ABC13 Spotlights MDCOB Alumna Yemi Brown for Her Dedication to Dress for Success Houston
Marilyn Davies College of Business alumna and mother of three is spotlighted by ABC13
Houston for her years of dedicated volunteerism at Dress for Success Houston — turning her own experience of rebuilding into a life’s mission of lifting other
Houston women.
Yemi Brown is not the kind of person who quietly moves on after finding success. The Houston
mother of three, Marilyn Davies College of Business (MDCOB) alumna, Ted Bauer Scholarshiprecipient and financial analyst at Chevron spends her free time doing something just as meaningful as her career —volunteering
at Dress for Success Houston, the nonprofit that once helped her find her footing. Her dedication to giving back
recently caught the attention of ABC13 Houston (KTRK), one of the city’s most-watched news stations, which featured Brown as a shining
example of the community spirit that defines Dress for Success Houston’s mission.
In a recent segment, ABC13 Houston reporter Brittaney Wilmore spotlighted Brown as a standout volunteer and participant
at Dress for Success Houston. The feature highlighted how Brown — now a successful finance professional — chooses
to spend her time volunteering in roles that directly
help other women rebuild their confidence and re-enter the workforce: working as a
merchandiser, doing personal shopping, and staffing the front desk.
For Brown, these are not just errands. Every task she takes on is one more hand extended
to a woman who was once exactly where she stood.
“For me, it’s absolutely incredible that I’m now on the other side. That nine years ago I thought I would never be here.”
Brown’s relationship with Dress for Success Houston began in 2017, when she was referred to the organization while working to re-enter the workforce after stepping away from college at age 19 to raise and homeschool her three sons, Hezekiah, Jordan, and Carter. What she found there went far beyond a wardrobe refresh — she discovered a community.
Through the organization’s Professional Women’s Group (PWG), which Brown has been a member of for nine years, she has completed more than 360 workshops and resources. The tools and community she found there helped her chart a path back to education, to career, and ultimately, to becoming the kind of woman she once looked to for inspiration.
“When you build women and instill in them that sense of confidence, it spreads out in multitudes within our city.”
Brown also reflected on what she would tell her younger self: “I would tell her to trust the process, be authentic, and trust that the people who you surround yourself with will see you and will lift you up even when you don’t think you can lift yourself up.” Words that now carry the weight of lived experience — and a story Houston’s own ABC13 found worthy of sharing with the entire city.
The confidence and professional credibility Brown brings to her volunteerism and her
advocacy did not emerge in a vacuum. During the same years she was growing within
Dress for Success Houston, Brown was earning two degrees at the Marilyn Davies College of Business at the University of Houston-Downtown: a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting in May 2023, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Finance
in 2025.
MDCOB, which holds AACSB International accreditation — a distinction shared by fewer than 5% of business programs worldwide — is designed specifically for students like Brown: working adults, parents, and first-generation professionals building their futures without stepping away from the communities that need them. The education Brown received there did not just open professional doors. It gave her the language, the confidence, and the credentials to walk through them — and then hold those doors open for others.
Her story is exactly what the Marilyn Davies College of Business was built to produce:
graduates who go on to make a difference in Houston beyond the classroom, who lead
with both expertise and empathy, and who understand that a UHD education carries a
responsibility to uplift the community
around them.
“It's truly inspiring and gratifying to see our graduates carry into their communities values like these. Paying forward to the next generation the benefits that helped you succeed is a priority value we work to instill in our graduates, and Ms. Yemi Brown serves as a wonderful model for our future graduates. We're all part of a community that works best when we uplift one another, and Ms. Brown is proof again that a business education is about more than just money or personal success — it's about growth, opportunity, and contributing to the future of Houston.”
About Dress for Success Houston
Dress for Success Houston is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit and part of a worldwide network of 150 affiliates across 30 countries. Since its founding in 1998, the organization has served more than 47,000 Houston women — including 1,700 women veterans — providing professional attire, career development tools, and a network of support designed to promote economic independence. Programs include the Professional Women’s Group, job retention and career advancement coaching, and the Models of Success runway celebration, where clients’ achievements are honored. Volunteers like Yemi Brown are, as the organization describes them, its lifeblood.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Yemi Brown, Dress for Success Houston, and the Marilyn Davies College of Business
Why was Yemi Brown featured on ABC13 Houston?
Brown was featured by ABC13 Houston for her dedicated volunteer work at Dress for Success Houston. As both a former client and a longtime volunteer, Brown’s story exemplifies the
organization’s mission: women who are empowered through Dress for Success go on to
empower others in turn.
What does Yemi Brown do as a volunteer at Dress for Success Houston?
Brown volunteers in multiple capacities, including as a merchandiser, personal shopper,
and front desk volunteer — roles that directly support women preparing to re-enter
the workforce. She is also a nine-year member of the Professional Women’s Group and has completed more
than 360 workshops through the organization.
What degrees did Yemi Brown earn at the Marilyn Davies College of Business?
Brown, A Ted Bauer Scholarship Recipient earned a BBA in Accounting (May 2023) and an MBA with a concentration in Finance (2025) from MDCOB at the University of Houston-Downtown. Both programs are AACSB accredited.
What is Dress for Success Houston?
Dress for Success Houston is a Houston-based nonprofit that has served more than 47,000 women since 1998, providing
professional attire, career coaching, and a network of community support to help women
achieve economic independence.
What is the Marilyn Davies College of Business at UHD?
The Marilyn Davies College of Business (MDCOB) at the University of Houston-Downtown is an AACSB-accredited business school offering undergraduate BBA programs and Texas’s
largest MBA program. Located in downtown Houston, MDCOB is designed to serve working
adults, first-generation students, and career-changers who reflect the diversity of
the city.
How does MDCOB support students who are also community contributors like Yemi Brown?
MDCOB’s flexible program formats — including evening, online, and weekend classes
— are specifically designed to accommodate students who are balancing work, family,
and community commitments. The college believes that business education and community
leadership go hand
in hand, and Brown’s story is a reflection of that philosophy.
How can I learn more about MDCOB’s programs?
Visit uhd.edu/business to explore undergraduate and graduate business programs,
or email mba@uhd.edu for MBA inquiries.
About the Marilyn Davies College of Business at UHD
The Marilyn Davies College of Business at the University of Houston-Downtown is one of the most accessible and diverse AACSB-accredited business schools in the
United States. Offering BBA programs in Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing,
and more — plus Texas’s largest MBA program — MDCOB is located in the heart of Houston
at 320 N. Main Street and prepares students to lead, give back, and make Houston stronger.
Learn more at uhd.edu/business.