OUT OF TIBET

The Lawyer, the Fighter, and the Foodie What happens when you're born stateless, raised by four monks in a Swiss village, and given a simple, but very straight ultimatum by your refugee mother: "Doctor or Lawyer" ? Tendon Dahortsang chose law, but her path was anything but conventional. Today, she is a high-powered inheritance lawyer and sits on the board of a Swiss bank, navigating...

In this episode of OUT OF TIBET, Namri Dagyab speaks with scholar and artist Tenzin Mingyur Paldron (DocTenzin) about the powerful intersection of being a Tibetan refugee and a transgender man. Mingyur shares his deeply personal journey—from growing up as an "outsider" in rural America and daydreaming of Tibetan boys' names, to navigating society with a stutter and facing real-world...

"Am I Tibetan enough?" It's a question many in the diaspora ask themselves. Growing up in Austria's very first Tibetan restaurant, Tenzyn Zöchbauer’s heritage was always front and center. But raised by a powerhouse activist mother, teenage Tenzyn often just wanted to be "normal," skip the protests, and hang out with her friends. For a long time, she grappled with the li...

What happens when you manage the legacy of the world's most compassionate figure, but face a reality at home that no amount of prayer can fix? Tenzin Sewo holds a unique position: He is the Executive Director of the Gaden Phodrang Foundation of the Dalai Lama in Switzerland. But when the office lights turn off, he faces a different kind of challenge. Seven years ago, his eldest daughter was di...

$30,000. That’s the prize money that just changed the game for the Khadok Arts Collective! Tashi Nyima and their small team of four in Dharamsala recently received the prestigious Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize. Just two year’s after one of their closest friends and collaborator Jigme Choedak aka JC unfortunately passed away. The prize is the kind of validation many dream of—especially when they...

Tenzin Dazel spent years in the heart of the Paris fashion world, working for names like Ann Demeulemeester and Jérôme Dreyfuss. But she realized that designing bags wasn't enough—she wanted to design narratives. In this honest conversation, Dazel takes us behind the scenes of her journey from a fashion student in France to becoming one of the most distinct voices in Tibetan cinema. She shares...

Join me for a unique conversation with Jalue Dorje, an 18-year-old from Minnesota who is also the reincarnated Taksham Rinpoche recognized by the Dalai Lama. A Dual Life: He shares the surreal experience of being recognized at age four, sitting with high lamas, studying all the time, while navigating life as a normal American teenager. Modern Rinpoche: We discuss Rinpoche's passion for the Atl...

Join us for an extraordinary journey with Tencho Gyatso , President of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) . She offers a rare, personal history of the Tibetan community. Dharamsala Life: Tencho shares her youth in Dharamsala, which felt like a complete Tibetan bubble . She describes how different the town was in the 60s and 70s compared to today's tourist hotspot. The Family Cliché: Te...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of OUT OF TIBET , Tibetan-Australian musician Tenzin Choegyal shares his story — from growing up in a Tibetan refugee school in India to performing for thousands of people and being nominated for a Grammy. We talk about how music became his path to freedom, healing, and storytelling — blending ancient nomadic songs with new sounds he calls “tsampa fusio...

Tsering Yangzom LAMA is the author of We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies — a powerful debut novel about a Tibetan family living in exile over the span of five decades. The book has been met with wide acclaim, won multiple awards, and even made its way into the hands of His Holiness the Dalai Lama — a moment that left Tsering speechless and in tears. In this episode, we talk about the less glamor...

SELDON Tenzin aka Tibchick is the first female Tibetan rapper who rose to fame. Her videos have racked up millions of views on Youtube. But behind the beats and bold lyrics is someone who calls herself the queen of procrastination. From dropping bars to dealing with panic before performing them, she opens up about mental health, her relationship with the Tibetan language, growing through criticism...

Since 1950, Tibet has been under Chinese occupation. Today, Hundreds and Thousands of Tibetans live scattered across the globe — from Dharamsala to New York, from the Swiss Alps to Tokyo, from Sydney to Berlin. Our lives might be different, but we share something deep: our Tibetan identity, and a longing for a homeland many of us have never seen. My name is Dagyab Namri Songtsen Lhundup. I was bor...

Chompel BALOK was born in Switzerland to Tibetan parents and the struggles of his parents not being fluent in the local language. The 51-year old works as the Deputy Secretary General with the Swiss canton of Sankt Gallen. Before that he switched careers a few times, working in the finance industry, at the post office, where he learned to become a „real“ Swiss, as an editor for a political magazin...