In January, Education Pioneers (EP) held a Community Breakfast to share about our work and our plans to expand our reach and impact in Houston. It was inspiring to gather with EP Partners, champions, 15 Alums, and our executive team – all who share a deep commitment to an excellent education for all students in Houston and across Texas.
Our gathering underscored the power of collective action. Since 2010, EP has placed over 100 Fellows across Houston, and a network of more than 100 Alumni live locally. Melissa Wu, EP’s CEO, shared our vision to reignite EP’s impact in Houston, emphasizing the critical role of exceptional talent in driving systemic change. By growing our Fellowship programs locally, we aim to strengthen Houston’s pipelines of innovative, strategic, and effective leaders in talent, finance, operations, and data—leaders who can create lasting change.
Melissa Wu, EP CEO (left) shares about the vision for EP’s increasing impact in Houston next to guest speaker Tamira Samuel, EP Alum and Co-Executive Director of the Urban Leaders Fellowship (right).
Tamira Samuel, EP Alumna and Co-Executive Director of the Urban Leaders Fellowship, encouraged everyone in the room to consider the impact we can have together:
“EP serves as an answer to a broken system. Education in this city is at a critical juncture, and we need courageous leaders to help solve problems in innovative ways. The work isn’t done, but the outcome isn’t impossible. We are in the right room, at the right time, with the right organization. What chapter will you help write?”
We are excited to continue to deepen our presence in Houston. This spring, EP’s 2024-2025 Impact Fellowship cohort will convene in Houston for three days of leadership development and connection, including opportunities to learn from local EP Alumni about their experiences leading in Texas. We look forward to engaging with the community as EP continues taking meaningful steps toward transforming education for Houston’s students and families.
Tamira Samuel inspired the room with a call to action.
Discover more about the inspiring impact of our Alumni by exploring stories on our blog, diving into our 2024 annual report, or connecting with us on LinkedIn.
Photos provided by Natasha Nivan Productions
