About
Dawa Drolma hails from Maisu, a small community of over 6,000 people in Dege County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China. Maisu is renowned for its thirteen traditional crafts, including lost-wax casting and thangka painting, practiced by over 1,000 artisans. Raised in a Tibetan Buddhist statue-making family, Dawa Drolma’s uneducated parents instilled in her the value of education, leading her to begin schooling at ten.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing and small business development from Bay Path University in 2017, Dawa Drolma worked as a contractor for the Smithsonian and China Art and Craft Association, assisting Tibetan artisans in marketing their products. She also produced thirteen documentary films showcasing these artists’ missions.
At twenty-two, Dawa Drolma published “Silence in the Valley of Songs” about her hometown’s working songs in Tibetan and English. Her documentary “Dzongsar Clay” won first prize in the World Handicraft Documentary Competition that year. An entrepreneur, she cofounded Khyenle, a Tibetan Bronze Art Center, in 2017 to empower artisans and provide employment. Over the past six years, she has won numerous domestic and international business awards, including the “Grinspoon Entrepreneurship Award” in 2015 and the “Rural Revitalization: Growth Category” third prize at the Sichuan Tianfu Cup in 2022.
Dawa Drolma’s academic achievements, love for her hometown, and dedication to promoting traditional craftsmanship and rural development make her a role model for young entrepreneurs. Her journey exemplifies innovation, dedication, and commitment to community development, serving as a beacon of hope for rural communities across China.
