“THE URBAN LEADERSHIP LAB™: FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTS FOR OUR YOUTH TO CONNECT, EXPLORE, AND IGNITE THEIR POTENTIAL!”

“Hello, and welcome to The Urban Leadership Lab™.  My name is T.J. Breeden and I’m the Founder & Executive Director of eMerging Entrepreneurs, Inc.; a 501(c)(3) non-profit provider of entrepreneurship and economic development services, catered to military, minority, and socially disadvantaged communities.  On behalf of our sponsors and planning committee, I would like to thank you for your interest in our youth development program.  The Urban Leadership Lab™ is a tech and startup incubator; providing young people (K-12) with access to the kinds of resources that will advance their capacity to do (and become) their best!  Our program brings together non-profits, community & faith leaders, industry executives, university personnel, and volunteers to introduce creative ways of engaging our community’s under-served youth.  Just as our non-profit organization uses Entrepreneurship as a pathway for community development, our lab aims to surround young people with startup tools, leadership training, and community service opportunities; all in an effort to help our teens unlock the full range of their potential!  Not only were we selected to contribute to the “Computer Science for All” campaign (launched in coordination with the Obama Administration’s 2016 STEM education initiative) as one of its ongoing service organizations, but we’ve also joined forces with EdX, The Emily Krzyzewski Center, The LEGO Foundation, Infinite Scholars, and others to offer a productive & safe environment for kids to explore their creativity. Programs include:

1. STEM programs, ranging from LEGO robotics education to an online coding academy;
2. Online & classroom-style entrepreneurship courses that introduce young people to the core functions of business development;
3. EdX courses from Harvard, Microsoft, MIT, and other institutions in disciplines ranging from mobile app development to leadership;
4. Group achievement, mentorship, and community service programs; and
5. Monthly learning labs, designed to help our young people fully envision themselves in positions of leadership!”

“Like others in our servicing portfolio, the focus of this project is to support the needs of local communities that have suffered (and in many cases continue to suffer) disproportionately in terms of access to economic opportunity.  In 2012, our team was honored to receive the White House’s “Champions of Change” award (in conjunction with President Obama’s “Winning the Future” initiative) for our organization’s commitments to providing career reintegration services to vets and military spouses. Similarly, our staff has committed itself to the work of uplifting our youth; many of which (not unlike myself as a teen) may find themselves at a point where they are struggling to identify and define the broadness of their own intellectual and social potential. The term ‘lab’ is synonymous with environments that foster groundbreaking advancements… from a social & community perspective, our organization hopes to achieve just that!”

— T.J. Breeden, Founder of eMerging Entrepreneurs, Inc.