Rene Payne is an award-winning designer, creative director, strategist, and educator whose career is grounded in the belief that design can create value, build connections, and advance meaningful change. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Rene built her career in senior creative leadership roles at leading Boston agencies, developing brand and communications programs across corporate and business-to-business sectors. She later founded Favor, leading strategy, identity, and communications for Fortune 500 companies, educational and cultural institutions, and community organizations nationally and globally.

Today, as founder and Creative Director of included, Rene leads a multidisciplinary design and communications studio built on long-term partnerships and a commitment to advancing social, economic, and equitable visions. Her practice spans brand identity, digital experiences, publications, environmental design, and creative strategy, using design to connect our histories and current events to the realities shaping our lives and communities.

Rene is also a respected critic in RISD’s Graphic Design department and speaks nationally on design, culture, leadership, and social impact. The first African American woman inducted into the Rhode Island Design Hall of Fame, she continues to use design to deepen human connection, expand understanding, and create thoughtful responses to the evolving needs of people, communities, and our world.