MEET THE FTJCO TEAM

CAD DESIGNER & SALES PROFESSIONAL

SYDNEY ABRAM

Sydney earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours at York University. After graduation she pursued an interest in alternative fashion and produced large jewellery pieces and accessories for international fashion shows, photoshoots and magazines. These interests drew her to complete an Advanced Diploma at George Brown College in Jewellery Arts, refining her skills in goldsmithing and design. She began her official jewellery career as a goldsmith in a mass production jewellery company. Her ability to identify emerging trends, and constant design suggestions lead her to transition to the design team where she learned how to use 3D design and rendering Matrix CAD software. Sydney began working at FTJCo in Fall of 2017, but relocated to British Columbia in 2018 to marry and start a family. She is thrilled to have recently returned full-time, dividing her skills between meeting with clients for design consultations and rendering the Made To Order pieces for the website.

sydney@ftjco.com

BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER

CHRISTINE CUFF

Christine has been with FTJCo since its inception and has helped FTJCo weather the early, challenging years to our continued rapid growth and expansion. She manages finance, shipping & inventory (all remotely) from her home in rural Newfoundland, where she lives with her husband and young children.

christine@ftjco.com

HEAD OF PRODUCTION + GOLDSMITH

KESHA FRANK

Kesha is an Australian-Canadian goldsmith and gem setter. She is the General Manager and Head of Production for FTJCo. In addition to her production responsibilities, she is also the lead for policy & governance. Kesha has been a panellist at the OECD conference on responsible minerals and has worked with the Canadian NGO, IMPACT, on gender issues related to small-scale miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

kesha@ftjco.com

GOLDSMITH, LEAD RESEARCHER (MARKETING & INSIGHTS)

ISABEL GERTLER

Isabel Gertler has a bachelor's degree in Anthropology with a minor in Fine Art from Mount Allison University, and a master's degree in Anthropology from the University of Cambridge. She spent several years working in market research, then enrolled in the Jewellery Arts program at George Brown College after developing a passion for jewellery making. At George Brown, Isabel won six end-of-year prizes, and was named the 2018 Valedictorian of George Brown's Centre for Art, Design, and Information Technology. Isabel's previous experience includes an internship at Page Sargisson Jewelry in Brooklyn, NY, and a prestigious summer residency at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. In addition to goldsmithing, Isabel draws on her previous experience to spearhead research at FTJCo, and makes up one half of the company’s marketing team.

isabel@ftjco.com

LEAD ART DESIGNER

KRISTIN INGLESE

Kristin completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at OCAD University and held a volunteer position at the AGO. She went on to complete an Advanced Diploma in Jewellery Arts and started her own line of jewellery with some editorial success, being featured in Nylon Magazine, Into the Gloss, and Cosmopolitan, among others. Kristin went on to complete a Certificate in Graphic Design from George Brown College to aid in her day-to-day work at FTJCo. She is now working towards fluency in Italian and an MFA in Illustration & Graphic Design.

kristin@ftjco.com

HEAD OF RETAIL SALES

NICOLETTE KEMP

Born and raised in Toronto, Nicolette holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo. Her artistic background drew her to FTJCo due to her appreciation for everything artisanal, but it was her customer service experience that made her part of the team. Over the years Nicolette has grown to view customer service as going beyond giving the customer precisely what they are looking for. This means providing a well-rounded experience and servicing their needs in a way they may not have known they needed. Being in a role that allows her to have a meaningful impact on clients as well as participate in a socially and environmentally conscious business is the best of both worlds to her.

nicolette@ftjco.com

LEAD DESIGNER

KATHLEEN KERR

Kathleen Kerr is an award-winning graduate of the Jewellery Arts program at George Brown College. After finishing an Interior Design diploma at Humber College, she craved a more focused and hands-on approach to bringing design to life which led her to the George Brown Jewellery program where she finally found her passion, training as a goldsmith. After graduation, Kathleen received advanced level training in gemsetting and Matrix CAD software, which allows her to use her love of precision and problem-solving in the digital construction of FTJCo’s designs. Kathleen won the AGTA Spectrum Gem Diva award for bridal in 2020.

kathleen@ftjco.com

Video Content Creator 

MADELEINE YORKE GAMBHIR

Madeleine Yorke Gambhir joined the sales and customer service team at FTJCo in 2017. Since then she has taken on work in advertising, videoediting, and keeping the website up to date. She is dedicated to working with clients on finding the perfect ring that will fit their ethics and their budget.

madeleine@ftjco.com

CO-FOUNDER, CEO

ROBIN GAMBHIR

Robin Gambhir is FTJCo’s co-founder and manages finance, governance, technology and sourcing. Robin’s varied experience ranges from working as a software developer with Apple, to a writer for the National Post newspaper. He has spent twenty-five years in the wholesale gem trade. Robin also holds an M.A. in Literature from the University of Toronto.

robin@ftjco.com