Welcoming the Graduate School of Business’s MPhil Inclusive Innovation Students to RLabs
RLabs recently had the pleasure of hosting a lively group of students from the Graduate School of Business’s MPhil Inclusive Innovation program. Their visit turned out to be a fantastic day full of insightful conversations, interactive tours, and lots of learning.
The day kicked off with an engaging tour of the RLabs building, guided by Charlton, one of our enthusiastic RLabs champions. Unlike our usual site visits, this one was packed with opportunities to see our innovative projects up close and meet the people making them happen.
During the tour, the students met some of our key team members. Juliega, Head of the Skills Accelerator Programme, talked about our training and capacity-building efforts to empower people with new skills. Arantxa from RLabs Women shared how we support and uplift women in the community through innovation and entrepreneurship. Taryn from Training & Development highlighted the importance of digital skills in today’s tech-driven world. Charlton also represented the Yoma team, a platform focused on providing youth with growth opportunities. Chenique and Mareldia gave a sneak peek into the RLabs House—our cool Airbnb and art gallery. Excitingly, a student showed interest in helping us convert the art pieces into NFTs!
Next, Brendan and Allistair from our RLabs Web development and Design team introduced Klutch, a platform for local mechanics to access car parts online, enhancing their business reach. They’ve teamed up with Suburban Motors as their main supplier. We also had a team from Zlto present the great work they are doing and the launch of their latest and upgraded Zlto App.
Additionally, the visitors met the ReCha team, an environmental sustainability initiative that promotes both entrepreneurial opportunities for the local community while reducing the carbon footprint by establishing recycling as a standard practice. Zach and Craig Du Mont greeted the group and explained their business model and the expansion plans they hope to achieve in the coming years.
After the first part of the program, filled with insightful presentations and thought-provoking questions, our guests had built quite an appetite. They enjoyed delicious meals prepared by our amazing RLabs Cafe team.
Post-lunch, we gathered to hear Christine, the CEO of RLabs South Africa, share the inspiring RLabs story, its mission, and her personal journey of hope. This was followed by a dynamic panel discussion featuring Zach from ReCha, Chenique from RLabs House, and Anna from Zlto. They shared their experiences and insights on innovation, inclusive growth, and the challenges they face, with students asking thoughtful questions and sharing their perspectives.
The day wrapped up with a tour of the RLabs House, where we explored our art gallery and creative spaces. The gallery featured works from SethOne’s collection titled “It’s the Small Things.” Thereafter we bid farewell to our visitors in the hopes one day collaborating again.
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the exchange of knowledge and ideas between our RLabs champions and the visiting students. The inclusivity and active participation embodied the true spirit of RLabs. We believe these interactions not only enrich the students but also inspire our champions to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation.
We were thrilled to host the Graduate School of Business’s MPhil Inclusive Innovation students and look forward to more such collaborations in the future as we continue our journey of inclusive and impactful innovation.
