What’s in a Name?

Sankofa is a West African proverb that loosely translates to “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” For our company, Sankofa refers to the importance of knowing where we have come from in order to know where we are going. We believe our ancestors and the lessons of generations before us help to serve as a guide to a successful future through wisdom about the past.

Who We Are

Sankofa Educational Consulting was founded by Alexandra Hill in 2020. To provide a brief professional overview, Alex began her career as a special education teacher and case manager for students with significant cognitive impairments. After completing her Masters in Social Work, she took on additional responsibility as a teacher leader and pioneer in racial equity work before DEI became a common “buzz word.” She completed 3 years of extensive training with Pacific Educational Group in order to become a Beyond Diversity facilitator and also worked directly with the Superintendent and the Director of Equity in her school district to create, implement, and evaluate a variety of racial equity initiatives. Additionally, she served as an equity liaison to the teacher’s union to advocate for the rights and well-being of staff members of color.

After leaving the classroom, Alex worked as a Social Emotional Learning Specialist for Chicago Public Schools, where she continued to prioritize equity work while supporting a network of 18 elementary schools, serving approximately 12,000 students in the Austin and Belmont-Cragin neighborhoods on the city’s west side. As a regional administrator, she consulted with principals, coached teachers/staff, and worked with school-based teams in order to build supportive and inclusive school cultures, create sustainable and equitable structures, promote restorative discipline practices, and support students’ social/emotional development through the use of evidence-based interventions. In 2021, Alex moved briefly to Detroit and switched over to non-profit management as the Director of Digital Equity and Inclusion Initiatives for United Way of Southeastern Michigan. She relocated back to Chicago in 2022 and served as the Director of Equity for Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) until Winter 2024. In this role, she managed a team of DEI practitioners, and led DEI initiatives across the organization, including cultural competency education, equitable hiring practices, equitable policies and practices, and systemic change initiatives. She also served as Interim Organizational Development Director at PPIL and managed leadership coaching & development across the organization, organizational efficiency efforts and employee engagement initiatives, as well as organizational strategic planning, change management, and organizational program evaluation. In Spring 2025, Alex ventured into private practice and now serves as a psychotherapist with Aria counseling, where she conducts individual and family counseling sessions.

Alex believes that building more equitable institutions is a moral imperative, which is how Sankofa Educational Consulting was born. Through consulting work, Alex and her team have been able to work with non-profits across the world to shift mindsets, raise racial consciousness, and build more equitable systems in a variety of settings.