Kenley Neufeld was born in Nigeria and spent a portion of his childhood growing up in Zambia. His family migrated to California eventually, where he currently resides. He studied history in college and launched a career in library sciences. He developed an interest in world religions and cultivated a passion for Buddhism. He became a member of the Order of Interbeing and also joined the Plum Village community, founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, shortly after September 11, 2001. He devotes time to building community, or sangha, within this Buddhist tradition.