Dharmashop.com went online in November of 1999. At the time there were no Tibetan Buddhist websites that had everything I was looking for, so I started my own. We started with just a few items, then after a family trip to Nepal I really got excited about helping to support Tibetan artisans living in exile. My sister spent a year in Dharamsala India, the seat of the Tibetan government. She was so touched by the Tibetan people and helped me to find artisans living in India.

I started the shop in Orlando Florida where I lived from 1998 to 2001. I worked out of my apartment at first but we grew larger and larger and soon I moved home to Michigan and started renting warehouse space for the containers of incense, jewelry and Tibetan ritual items. My wife Christy joined the dharmashop team full time in 2002 and we work long hours to keep on top of our growing business.

Our goal is to build not just a customer base, but a community online that supports the Tibetan and Nepali people. We donate a percentage of profits to Tibetan charities and in 2003 we started the Dharmashop.com school program to build schools in rural Nepal. In 2006 we joined The Tibetan Nun's Project to support ordained women living in exile.

We live in Farmington Hills Michigan with our cats Trout and Tempura, and our greyhounds Shakya, Sade and Onie.

Thanks for being a part of our community!

Sander Cohen

May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed.
May the powerless find power
And may people think of benefiting each other.

- H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama