Ebony Oyedokun is the Founder and Executive Director of Urban Breakthrough Enterprises, Inc. Ebony is originally from Lawton, Oklahoma. She attended and graduated from Oklahoma State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Master of Arts in Public Administration/Political Science. She has worked in the education field for over 6 years. First, as a Researcher for Austin Interfaith for 2 years and as a GEAR UP Project Facilitator for 41/2 years.
Ebony Oyedokun started Urban Breakthrough Enterprises, Inc. in August of 2000. It started with a vision of creating an organization that would empower at-risk youth and female ex-offenders to be successful, productive citizens.

She wanted to:

• Improve student learning.
• Increase the number of at-risk middle school students who are prepared for high school and post-secondary education.
• Increase awareness of financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
• Reduce retention rates.
• Increase parental involvement.
• Promote self-sufficiency.
• Prevent juvenile and adult crime and recidivism.
• Provide services and access to services to local and statewide low-income communities such as education workshops, tutoring, literacy, computer training, career counseling and employment services, business and community resources, entrepreneurship, mentoring, and cultural events.
• Increase the number of trained minorities to meet the growing demand for skill workers.
• Offer a positive outlet for at-risk youth to express themselves and achieve their highest potential.
• Provide mentoring to connect clients with positive role models.
• Develop projects that raise cultural, minority business, and educational awareness.
• Provide quality educational, economic, and personal development activities, workshops, and exhibitions.
• Significantly reduce the occurrence of youth dropping-out.
• Decrease recidivism in juvenile crime and female crime.
• Prevent delinquency and criminal behavior before it occurs.
• Enhance youth’s self-esteem, sense of responsibility, relationship skills, and ability to solve conflicts non-violently.
• Increase the amount of social and community support through mentoring.
• Help increase access to technology and decrease the digital divide.