Jigme Ugen is a Tibetan refugee, he was born in India and graduated from Delhi University. He worked in several non-profit organizations across the world before immigrating to the US in 2001 to work for the Late Senator Paul Wellstone. After the Senator's tragic death, Ugen joined SEIU HCMN and in 2007 was elected Executive Vice President, becoming the first Tibetan elected as a labor leader.

Ugen has been involved in some of the largest union campaigns and successful political victories. He is an active voice around racial, economic, social and environmental justices. He is often invited to speak at universities across the country from Harvard to Stanford; and is frequently interviewed and quoted by leading global news outlets.

He is also the Vice President of the Asian Pacific Islanders Caucus of SEIU; a trustee on the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, SEIU State Council, TCH Pension Fund; and currently board-member for Minnesota AFL-CIO, Working Partnerships and Blue Green Alliance.