We have made recent and significant changes to how Ruby Central operates.

We have parted ways with our Executive Director, our PR agency, our CFO, and concluded several contractor engagements. These were not easy decisions, but they were necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of Ruby Central. Since joining the Board at the beginning of the year, we have seen the organization's finances become overly dependent on the optimistic timing of when funds may be received against fixed timelines for when our expenses are due.

As a result, Ruby Central has found itself in real financial jeopardy. This is a situation we've been working toward resolving by reducing our expenses, renegotiating contracts, increasing and diversifying our fundraising outreach, and pursuing big ideas we believe will create a stronger, more inclusive Ruby Central community for tomorrow.

We voted this month to begin restructuring from being a governing board to a volunteer working board. That means instead of the board advising a full-time Executive Director, our board members have taken on direct roles and responsibilities alongside our hardworking team of staff and volunteers. We voted for some difficult personnel cuts and to reduce discretionary spending. We voted to preserve RubyConf.

As a non-profit, Ruby Central's work has always been driven by an outpouring of generosity from amazing volunteers and community members. Our role, which we take very seriously, is to facilitate that going forward, as we move with focus and urgency.

Where We Are Now

Ruby Central has gone through a difficult period, and some of that has been visible to all of you. Some of it has been structural and behind-the-scenes. The gap between how we've been operating and what this ecosystem needs has been growing for some time, coming to a head in the past few months.

We are choosing to move forward.

We do not have an appetite for any ongoing conflict, and we believe our community doesn't either. We believe in Ruby. We believe in MINASWAN. And we believe our community is still reaching its full potential.

As a board, we've spent countless volunteer hours untangling the past and stabilizing the present. Now we are focused on building what comes next.

Our priorities are clear, and we know this will take time:

  • Open up how big decisions are made and who participates
  • Strengthen the security and reliability of RubyGems
  • Invest in the future of Ruby, so it continues to grow
  • Repair and rebuild trust across the community, and earn that trust with patience and results

What We're Building

We are launching a set of initiatives designed to stabilize the ecosystem and move it forward.

Now: Ruby Alliance

The Ruby Alliance brings companies together to directly support RubyGems and the broader ecosystem. Member companies will contribute engineering time and financial support. In return, their developers will help shape priorities and ensure the infrastructure they rely on remains strong, secure, and evolving.

This will be shared responsibility in practice.

Next: Project DREAM

Project DREAM is our investment in Ruby's future.

DREAM stands for Driving Ruby's Evolution to AI Maturity.

AI is rapidly moving into production. Teams are already rebuilding the same infrastructure over and over to make these systems usable, testable, and reliable.

If we do nothing, that work will continue to fragment across companies and ecosystems behind closed doors, and Ruby risks falling behind as modern development shifts. We are seeing Ruby show up less often in API and SDK support across the industry. Part of this work is making sure Ruby is represented in the tools and standards developers rely on every day.

Project DREAM focuses on building a foundation together:

  • Making it easier to integrate AI tools and workflows into Ruby applications
  • Improving evaluation, observability, and developer experience
  • Identifying and closing gaps that limit adoption in modern stacks
  • Ensuring RubyGems and related tools support these new patterns
  • Advocating for and expanding Ruby support in APIs, SDKs, and emerging community standards

This is about making sure Ruby is not just stable, but actively supported, competitive, and compelling for the next generation of applications.

Soon: Apprenticeship Program

We will be building a structured apprenticeship program focused on developers from underrepresented groups.

Apprentices will work within the Ruby Alliance alongside maintainers and experienced contributors on real projects, including Project DREAM. The goal is to grow the next generation of Ruby contributors while expanding access to the ecosystem.

We know how lofty a goal this is, but there's no investment more important to the future of Ruby than introducing a new generation of software developers to these tools and this community.

How We're Opening This Up

We are introducing steering committees led by our board members to bring more voices into how this work will happen.

These will be focused working groups made up of maintainers, contributors, and community members. They will help shape priorities and guide execution across key areas:

  • Open Source and Infrastructure
  • Ruby Alliance and Funding
  • Community, Conferences, and Governance
  • Apprenticeships and Education
  • DREAM and the Future of Ruby

This is an open invitation.

If you care about Ruby, there is a place for you to contribute. That includes people who have been deeply involved for years as well as those who may have felt pushed away. We want to move forward together.

Looking Ahead

We are intentionally building a leaner Ruby Central, modeled more closely on organizations like the Python Software Foundation, Linux Foundation, and Rails Foundation — with clear purpose, transparent governance, and broad participation.

We are grateful to the many members of the community who have shared their perspectives and guidance, including Mike Perham, David Heinemeier Hansson, Evan Phoenix, Matz, Obie Fernandez, Alan Ridlehoover, and Chad Fowler, along with many others.

To the maintainers

RubyGems is what it is today because of the time, care, and expertise that many of you have given to it over the years.

That work matters, and it is deeply appreciated.

As we move into this next chapter, we want to extend an open invitation to re-engage in whatever way feels right to you. There is meaningful work ahead, and there is space for those who want to help shape what's next.

How You Can Get Involved

Join a steering committee
Help shape the direction of Ruby Central and contribute to the areas you care about most.

Companies
Join the Ruby Alliance and take an active role in sustaining and evolving the ecosystem. Interested? Connect with Tom Chambers, our Sponsors Manager.

Individuals
Contribute to open source, become a monthly supporter, and participate in the apprenticeship program.

If you're interested, reach out to us.

Keep us honest. We've said that change is necessary, and that we'll be looking to our community to help shape what comes next. That promise doesn't mean much behind closed doors. We'll be back within two weeks with more details on RubyConf, the Ruby Alliance, and the bigger questions about governance and what we believe Ruby Central can become.

This is our chance to build the next version of it together.

With appreciation,

— Jey Flores and Ran Craycraft
Board Members, Ruby Central