Shane, Rachel & Jesse
The Clarity Project was founded in 2009 by three young, socially aware entrepreneurs from the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains: Shane Rogers, Rachel Lichte, and Jesse Finfrock.
Shane has a passion for designing innovative products and processes to improve people’s quality of life. Shane’s background in engineering and design is what gave him the vision for a more efficient and fairly sourced supply chain for diamonds. Most recently, Shane took on a position as a professor at Santa Clara University allowing him to share his do-no-harm ethic and problem-solving spirit with future entrepreneurs. When he's not designing rings or partnering with new non-profits, Shane will be outdoors exploring California’s beautiful beaches in the summer and snowy mountains in the winter.
Rachel believes firmly in the power that consumers have to change how companies behave. After earning degrees in anthropology, film and digital media at UC Santa Cruz, she worked in San Francisco as a brand strategist and design researcher at brand innovation firm BBMG, and insights consultancy, Bagatto. A California native, Rachel is exploring the American south, pursuing joint MBA and Master of Environmental Management degrees at Duke University. When she's not in diamond mines or sharing The Clarity Project story, she enjoys running, riding her bike and trying to find great vegetarian food in the south.
Jesse sees amazing potential in social enterprises. He brings fresh legal thinking, media savvy, and an understanding of Fair Trade principles and systems. Jesse attends UC Berkeley Law School, where he founded the Social Enterprise Project to help address legal issues facing social entrepreneurs. With a degree in anthropology from UC Santa Cruz, Jesse has studied and worked around the world, including with Fair Trade USA, EarthJustice, KQED public radio, Mother Jones, and The Daily Journal. When he is not studying for law exams or arguing for the benefits of social enterprises, Jesse may be jamming at the local old-timey session or fly fishing in the backcountry.
Featured Designer
John Doty
John is a native San Franciscan and a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Following a rewarding career in the investment real estate industry, John has successfully transitioned into the career of his true life’s passion: creating innovative, cutting-edge products that deliver value, intuitive continuity, and delight to the user. John recently earned a degree in Industrial Design from San Jose State University. When not obsessing over his designs, John enjoys photography, cycling, and building or fixing things in his workshop.