Jeff Wallman works at the intersection of nonprofit business, technology, and culture. He is a builder who is dedicated to establishing and nourishing social impact initiatives so they can flourish. Grounded in an education in philosophy and mechanical engineering, and 20+ years of experience in nonprofit leadership, Jeff employs systems thinking within a rigorous ethical framework that engages technology to innovate and scale. 

His ability to implement a big vision has led to notable successes. While Executive Director of the Buddhist Digital Resource Center (formerly Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center), Jeff built the largest digital library in the world of Tibetan manuscripts (40MM+ digital assets), which broke open the extraordinary legacy of Tibetan culture on a global scale. Jeff worked closely with E. Gene Smith on the formation of Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center building technical and organizational capacity, and establishing TBRC’s first digital library in 2006. In 2009, Jeff became Executive Director at Gene Smith’s request. During his tenure he established foundational programs that significantly advanced the mission of the organization. He established the Harvard University Repository for the Long-Term Preservation of Tibetan Texts, and the massive digital preservation program for Tibetan culture in China funded by the United States Agency for International Development. He led the formal expansion of TBRC, funded by the American Council of Learned Societies, into all Buddhist languages. He founded the Buddhist Universal Digital Archives (BUDA) as a linked-data fueled hub of Buddhist texts, funded by the Robert H.N Ho Family Foundation, and the preservation and access of the National Library of Mongolia.

Since 2018, Jeff has worked to advance a variety of cultural initiatives. Alongside the Navajo Nation, he designed a digital program to document indigenous oral history to spark cultural connections around water, food and language sovereignty. In 2019, he and colleagues launched the Asian Legacy Library, preserving and making accessible vulnerable collections in India, Nepal and Mongolia. He currently directs technology initiatives at the Khyentse Foundation and 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, working on strategies to utilize artificial intelligence to facilitate translation and build efficiency through technology. He is a board member of the Owl Bonnet Cultural Preservation Organization (Lakota Nation).

As an inspired storyteller, Jeff connected to high impact funding partnerships resulting in 10s of millions of dollars. He has helped transform dozens of cultural heritage organizations, expanding organizational capacity through clear strategy, mission-aligned planning, solid governance, and project management, all founded in disciplined  financial compliance and key performance indicators. 

Jeff is the recipient of numerous grants including funding from the United States Ambassadors Fund, the Endangered Archives Program, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Khyentse Foundation, the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation, the Robert H.N Ho Family Foundation, and The American Council of Learned Societies. 

In 2023, he co-founded and is a board member of Culture File, an organization that builds and deepens the digital capacity of small and underfunded cultural heritage organizations, through initiatives to enhance and preserve their collections and ignite connections. He remains passionate in redefining innovations in technology to protect a multitude of authentic voices by holding integrity, accountability, and transparency at the forefront of culture. Jeff lives with his family in Western Massachusetts.