firm’s International Public Policy practice. He principally advises government and political leaders, businesses, and NGOs on complex international policy and legal matters. He also advises global businesses on entry into emerging markets and compliance with U.S. and international regulations. His pro bono work has focused on the development of rule of law and democratic institutions, sustainable tourism, improving the teaching of politics and Black History in UK schools, and smart policy solutions for stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. He earned a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center. Matthew has supported the Bhutan Foundation’s Good Governance work in Bhutan.
Mr. Vince Pérez
Mr. Vincent S. Pérez is CEO of Alternergy, a renewable power company in Asia. He is also Chairman of Merritt Partners, an energy advisory firm and was Board trustee of WWF International and Chairman of WWF-Philippines. Vince has over 30 years’ experience in finance working first with Mellon Bank and later as a Partner of Lazard Frères in London, New York and Singapore. He later founded Next Century Partners, a private equity firm based in Singapore, and the Asian Conservation Company in the Philippines. Vince served as Philippine Minister of Energy and later as Vice Chairman of the National Renewable Energy Board. He has invested in various sustainable energy and eco-tourism ventures, and is a member of the advisory boards of Banco de Oro, Coca Cola Philippines, Pictet Clean Energy Fund, Singapore Telemedia, WWF-US, and the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale University. He has traveled to Bhutan on numerous occasions and remain engaged in several programs of the Bhutan Foundation.
Ms. Nina Pfifer
Ms. Nina Pfifer spent the first decade of her career trying to change the world via ‘traditional’ means – working for the International Institute for Peace, the UN and the European Commission – before becoming inspired to change careers to the investment world, with a new understanding of the power of well- directed capital. As Chief External Affairs Officer, Nina works across capital raising, investor relations, ecosystem development and management, and branding, communications and PR. Her role encapsulates Conduit Capital’s collaborative core; she is responsible for fostering and deepening the firm’s connections to external stakeholders, from investors to the wider impact ecosystem. Nina has almost 20 years’ international business and finance experience and previously held senior roles at TR Squared Capital and 51North Partners. She has provided IPO and investor relations advice for companies such as Coca-Cola, BIM, Efes Breweries and Albaraka Bank.
Nina hopes to see sustainable, long-term investing become best practice, and sustainable capitalism become the enduring economic model.
Dr. Françoise Pommaret
Dr. Françoise Pommaret is Director of Research at the CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research, France) and Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Language and Culture (ILCS), Royal University of Bhutan. She has been associated with Bhutan in different capacities since 1979 and has published numerous scholarly articles and books on different aspects of Bhutanese culture, including the definitive guidebook, Bhutan: A Cultural Guidebook. She is currently involved in the documentation of the Bhutan cultural atlas www.bhutanculturalatlas.org and is researching the interface between deities, local powers, and migrations in Bhutan. Dr. Pommaret has lectured intensively in numerous academic institutions around the world and has been guest curator for several exhibitions. She has been advising the Bhutan Foundation on our cultural heritage projects, including the restoration of Wangduechhoeling Palace.
Mr. Michael Reynolds
Mr. Michael Reynolds is a creative director, editor, set designer, stylist, curator and collector. He was raised in Manhattan's East Village, where he studied art history and anthropology at New York University before his seven-year turn as an editor at American Vogue. In 1996, Michael left Vogue to work on the relaunch of House & Garden Magazine, as well as the launch of Wallpaper* magazine, where he still serves as US Editor. He is a regular contributor to Architectural Digest, Conde Nast Traveler, T Magazine, CULTURED and has edited two titles for Rizzoli International Publications. In its Spring 2009 issue, The Wall Street Journal’s WSJ Magazine published High Road to Bhutan, a profile of the spiritual and philanthropic adventures of Reynolds’ and his partner Eric Hoffman.
Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Ryan is a partner at Squire Patton Boggs. She is an international policy and development expert. Of note, she created the Qatar Katrina fund in the US following Hurricane Katrina and has helped the Qataris deploy hundreds of millions in charitable giving. She works with several charities focused on animal welfare and special needs children.
Ranjani (Ren) Sankaran
Ranjani (Ren) Sankaran is currently Executive Director, Project & Export Finance at Standard Chartered Bank in London, where for over 14 years she has acted as financial advisor, structuring bank, and mandated lead arranger on pathbreaking project debt financings across power, infrastructure, natural resources, predominantly in Africa. Prior to Standard Chartered, Ren worked at the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation from its inception in 2004, financing sovereign-sponsored projects in emerging economies across Africa, Asia & Pacific, and Eastern Europe. Prior to that, she worked on the Congressionally-mandated Africa Policy Advisory Panel’s Report, on capital markets and financial sector development in sub-Saharan Africa for Secretary of State Colin Powell, in addition to working at the Canadian Embassy OLIFI and the UN IFAD earlier in her career. Her interest in Bhutan and its culture and development stems from her travel there in 2008, during her summer travelling before business school. Ren holds an MBA from London Business School, an MA in International Development Studies from the GW Elliott School of International Affairs, and a BA with Distinction in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a co-founder of the Flore Foundation.
