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Khalilah Olokunola “KO” was born and raised in Brooklyn NY.  She spent much of her teens active on the streets of Brooklyn and Troy NY with what many view as the cities’ most notorious street gangs—Bloods, Crips and Folks.  She eventually faced the consequences of her activities and lost her name for 4-years to a Department of Corrections number.

 

Throughout it all, KO remained adamant about the importance of education in her life, and spent nights imagining the American dream she saw on TV.  It didn't include a picket fence, but instead her dream was an opportunity to impact the lives of others. KO attended college both in NYC & NC and has also completed open coursework at M.I.T uLab & Harvard University on Entrepreneurship, Leading from the Emerging Future & Deliberations of Social Change .

 

Today KO is Chief People Officer for TRU Colors , where she is the force behind defining a company culture that drives both personal and professional growth. She is also responsible for training & development | hiring & firing and strategically creating systems & processes to unite gang rivals . KO is a passionate advocate for a community centric culture, workplace diversity, inclusion, and second-chance hiring.  In her “free time”, she  is also an accomplished author, speaker and personal core coach.