Renee Black is the founder of PeaceGeeks, a Canadian non-profit organization that helps grassroots non-profits to leverage web and mobile technology for promoting peace and human rights in developing and conflict-affected areas. Renee was inspired to start PeaceGeeks through her experiences connecting with grassroots groups working to advance peace and human rights, who often lacked basic tools to increase the visibility of the issues and strengthen their impact. She realized that skilled volunteers in areas like technology, design and communications, were passionate about contributing their skills and time to help these organizations to succeed, but didn’t know where to get started. Their new open-source platform, Amani, will help partners to rapidly deploy new responsive websites, and collect and map critical issues affecting their communities. Renee previously worked as an IT Project Manager in the private sector, and later as a Policy Analyst for the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UN Women. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity South Africa on their ICT strategy, and interned in Vanuatu to help bridge the digital divide between the developed and developing world. Renee holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) from Dalhousie University (1999) and a Masters of Public and International Affairs (Honors) from the University of Ottawa (2009).
