Top 25 Restorative
People Leaders to Watch 

1. Power Dynamics: Which of these three ideas stands out to you the most, and why? Cultural issues, Historical issues, Gender issues?

All three—cultural, historical, and gender issues—are important, but historical issues stand out the most to me. History sets the context for cultural and gender issues, and we can’t fully understand them without acknowledging the past. For instance, with reproductive rights, we must understand how laws and morality evolved over time. Even restorative justice draws from historical healing practices. Today, technology has made us more individualistic, so we need to rethink community by looking at history and how it shaped healing and connection.

2. Restorative Boundaries: In life, we engage new people all the time. Talk to me about your process for teaching others how to treat you. What boundaries do you set? How do you communicate your needs thoughtfully?

I believe in treating others how I want to be treated, but also how they want to be treated. This is the platinum rule—showing respect to others in the way they prefer. When someone crosses a boundary, I assume positive intent and address it directly but kindly. In meetings, for instance, if someone interrupts me, I’ll acknowledge their contribution and remind them I was speaking. It’s about setting boundaries respectfully, without creating drama, and modeling how you want to be treated.

3. Fun and DEI Engagement: How can incorporating fun and playful elements into our everyday lives at home and work build stronger relationships and more trust?

Play and fun are essential to life and work. DEI can feel heavy, but it can also be energizing. I find that celebrating cultural differences brings joy—learning about someone’s food, music, or religion is a fun, engaging way to build understanding. At home, I turned something simple like going for a walk with my nephew into a playful game. In the workplace, we incorporate walking meetings or light, fun moments. These activities spark creativity and strengthen relationships, which is key to achieving the learning we want in DEI.

4. Authenticity vs. Culture Fit: Leaders often emphasize authenticity. How can organizations create a culture where employees can be their authentic selves, even if it means using informal language, working from home, or avoiding daily office small talk? How does this align with ensuring a cohesive culture fit?

Company culture should be built on how we work, not on forcing people to fit a mold. Respect, curiosity, and accountability are core elements that shouldn’t clash with someone’s identity—whether it's language, appearance, or religion. It’s possible to have a shared goal while also celebrating individuality. Where we struggle is in judging others based on these superficial aspects. We need to practice not assigning value based on informal things like language or looks, and focus instead on how people contribute to the work.

5. Joy: Think about the times in your life when you were the most alive and engaged. Who and what were you focused on in those moments - on yourself or something bigger than yourself?

After years of being focused on my education, I found joy by taking dance classes just for fun, without any pressure to achieve something. It was freeing. However, most of my joy comes from sisterhood, like with my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. We do meaningful community work, but we also celebrate and support each other. One of our members even created the Black Girl Day of Play, where we just come together to play games and enjoy fellowship. It’s a reminder that joy and community care are as important as self-care.

1. Power Dynamics: Which of these three ideas stands out to you the most, and why? Cultural issues, Historical issues, Gender issues?

Juicy question! For me, it starts with culture. Culture weaves through every aspect of our lives, influencing how we relate to each other, how we understand our place in the world, and how we navigate both personal and professional spaces.

Culture is deeply intertwined with our identities, including race, ethnicity, ability, and more. When we notice and name dominant cultural norms, we often find that these norms benefit a select few, while harming so many others in any given context. Understanding cultural context helps us see the bigger picture, allowing us to address systemic inequalities with a more holistic and compassionate approach.

2. Restorative Boundaries: In life, we engage new people all the time. Talk to me about your process for teaching others how to treat you. What boundaries do you set? How do you communicate your needs thoughtfully?

Boundaries always start with self-compassion. This means I need to have enough love and regard for myself to clarify my needs, regardless of who I’m interacting with. Early in my career, I lacked boundaries (as many of us do), and it led to resentment, fear, and burnout. Then, in 2017, I had my first daughter, and realized I ain’t got time or energy for all that. I realized I owe it to myself, and those around me, to state my needs clearly. If something didn’t sit right, I named it sooner than later, so it didn’t fester and grow into something that felt impossible to address. And more often than not, folks appreciate the honesty and it strengthens our relationship.

People can only meet us as deeply as we’ve met ourselves. In order to have fulfilling relationships, we need to be honest with ourselves and one another about what we need, what we’re noticing, and how we can make it right.

Check out my book chapter, Accountability Through Restorative Dialogue in Racial Justice at Work to hear my story and learn tangible dialogue models for boundary-setting.

3. Fun and DEI Engagement: How can incorporating fun and playful elements into our everyday lives at home and work build stronger relationships and more trust?

