Raquel Wilson

With a career spanning nearly two decades, Raquel Wilson is a dynamic advocate for equitable and sustainable communities. A licensed REALTOR® serving global real estate investors, she is also the CEO of Africa Means Business, a business advisory firm helping companies navigate the continent's rapidly expanding economies, the Founder of Gather, a leadership accelerator for women disrupting the world, and the Managing Partner of Utopia Capital Partners, a real estate investment firm.As Managing Partner of Utopia Capital Partners, Raquel leads strategic real estate investments that merge innovation, sustainability, and premium hospitality. Committed to long-term impact, Utopia develops high-value properties that enhance communities through eco-conscious design, smart urban planning, and transformative experiences.Raquel has managed complex, multi-partner, international development projects across the public, private, and social sectors. As a former Diplomat with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, she led the launch of the first online platform for monitoring hate crimes. She has also supported Senegal’s National Office of Sanitation in increasing visibility and investment for critical infrastructure projects.At the African Development Bank, Raquel played a pivotal role in strategic communications for major initiatives, including the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund and the 17th Replenishment of the African Development Fund. As part of the Bank's External Relations and Communications Department, she led social media engagement for the 2023 Africa Climate Summit and the African Emergency Food Production Facility.Specializing in creating communication strategies that both inform and inspire behavior change, Raquel contributed to the Federal Government of Somalia’s reconciliation efforts as Head of Strategic Communications for the Somalia Stabilization Initiative. There, she designed and implemented a USAID-funded radio program connecting women in rural Somalia with essential government services.

From 2006-2022, Raquel remained on UNICEF’s global consultant roster, advising on digital strategy for regional and country offices across Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, and North America.Her private sector expertise includes sourcing and evaluating high-growth investment opportunities within African tech ecosystems for Roselake Ventures, a Hong Kong-based venture fund.As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Senegal’s Dakar Farmers Market, Raquel championed a community-centered approach to economic growth for local food producers. She also co-founded Jetstream Africa, an Accra-based supply chain platform simplifying export logistics for African suppliers, and mentored technology startups at MEST Africa, a pan-African business incubator preparing entrepreneurs for investment.As Co-Editor of No Tees Please: Why Africa Aid Campaigns #FAIL, a crowdsourced inquiry into the practices of disadvantageous aid campaigns, she managed Social Media Week Lagos’ #55FORWARD initiative, bringing together ambassadors from 55 African nations to discuss how they use social media to meet the needs of a growing youth population.Raquel holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Imperial College London, where her studies focused on strategies that balance people, planet, and profits, as well as a Bachelor of Science in New Media from Indiana University. She has also completed the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s training for African Women Investors.Renowned for her ability to build meaningful connections across her expansive network, Raquel is passionate about amplifying diverse voices in culturally considerate climate change conversations and mentoring young women in discovering themselves unapologetically.