Malyia McNaughton Heads New BIJC Education Fund

By Karen Dybis | May 08, 2025

The Black in Jewelry Coalition (BIJC) has established the BIJC Education Fund, to help build learning and apprenticeship opportunities in the jewelry industry for youth and underserved communities.

BIJC also announced that it has a new president: Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez, head of North American development for the Responsible Jewellery Council. “As the founding vice president of BIJC, it’s an incredible honor to now serve as president as we enter this exciting next chapter,” Jenkins-Pérez said in a statement. “From the beginning, BIJC has been about building something bigger than ourselves.”

Malyia McNaughton, immediate past president of BIJC, is heading its new Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization. The fund will support programs that boost mentorship, educational access, and career opportunities in jewelry, such as the Future Jewelers Academy, which serves high schools including the Brooklyn STEAM Center in New York City and Baldwin High School@Shubert on Long Island.

McNaughton, jewelry designer for the Made by Malyia brand, is a GIA Graduate Gemologist and advocate for education and equity. She has a background in philanthropy and workforce development, including service with AmeriCorps and Club Esteem.

“The jewelry industry is at a critical crossroads,” McNaughton said in a statement. “With thousands of skilled bench jeweler positions going unfilled, we’re witnessing a growing gap that threatens the future of American craftsmanship.

“As traditional training pipelines disappear and fewer young professionals enter the trade, our foundation is committed to addressing this labor shortage head-on, by investing in education, apprenticeship programs, and workforce development that will sustain and strengthen the industry for generations to come.”

In addition to McNaughton as president, the BIJC Education Fund’s board of directors includes Adrianne Sonogo, jewelry journalist, as VP, and Lisa Jones, vice president of human resources at GIA, as secretary. Jenkins-Pérez and Reggie Johnson, chief talent and inclusion officer for Signet Jewelers, are also members of the Education Fund board of directors.

Jones is secretary of the BIJC board of directors, Johnson serves as its nominations chair, and Sonogo is education chair. Other officers on the BIJC board are Nellie Barnett, founder of Nellsbells Fitness (communications chair); Thomas Davis, head of merchandising and business development at Select Jewelry (sponsorship chair); and Donovan Tomlinson, CPA, of Sax LLP (treasurer).

Founded in August 2020, BIJC is the first nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of Black professionals in the gem, jewelry, and watch industry. Jenkins-Pérez said in a statement that her BIJC leadership will continue the New York City-based organization’s focus on education, industry transformation, and community building.

“Our theme for this year, ‘Rooted in Community, Rising Together,’ reflects the legacy we’ve built and the future we are shaping. I’m committed to continuing our mission of advancing equity, opportunity, and representation across the gem, jewelry, and watch industry,” said Jenkins-Pérez.

The BIJC board of directors also includes Jenkins-Pérez; McNaughton; Miya Owens, corporate counsel at Amazon; Lisette Scott, founder of jewelry brand Jam+Rico; jewelry designer Jeffery Bolling; and Pat Dambe, director of marketing and brand development at the Botswana Ministry of Minerals and Energy.

Top: Malyia McNaughton and Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez (photo courtesy of the Black in Jewelry Coalition)