Khalilah “KO” Olokunola is a senior director in the Center for Justice & Economic Advancement at JFF. She collaborates with state and community organizations and employers to enhance nationwide employment prospects for people with criminal records. Olokunola leads strategy for fair chance employer initiatives and is also a lead facilitator for the Center for Justice & Economic Advancement’s Fair Chance Corporate Cohort. 

Her skills and areas of expertise include:  

• Curricula creation for people reentering the community after incarceration 
• Fair chance strategy and implementation 
• Human resources and people strategies 
• Developing equity, inclusion, and belonging frameworks  
• Cultural competence and transformation for teams 

Before joining JFF, Olokunola was chief people officer at TRU Colors, a for-profit brewery aiming to unite gang rivals and reduce community violence.   She is the author of “Do Recruit: How to find and keep great people,” based on her time hiring former gang members. In her book, she outlines her approach to “whole-person recruitment” and looking beyond the resume when recruiting talent. 

Educational background:  

• Graduate studies in industrial and organizational psychology and divinity, Liberty University and North Carolina Theological Seminary  
• Advanced certifications in talent optimization strategy, human resources, workforce development, psychological first aid, and peer counseling