A diverse team of industry leaders and mission-driven professionals providing strategic direction, financial oversight, and long-term vision:
Rachel is based nearly 50% of each year in Arusha, Tanzania – East Africa’s gem center and Gem Legacy’s home base. She oversees Gem Legacy’s daily operations in Tanzania and Kenya, working directly with miners, schools, children’s homes, and local leaders. Having spent years building trusted relationships across mining regions, she ensures every program is grounded in real needs, cultural understanding, and close community partnership. A lover of travel, in her free time Rachel is always planning the next vacation, usually based around food and history.
A native Tanzanian and second generation miner, Bjorn brings firsthand knowledge of mining communities and their challenges. He manages day-to-day program implementation, oversees infrastructure and project development, coordinates miner partnerships, and ensures support reaches the right people at the right time. His community relationships and lived experience keep Gem Legacy’s work rooted in authenticity and impact. Outside of Gem Legacy, Bjorn is happiest grilling, trying out a new gelato spot, and researching new mining regions to explore.
Pia serves as the Kitarini Primary School Liaison, supporting more than 900 students who receive daily meals and education through Gem Legacy’s programs. She plays a key role in the day-to-day connection between the school, families, and Gem Legacy’s team, witnessing firsthand how consistent meals and stable schooling are reshaping expectations in the community.
Her work helps turn that momentum into lasting opportunity. Pia embodies the heart of Gem Legacy’s impact: building trust, nurturing potential, and supporting students as they discover the power of learning. Pia also supervises graduates from Kitarini Primary School as they continue their education in secondary and beyond.
Diana is Gem Legacy’s lead gem faceting instructor and one of the youngest emerging talents in East African gemstone cutting. Her skill, patience, and steady leadership earn the respect of every student who trains under her.
She teaches students how to transform rough gemstones into polished stones — and, just as importantly, how to transform talent into a sustainable career. Under her guidance, students gain both technical mastery and personal confidence.
With the new Gem Legacy Campus on the horizon, Diana is eager for what expanded space and improved resources will mean for her classes: more students, more tools, and more opportunities to prepare young people for meaningful work in the gemstone industry. Her leadership is central to the future of our vocational training programs.
Skyler leads construction of the Gem Legacy Campus, bringing a rare blend of technical expertise, cultural understanding, and deep personal connection to the project. Raised in Tanzania, he grew up with a strong sense of community before later honing his building skills in the United States — everything from carpentry and cabinetry to flooring, roofing, and plumbing. Now, his craftsmanship and commitment shape every detail of the Campus build.
Skyler brings vision, grit, and hands-on leadership to a project that is deeply meaningful to him. His work ensures the Campus is built for comfort, convenience, and lasting impact — a home for education that will serve generations of students.
Jose is part of Gem Legacy’s on-the-ground team in Kenya, supporting day-to-day follow-up with mining partners, scholarship students, and local leaders. His behind-the-scenes work—tracking progress, sharing updates, and problem-solving in real time—helps keep Gem Legacy’s programs responsive to real community needs. He first began working with gemstones in 2014 as a miner and broker and is passionate about Gem Legacy’s work because, in his words, the help doesn’t just last for a day.
Philip serves on Gem Legacy’s Kenya team, leading our miner outreach initiatives. He is uniquely qualified for this role as a long time miner himself. He speaks a variety of languages, in addition to the “mining” language, that allows him to connect deeply with the miners. He has a passion, with his intimate understanding of the challenges miners face, to respond with practical, people-centered solutions. Philip remains pivotal to our work ensuring gem-mining communities receive the tools, training, and support they need. He coordinates mine pre, post, and delivery visits, check-ins with partners, and community feedback so each project stays practical and people-centered.
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