About Gem Box Studio

Gem Box Studio is led by Ruth Samuelson, a New York City-based communications leader with 15 years of experience and a strong track record of stewarding an organization’s identity.

While working in independent schools during the pandemic, Ruth recognized a significant gap: Because schools were focused on strategic communications to keep their communities safe, open, and informed, they were forced to deprioritize storytelling that highlighted their academic and programmatic strengths. Gem Box Studio was created to fill that gap.

Today, the studio specializes in contemporary storytelling with an emphasis on market research, new platforms, video, social media, and interactive materials that bring a school’s identity to life—think coloring books, games, and collaborative projects that celebrate a school community’s unique character. We also love developing merch and dynamic websites.

Over the past 12 years, Ruth has held full-time roles or completed project-based contracts for numerous schools, including Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, Cornell Tech, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Masters School, Metropolitan Montessori School, Pratt Institute, The San Francisco Day School, The Spence School, The Town School, and many more.

She has also branched out into working with synagogues. And having worked in a Montessori school for more than five years, she has a special love for preschools.

Projects are executed with talented collaborators—some of whom are listed below—bringing varied expertise to each project.