About Us
Loplao (Easy Tibetan) was established to promote and advance Tibetan language and culture worldwide. It was founded in 2019 by Tenzin Choephel and Dr Rachael Griffiths, who were concerned by the lack of resources available to Tibetan language learners; especially members of the Tibetan diaspora, for whom this language provides a crucial link to their cultural heritage.
Moving beyond traditional tools like textbooks, Loplao hopes to expand opportunities to learn Tibetan through creating varied, rich, and engaging resources. We aim to offer a variety of learning experiences like bite-size social media content, one-to-one online lessons with native speakers, YouTube videos, and blog posts. These additional formats offer flexibility, help keep learners engaged, and improve conversation, reading, and listening comprehension.
Designed to support learners of all levels and backgrounds, including members of the diaspora, we believe our online provision provides the tools required for learning and sustaining engagement with Tibetan.
Our Team

Tenzin Choephel
Co-Founder, CEO
A native Tibetan, Tenzin has taught Tibetan in a range of educational settings in India and the UK, including Thosamling Nunnery, Dharamsala and the University of Oxford.
Inspired by his own experience of teaching, he developed and published the Tibetan language textbook The Manual of Authentic Tibetan in 2018 and LopLao in 2019.

Dr Rachael Griffiths
Co-Founder
Rachael has been studying Tibetan since 2007; first at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and later at the University of Oxford.
While studying her Masters, she was surprised by the limited tools available to aid language acquisition and is excited to be involved with a project which aims to change this.

Michael Elison
Digital Developer
Michael is a professional Java Developer, as well as Full Stack Developer with experience in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MongoDB, SQL.
He also has a great interest in Tibetan Language and Culture. In 2019, he graduated from the University of Oxford as a Master of Philosophy in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies. For his Master’s thesis, Michael conducted research on the practice of Dream Yoga in Bon in comparison with Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
Board of Trustees

Yangten Rinpoche
Trustee
Yangten Tulku Rinpoche Lobsang Tenpai Gyaltsen completed his traditional Tibetan monastic studies at Sera monastery in India where he attained the degree of Geshe Lhamrampa in 2006. After completing his Tantric studies at Gyuto monastery in 2008, His Holiness the Dalai Lama personally summoned him to work in his private office. Yangten Rinpoche is presently senior secretary within the Tibetan Section and head of the project responsible for compiling the writings and teachings of His Holiness. He recently authored an extremely well-received book, “ Classifications of Religion: The Views of the Ancient and Modern”.

Charles Hayes
Chair
Charles Hayes has a Masters degree in engineering science from Oxford University. He worked at IBM doing university vacations and shell International upon leaving university in 1985.
He subsequently started a lengthy 30 year career in banking where he is specialised in investment advice and risk management. Currently, he’s Giving advice to national regulators responsible for financial propriety as well as investing money for a medium-sized fund. He is a keen sportsman and enjoys keeping fit and skiing.

Emina Besirevic Hayes
Treasurer
Emina Besirevic Hayes was born in former Yugoslavia in the late 60s, and has lived in the United Kingdom for the last 30 years. Ms Hayes has an undergraduate degree in International Business Administration, a postgraduate degree in Psychiatry, a Diploma in Spiritual Counselling and she is a member of British Hypnotherapy Association.
Ms Hayes is also a Mahayana Dharma Practitioner and a passionate advocate and activist for the preservation and cultivation of Buddhist Tibetan tradition. As an explorer and lover of natural sciences, she will keep studying, contemplating and reflecting on the relative and ultimate nature of the mind in her pursuit for wisdom knowledge.

Jordan Quill
Secretary
Jordan Quill is currently studying for an MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan studies at the University of Oxford. He has a BA degree in the History of Art from the Courtauld Institute, University of London, where he specialised in the architecture, manuscript painting and textiles of Timurid and Uzbek Central Asia and Mughal India. He has worked with antique Asian textiles in London since he graduated in 2017, specialising in Indian textiles since 2019.
He has also travelled to Nepal and Northern India a number of times, and has strong friendships with Tamang and Tibetan artisans in both Kathmandu and McLeodganj, Dharamsala. Aside from Tibetan, Jordan has studied the Persian, Russian and Uzbek languages, and hopes to begin studying Hindi and Persian again after completing his master’s degree. He enjoys travelling, visiting museums and seeing antique Indian textiles.