About Ruby Central


Ruby Central, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to driving innovation and building community within the Ruby programming ecosystem since 2001.

We are the proud organizers of RubyConf, the world’s largest Ruby conference and RailsConf, the longest-running event for Rails developers. These events have served as key gathering points for the community, where the most impactful news, trends, and developments in Ruby and Rails have been shared with a global audience.

Female software engineer sitting at a laptop and holding a coffee cup

In recent years, we’ve expanded our focus beyond just events. Through our Open Source Program, we maintain and secure tools like RubyGems and Bundler. With nearly 200 billion downloads of RubyGems alone, these projects are mission-critical for startups and large companies that build applications with Ruby.

Our community development work also includes support for local Ruby events around the world (16 countries and counting!) and facilitating quarterly gatherings for CTOs, consultancies, and community organizers to share insights and drive the language forward.

As the backbone of the Ruby ecosystem, we are committed to continuing to advance the language and are excited to help shape the next chapter of Ruby’s community and progress.

History


Group of developers hugging and smiling together

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.

Since then, RubyConf has become the world’s largest Ruby conference, running annually every fall. 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.

Seated conference participants talking with one another

While events have always been a cornerstone of our work, Ruby Central also supports the critical infrastructure that Ruby developers rely on through our Open Source Program.

RubyGems, the package manager for Ruby, was first conceptualized at RubyConf in 2003 and officially launched in 2004. It quickly became the backbone of Ruby development, making it easier than ever to install and share gem libraries. In 2009, Bundler was introduced to help developers manage dependencies across projects, solving one of the most persistent challenges in software development.

Crowded lobby with conference participants entering workshop rooms

Between 2010 and 2014, RubyGems and Bundler saw widespread adoption, thanks in large part to Yehuda Katz and support from Engine Yard. When Engine Yard stepped back, Ruby Together (founded by André Arko in 2015) took on stewardship of these essential tools. In 2022, Ruby Central and Ruby Together merged, uniting the Ruby community’s leading events and infrastructure under one roof.

To ensure long-term support and governance, we established the Open Source Software Committee in 2023. This group oversees RubyGems, Bundler, and RubyGems.org, focusing on infrastructure stability, security, and sustainability.

Our Team


Meet the people behind our efforts

Staff

Our dedicated staff leads the day-to-day operations, programs, and events that support the Ruby ecosystem and help our community thrive.

Alexandra Kneel

Alexandra Kneel

Controller

Ally Vogel

Ally Vogel

Operations Manager

Diesha Cooper

Diesha Cooper

Organizational Compliance Advisor

Marty Haught

Marty Haught

Director of Open Source

Rhiannon Payne

Rhiannon Payne

Marketing Director

Samuel Giddins

Samuel Giddins

Security Engineer

Shan Cureton

Shan Cureton

Executive Director

Tom Chambers

Tom Chambers

Sponsorship Manager

Tyler Jensen

Tyler Jensen

Chief Financial Officer

Directors

Ruby Central’s Board of Directors guides the strategic direction of the organization, ensuring we continue to grow, evolve, and serve the Ruby community effectively.

Ben Greenberg

Ben Greenberg

Board Member

David Corson-Knowles

David Corson-Knowles

Board Member

Freedom Dumlao

Freedom Dumlao

Treasurer

Kinsey Durham Grace

Kinsey Durham Grace

Vice President

Naijeria Toweett

Naijeria Toweett

Secretary

Ufuk Kayserilioglu

Ufuk Kayserilioglu

Board Member

Valerie Woolard

Valerie Woolard

President