Mr. Tim Sharpe
Tim Sharpe is based in New York’s Hudson Valley and consults with nonprofit clients and high-net-worth individuals on strategic philanthropic planning. From 2008-2019 he served as Senior Director, Strategic Philanthropy for World Wildlife Fund based in Washington, DC, and as Global Philanthropy Advisor for WWF International based in Switzerland. He helped lead private fundraising for the $46 million Bhutan for Life program while with WWF. He consulted with most of the independent WWF national offices in Asia, South America, North America and Europe in support of initiatives to launch or improve major gifts programs. From 2003 to 2007, Tim was Director of Gift Planning for WWF-US, helping build a bequest and planned gift program that has grown to become one of the organization’s most critical sources of unrestricted annual revenue source for global conservation. He began his career in public broadcasting at WGBH in Boston and worked for PBS in Washington. He holds a BA from Swarthmore College and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.
Mr. Gérard Tardy
Mr. Gérard Tardy is a well-known European Venture Capitalist with over 30 years of experience. He was the founder and manager in Paris of two major private equity firms, Citicorp Venture Capital and Schroder Ventures. In 1999, he founded his own company, Sitka Limited, in London that invested in young companies in healthcare services and industries. Gérard is Venture Partner of Mérieux Développement and on the board of several companies in Europe and in Singapore. He founded the Loden Entrepreneurship Program in Bhutan in 2008 within the Loden Foundation one of the Bhutan Foundation’s principal partners in Bhutan.
Mr. Sonam Tobgay
Mr. Sonam Tobgay was a former board member of the Bhutan Foundation. He served for the past several years as Consul General and the Minister-Counselor at the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York. Prior to arrival in New York, he was the Chief, Policy Planning Division; and Chief, International Organizations Division, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thimphu. He has also served as Charge d’Affaires at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Kuwait and as Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan in Geneva. He received his MA in Diplomacy and MA in Public Policy (International Policy) from the Australian National University in Canberra, and his BA (Economics and History) from the University of Delhi. He also received an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. He has just graduated as a fellow with the McCain Institute for International Leadership after being placed at the Office of Mayor Sly James of Kansas City, Missouri. Currently, he returned to Bhutan to serve in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ms. Sukey Wagner
Mrs. Susan Nichols Wagner (Sukey Wagner) is a former educator and has spent much of her career doing philanthropic work with a number of organizations including schools in the Transkei, a rural district in South Africa, where she provided over 180,000 books and served on the board of the Vela School there. She has also worked with PWA (People With AIDS) in Brooklyn, New York and co-founded a center for women with HIV/AIDS in Harlem. Ms. Wagner served on the board of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts for 10 years. She has also been involved with the World Wildlife Fund where her late husband and international banker, Rodney Wagner, served as a member and officer of the board for a number of years. Ms. Wagner sits on the board of Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey and the Colebrook Land Conservancy.
Ms. Nancy Hamill Winter
Nancy Hamill Winter has supported the Bhutan Foundation since traveling with Bruce Bunting and Daphne Cunningham in 2007 on a WWF journey through Bhutan honoring the work of the late Mingma Sherpa. Her interest in the Himalaya stems back to 1964 on the first of many treks in Nepal. She is a naturalist specializing in habitat restoration and consummate advocate for land conservation having served in leadership roles with The Nature Conservancy, Field Museum of Natural History, JoDaviess Conservation Foundation, Teton Regional Land Trust, Prairie States Conservation Coalition and Morton Arboretum. She is also a lifelong equestrian - graduate A of the United States Pony Club, short listed member of the 1984 Olympic Three Day Event Team, former Vice President of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association and former President of the Equine Land Conservation Resource. Nancy recently relocated to Vermont after a life rooted in the Illinois prairie and has become involved in regional conservation issues of the Northeast. She holds a BA from George Washington University in International Relations, an MA in East Asian History from University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, and a Naturalist Certification Degree from The Morton Arboretum.
Ms. Elise Zoli
Ms. Elise Zoli is a partner at Goodwin Procter and chairs the firm's Energy Practice. She is a leader in its Cleantech and Climate Change initiatives, and focuses on clean energy, water, technology and agriculture (“Cleantech”) considerations. Her work includes substantial depth in energy storage (batteries and beyond), ground source and geothermal, innovative nuclear, biofuels, clean water and water treatment, industrial processes, carbon conversion, wind and solar, automotive, ocean wave technologies and wireless electricity, as well as carbon markets. She is also a lecturer on Cleantech and Climate Change at MIT’s Sloan School, and regularly speaks on Cleantech issues nationwide.