About Ebonie

Ebonie Atkins is a native of Grand Rapids, MI where she facilitated student leadership development and diversity programs at Calvin College. Passionate about urban and community development, Ebonie Atkins left her hometown to pursue a Masters in Urban Planning from Virginia Tech. She focused her graduate studies on economic development, housing, and social policy and completed a mixed-methods study of gentrification and millennial housing preferences. Ebonie has committed herself to increasing economic empowerment in urban communities and supporting minority-owned businesses. She is currently the Workforce Business Analyst for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, creating new jobs and supporting business development across the Commonwealth. Ebonie has always appreciated different cultural perspectives. She began learning Spanish at 11 years old in an adult education class at her local community center. She went on to receive a Bachelor’s of Arts in Spanish from the University of Michigan. She enjoys attending festivals and museum exhibits that celebrate cultural expression. 

Ebonie served as the Richmond YP Membership chair for the past two years, working to increase membership and improve member engagement. As Richmond YP vice president, she will bring a vision for smoother internal and external communication, organizational assessment, and signature programming to further the organization’s mission and impact in the Richmond community.