CASE STUDY
Akoben LLC
Project: Restorative Circle Process Design & Facilitation for International Non-Profit
About Akoben LLC
​Akoben's mission is to lead in the struggle to positively transform how organizations serve young people through connection and challenge. Founded by Dr. Abdul-Malik Muhammad, Akoben specializes in relational practices—restorative, trauma-informed, and equity-centered—woven together into a coherent, outcome-based process. The company trains, coaches, and consults organizations committed to cultivating belonging and increasing accountability for youth who are often marginalized and struggling in school and community settings. Akoben also works with organizations around leadership development, conflict resolution, and facilitation.
Why Akoben partnered with Consult with Malene:
Akoben was approached by an international non-profit to address critical organizational challenges during a prolonged restructuring period. The client was experiencing significant challenges from over a year of ongoing restructuring, job losses, and organizational instability, and wanted to create a space for voice as well as wellbeing for their team members. Akoben recognized that this situation required specialized expertise in restorative circle facilitation to provide a safe space for asking hard questions, holding space for emotional resilience and grief, and managing the difficulty of uncertainty. They needed a thought partner who could design and lead a comprehensive process that would support the team through this challenging period.
The process
Working as a subcontractor with Akoben, we led the comprehensive design and implementation of a year-long restorative circle intervention for their client organization. Recognizing that organizations serving vulnerable populations require internally stable and connected teams, we developed a carefully structured approach to address the complex emotional and relational impacts of prolonged organizational change.
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Our leadership responsibilities included:
Comprehensive Process Design
Skilled Facilitation
Continuous Assessment and Adaptation
Comprehensive Documentation
Strategic Integration
We created a tailored framework for restorative circles specifically designed to address organizational challenges during restructuring, incorporating trauma-informed principles appropriate for mission-driven teams. We coordinated closely with the program teams at the client organization to develop the session design that would best serve their specific needs and context.
Over the course of a year, we facilitated approximately 10 restorative circles, each strategically planned to provide safe spaces for staff to have voice, ask hard questions, and process the emotional complexity of organizational uncertainty and change.
Throughout the intervention, we continuously evaluated the team's evolving needs and adapted the circle process accordingly, ensuring each session provided the support and space-holding that participants needed during this challenging period.
We provided detailed reporting and debriefing after each circle, tracking the impact of providing safe spaces for voice and wellbeing. These reports informed Akoben's ongoing client support and organizational development recommendations.
We worked closely with Akoben's team to ensure the restorative circle process integrated seamlessly with their broader consulting approach, providing insights that enhanced their overall client engagement strategy.
The results
The collaboration between Akoben and Consult with Malene successfully supported the international non-profit through a critical period of organizational challenge and uncertainty. Through 10 thoughtfully designed and facilitated restorative circles, we provided safe spaces for staff to have voice, ask hard questions, and build emotional resilience while managing the difficulty of uncertainty during prolonged organizational restructuring.
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The intervention created meaningful support for staff wellbeing and provided valuable space-holding during a challenging transition period. The client organization benefited from having dedicated time and space to process the emotional complexity of change, while the success of this engagement enhanced Akoben's reputation and capability in supporting organizations through difficult transitions using restorative practices.
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Beyond immediate support for the client, the project equipped both the international non-profit and Akoben with deeper understanding of how restorative practices can provide essential support during organizational uncertainty. The collaboration showcased the power of combining Akoben's expertise in relational practices with specialized facilitation skills to create supportive spaces for navigating organizational change.
What Akoben says
"Malene's expertise in restorative circle design and facilitation was exactly what our client needed during their most difficult period. This collaboration exemplifies the kind of thought partnership that strengthens our mission to transform how organizations serve their communities."
Dr. Abdul-Malik Muhammad
Founder & CEO, Akoben LLC