There is so much freedom when we can let go of needing to be in control. To have genuine fun requires risking looking “uncool,” and I’m all for it, especially in our line of work. In fact, I believe we have a responsibility to bring more joy into our work wherever possible, so we can remember why we’re doing this in the first place.

I’m about as serious as they come. I think, write, and feel deeply about social issues, about the people near and far who matter to me. I’m an empath to my core, and have experienced many seasons of compassion fatigue and secondary trauma. Because of these experiences, I have given myself permission for levity. In fact, it’s the very thing I’m fighting to preserve—a world where we can still laugh, still find joy, still feel the lightness of being.

When I have the audacity to have fun in my work, I give others permission to do the same. I have noticed this is what builds stronger relationships and more trust in the long run.

4. Authenticity vs. Culture Fit: Leaders often emphasize authenticity. How can organizations create a culture where employees can be their authentic selves, even if it means using informal language, working from home, or avoiding daily office small talk? How does this align with ensuring a cohesive culture fit?

Ah, authenticity vs. culture fit—it’s a delicate balance, but here’s the thing: the more we focus on culture “fit,” the more we risk creating an environment of sameness, where people feel like they need to conform to a certain mold. I think organizations thrive when people can be their whole, authentic selves. That means showing up how they feel most comfortable, whether that’s using informal language, working remotely, or skipping the office chit-chat.

Authenticity doesn’t have to clash with cohesion. In fact, when people feel safe enough to be themselves, it creates a much stronger foundation for trust and connection. Teams become more cohesive because they’re real with each other—there’s no pretense, no need to hide behind a professional mask. And that, in turn, drives creativity and innovation.

So, it’s less about forcing people to fit into a culture and more about shaping a culture where everyone fits naturally, as they are. The key is creating that psychological safety where people know they’re valued for their differences, not in spite of them. And when that happens, cohesion is the natural result.

5. Joy: Think about the times in your life when you were the most alive and engaged. Who and what were you focused on in those moments - on yourself or something bigger than yourself?

For me, true joy is fueled by being part of a collective united around common values (oftentimes freedom, love, justice, and healing). Most recently, I became a certified yoga instructor with the non-profit Peace in Practice. The program is trauma-informed, and aims to expand access to BIPOC communities in the Twin Cities. We have become a tight-knit community, gathering weekly for guided practice and catching up (we even started a game night)!

I am most alive when I’m fully present with my daughters, looking deep into their curious eyes. I love having dance parties with them in the living room, going on bike rides, or discovering weird-looking bugs in nature. I love hiking mountains with my partner, cracking up with my best friends, and getting lost in a good novel.

When I can quiet the noise of comparison and urgency, and remember who I truly am, I feel deep, lasting joy from within. Singing, writing, and expressing myself will always be modalities that help me return to my most authentic self.

1. Power Dynamics: Which of these three ideas stands out to you the most, and why? Cultural issues, Historical issues, Gender issues?

They are all tied together, so what does stand out mean? they are so interconnected.

2. Restorative Boundaries: In life, we engage new people all the time. Talk to me about your process for teaching others how to treat you. What boundaries do you set? How do you communicate your needs thoughtfully?

I’m not sure I teach people how to treat me. I do expect respect, and with closer folks I expect care and compassion. Try to be a role model for others. Boundaries vary by person, especially around one’s personal life, and will change over time. Often there is no need to communicate your needs, they become understood through trusting relationships.

3. Fun and DEI Engagement: How can incorporating fun and playful elements into our everyday lives at home and work build stronger relationships and more trust?

Fun is key to life and especially so with children. A sense of humor is key to having fun and enjoying life. That requires some emotional intelligence and humility, all of which builds trust.

4. Authenticity vs. Culture Fit: Leaders often emphasize authenticity. How can organizations create a culture where employees can be their authentic selves, even if it means using informal language, working from home, or avoiding daily office small talk? How does this align with ensuring a cohesive culture fit?

Authenticity is key for leaders, which means they need to have integrity and build inclusion. Organizational culture needs to be flexible under the umbrella of the values of integrity and inclusion. An organization’s values are the foundation for culture. The UN recently updated their values – they now are Integrity, Inclusion, Humanity and Humility. Authenticity flows through these values, and they serve as a good starting point for any organization looking to articulate their values and culture.

5. Joy: Think about the times in your life when you were the most alive and engaged. Who and what were you focused on in those moments - on yourself or something bigger than yourself?

Certainly something bigger than oneself -- on other people and projects and principles that make the world a better place.