Draft:Rene Parker
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Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. Yourbaekeke (talk) 12:52, 19 June 2025 (UTC)
René Parker
[edit]René Parker is a South African social entrepreneur and the co-founder and current Global Director of Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs), an organization that uses technology and innovation to promote community empowerment. RLabs operates in over 24 countries and has reached 65 million of people worldwide.
Career
[edit]Parker co-founded RLabs in Cape Town, South Africa, focusing on rebuilding communities through digital innovation, education, and entrepreneurship. RLabs delivers programs centered on youth development, social innovation, and the incubation of grassroots enterprises. The organization has gained international recognition for its work in community upliftment, particularly among youth and women.
She has been involved in initiatives such as RLabs Women, aimed at supporting women-led innovation, and Junk.fund, an investment and mentorship program for early-stage social ventures.
Parker’s work extends to supporting youth in acquiring digital skills, establishing community innovation labs, and expanding the RLabs model across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Global influence and mentorship
[edit]Parker is recognized internationally for her contributions to digital inclusion, youth empowerment, and social innovation. She has served as a regional judge for the Africa Business Heroes competition, an initiative by the Jack Ma Foundation supporting African entrepreneurs.
She is also a mentor on the VC4A (Venture Capital for Africa) Mentorship Marketplace, where she supports early-stage social entrepreneurs.
Parker frequently participates as a speaker and facilitator at conferences addressing social entrepreneurship, youth technology inclusion, and women-led innovation.
Awards and recognition
[edit]- 2022 Social Innovator of the Year, awarded by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship for her contributions to social innovation.
- Recognized by the World Economic Forum as a global leader in innovation and inclusive development.
Selected initiatives
[edit]- RLabs Capital – A fund supporting early-stage social enterprises emerging from the RLabs ecosystem.
- RLabs Women – An initiative focused on empowering women to lead in technology and social entrepreneurship.
- Junk.fund – An investment fund providing micro-capital to unconventional social ventures.
- GrowEvolution (RLabs Tanzania) – A program supporting young innovators and changemakers in Tanzania.
- Techbuild Africa Advisory Board – Parker serves as an advisor contributing to the African tech-for-impact ecosystem.
External links
[edit]- RLabs Official Website: https://www.rlabs.org
- RLabs Capital: https://rlabscapital.com
- RLabs Blog – Year of Actionable Influence: https://blog.rlabs.org
- World Economic Forum Profile: https://www.weforum.org/people/rene-parker/
- VC4A Mentorship Profile: https://mentors.vc4a.com/profiles/rene-parker/
- LinkedIn Profile: https://za.linkedin.com/in/reneparkerrlabs
References
[edit]- World Economic Forum profile[1]
- European Sting article[2]
- VC4A Mentor profile[3]
- Pioneers Post Schwab Foundation award[4]
- LinkedIn profile[5]
- AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2024[6]
- Techbuild Africa advisory announcement[7]
- RLabs Capital portfolio[8]
- ^ https://www.weforum.org/people/rene-parker/
- ^ https://europeansting.com/2024/06/04/this-is-how-we-empower-the-next-generation-of-social-innovators/
- ^ https://mentors.vc4a.com/profiles/rene-parker/
- ^ https://www.pioneerspost.com/news-views/20220118/schwab-foundation-announces-its-2022-social-innovators-of-the-year
- ^ https://za.linkedin.com/in/reneparkerrlabs
- ^ https://www.afrilabs.com
- ^ https://techbuild.africa
- ^ https://rlabscapital.com