About Us
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Dr. Tolefree has dedicated over three decades to community program development, providing educational leadership to children, parents, and educators across pre-k to post-secondary settings. ​​​​Dr. Tolefree is the Founder and CEO of Koinonia Leadership Academy, LLC where she implements her Restorative Practices Engagement Circle Framework™ (Tolefree, 2015) in a variety of community settings. Restorative practices, are rooted in Indigenous ways of being that emphasizes building meaningful relationships, repairing harm, and valuing all voices and perspectives. Through Koinonia Leadership Academy, she provides leadership development with relationship building, strategic planning, restorative practices consulting, coaching, mentoring, training, and implementation. Dr. Tolefree believes education is a human right and should occur in safe, inclusive and empathetic environments. ​She specializes in school-based restorative practices to improve school climate and transform punitive educational practices into restorative and healing spaces.
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​​​Dr. Tolefree is involved in a number of Restorative Practices initiatives focusing on healing, youth development, social, racial, and educational justice. Dr. Tolefree is the Founder and Executive Director of Empowered To Be Me! girls leadership institute. She developed the Youth Restorative Justice Disposition Program (YRJDP) framework. She manages and delivers the YRJDP in collaboration with Restorative Justice Community Action in Hennepin County serving youth ages 14-18 who have been assigned supervised probation. YRJDP partners with Community Circle Keepers to engage in restorative processes with youth and family through their journey. The YRJDP provides an opportunity for youth, families, community and the court system to engage in meaningful ways to center youth and family voice in the decision-making process.
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In response to concern that parents and educators expressed about the underrepresentation of Black children in books, Dr. Tolefree developed Sankofa Moments Publishing and authored her first children’s books in 2020 "Grandma Sankofa's House" and since then has created "Dr. Tolefree's Black Children's Book Collection."
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Dr. Tolefree believes relational leadership is essential for building sustainable and effective organizational infrastructures, leading to positive outcomes for students, families, and communities. As a first-generation college graduate, she is committed to supporting underserved and underrepresented children, families, and the organizations that serve them in their journey toward social, racial, and educational justice. She holds a Doctor of Ministry in Organizational Leadership from Bethel Seminary. Dr. Tolefree is the recipient of the Minnesota African American Heritage Calendar Award, Lola M. Parker Business Woman of the Year Achievement Award, Bethel University’s Excellence in Management Award and Bethel University’s Reconciliation Award.
​Inspired by the necessity for relational leadership, Koinonia Leadership Academy, LLC believes in creating spaces and practices that value relationships. We advocate for time to develop meaningful relationships. Leading through restorative relationships empowers leaders with crucial insights, enabling them to make informed decisions that transform the status quo and positions their teams and communities for more effective leadership.