About Us
Our Story
Our journey began in 2005, selling cookies at a bake sale to fund scholarships for students seeking transformative educational and cultural immersion experiences in South India.
Since those humble beginnings, our initiative has grown into a robust educational program: the Overseas Study Program. OSP trains aspiring translators from around the world to master the Tibetan language, enabling them to translate classical Buddhist texts and make ancient wisdom accessible in many native languages.
Dakini Goods is a vital fundraising arm for the Overseas Study Program. We offer ethically sourced, authentic Tibetan Buddhist artifacts and handicrafts, with every purchase directly supporting OSP's mission. We are proud to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the United States.
Our Mission
All the profits from our sales go towards supporting the pursuit of knowledge of practitioners worldwide. We give donations to Sera Mey Monastery, to support the monks' food, education, housing, and medicine needs.
We also support a rural dog rescue in South India, as well as an elementary school for children from marginalized South Asian communities.
Our Core Values
We PICK Fun and Excellence!
Potential: Helping our employees, volunteers, and participants to reach their highest potential.
Integrity: Operating with transparency and responsibility (especially with "Dharma money").
Community: Fostering a supportive, collaborative, and engaged learning environment.
Kindness: Going out of our way to treat our staff, participants, and donors with kindness and respect (do the right thing)
Fun: Creating fun programs and opportunities
Excellence: Upholding high standards in teaching, program delivery, and student support.
Meet the Team
Rebecca Vinacour, Executive Director
Rebecca started studying Buddhism when she was still an undergraduate at New York University. She started the Overseas Study Program all the way back in 2005 and has since sent more than 60 students to study Tibetan language and Buddhism in South India. When she's not busy fundraising for OSP or traveling throughout India and Nepal to find the best products for Dakini Goods, you can find her teaching dharma, making friends with local street dogs around the world, and developing projects for television and film in Hollywood.
Jack Langdale, Director of Operations
Jack joined The Overseas Study Program as a student in 2022, and has since helped grow the program exponentially. He has an entrepreneurial background and has helped start multiple businesses. Jack is studying Tibetan translation and Buddhist philosophy, and helps to organize our education programs and cultural immersion trips in India and Nepal. His dream is to connect students with all the different Dharma traditions through translation and travel, and to help people find a well rounded comprehensive understanding of Buddhism.
Partners
Thosam School, South India
Blue Sky
Diamond Cutter Classics
Some of our partners:
https://www.dolmadogrescue.org/our-needs
https://www.sermeythoesamschool.net/