Ryan Shearman & Dan Wojno, Founders of Aether - The World's First Carbon-Negative Diamonds
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but the majority are less-than-friendly to the environment and the people involved in the mining and production process. In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes the founders of Aether - the world’s first positive-impact and truly sustainable diamonds: alchemized from air and hand-set in responsibly-sourced metals.
Ryan Shearman, Co-Founder and CEO of Aether, is a mechanical engineer turned entrepreneur with a background in material science and over 10 years of experience in jewelry and tech. Early in his career, he joined David Yurman as one of the first hires on their new Men's team, where he specialized in the development and introduction of new product collections. His work touched on everything from design through to large-scale production and he was responsible for overseeing the development of some of the brand's most iconic and commercially successful collections at the time. Ryan transitioned to the tech world in 2013 when he founded his first startup, Fusar, a direct-to-consumer brand that developed tech-enabled safety products for the motorcycle market. As founder and CEO of Aether, he combines his passions for technology and jewelry with his personal mission to help solve the climate crisis. In his free time, Ryan can be found riding his motorcycle, teaching his dog new tricks, and spending time with his family.
Dan Wojno, Co-Founder and COO of Aether, has more than a decade of experience in jewelry manufacturing and product development. Dan’s jewelry career has taken him around the globe - it began in New York City, working for David Yurman, where he worked closely with Mr. Yurman to bring his designs to life and developed the $10 million Labyrinth collection — D.Y.’s largest to date. After three years in the NYC HQ, Dan moved to Bangkok, Thailand to setup David Yurman’s Asia operations. After DY Dan has served as Director of Advance Quality with Pandora in Bangkok, where he managed an international team of 60 and was responsible for the success of all new product launches. After that, Dan was tapped to be Head of Group Quality at Pandora’s global H.Q. in Copenhagen, Denmark. Dan holds a Masters of Engineering and Management from Case Western Reserve University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University. After nearly seven years abroad, Dan is thrilled to be back in the U.S. with his wife and dog and welcoming his first child in 2021.
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Music credit:
Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
