A nonprofit built for Ruby's long game
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting the Ruby ecosystem since 2001 through open source infrastructure, community programs, and RubyConf.
Ruby Central has been part of the Ruby story since the beginning
2001
Ruby Central, Inc. was founded in 2001 by David Alan Black and Chad Fowler after organizing the first RubyConf in Tampa. They saw a growing demand for Ruby events and created Ruby Central as a nonprofit to support the community and manage the increasing logistics, from finding sponsors to hosting larger conferences.
2003
RubyGems, the package manager for Ruby, was first conceptualized at RubyConf in 2003 and officially launched as a service in 2004. It quickly became the backbone of Ruby development, making it easier than ever to install and share gem libraries.
2006
In 2006, we launched RailsConf, the first official conference dedicated to Ruby on Rails. It has run every spring since (with the exception of 2020), with the final RailsConf happening in July 2025.
2009
In 2009, Bundler was introduced to help developers manage dependencies across projects, solving one of the most persistent challenges in software development.
2022
In 2022, Ruby Together merged into Ruby Central, uniting the operations, maintenance, and hosting of the RubyGems service under one entity.
2026
Why we exist
Ruby Central is the nonprofit organization behind the tools, events, and community programs that keep Ruby healthy and growing.
We maintain RubyGems, Bundler, and RubyGems.org, the infrastructure millions of applications depend on. We host RubyConf, the community's flagship annual gathering. And we support the people building the ecosystem through grants, mentorship, and open source investment.
We exist because Ruby is worth sustaining. And because sustaining it takes more than code. It takes community.
Board of directors
Ruby Central's Board of Directors sets strategic direction and ensures the organization remains accountable to the community it serves.
Brandon Weaver
Secretary
David Corson-Knowles
Board Member
Freedom Dumlao
Treasurer
Jey Flores
Vice President
Ran Craycraft
President
Staff
Our dedicated team handles the day-to-day operations, programs, and events that keep Ruby Central running.
Alexandra Knell
Controller
Ally Vogel
Operations Manager
Colby Swandale
Technical Lead, Open Source
Dushan Karovich-Wynne
Security Engineer, Open Source
Marty Haught
Director of Open Source
Richard Schneeman
OSS Committee Volunteer
Tom Chambers
Sponsorship Manager
Governance and Finances
Structure
How we make decisions and get things done
- Board of Directors: Sets strategic direction and approves budgets
- Staff: Executes programs and day-to-day operations
- Steering Committees: Community advisory bodies that inform decisions across programs
- Members: Elect the board and have a voice in the organization’s direction
