WE ARE

Eight Million Stories

Founded in 2017, we are a nonprofit created to support disconnected youth in Houston, Texas.

Our Mission

We are working to empower the lives of at-promise youth (9-24 years old) through education, employment & personal development.

The Problem

Young people, especially young men of color, are disappearing—from schools, from communities and from the workforce. Rooted and fueled by zero tolerance policies in our school systems, the school-to-prison pipeline is sweeping disproportionately high numbers of youth/young adults into the criminal justice system and ultimately out of our workforce.

In Houston, 111,000 individuals are categorized as opportunity youth (out of work and school). The obstacles faced supporting Opportunity Youth in finding pathways to success can be a complex challenge. They lack the exposure and equitable opportunities to transition into career pathways. There is a critical need for communities to provide pathways to opportunity for this population through formal training program that develops the soft and hard skills that are critical to their successful transition into adulthood. For many, this persistent problem, is the start of a lifelong cycle of poverty and imprisonment.


Our Theory of Change

Our theory of change is that by providing disconnected youth/ young adults who have been pushed out of our school system or justice involved, with an opportunity to complete their education and obtain meaningful employment, we can drastically improve the likelihood of them successfully transitioning into adulthood and becoming self-sufficient.

Furthermore, we believe that this model can work alongside school districts, systems of care and community organizations in finding alternative pathways for youth/young adults to complete their education and find meaningful employment.

Our Name

The name “Eight Million Stories” comes from a rap song by Hip-Hop group “A Tribe Called Quest” towards the end of the song is this repetitive phrase “ Help me, help me”.

When we think about disconnected youth or youth involved in the juvenile justice system. They are not bad kids. At the root of their behavior and poor decisions is a cry for help.

They just want someone to listen.

Meet Our Team


  • A native New Yorker, Marvin Pierre began developing 8 Million Stories during his year as a TNTP Bridge Fellow. Before that, he served as the Assistant Principal at KIPP Polaris Academy for Boys in Houston, Texas.

    Prior to joining KIPP Polaris, he served as the Dean of Students at Excellence Boys Charter School in Brooklyn, NY. He was an Assistant Dean of Students at Summit Academy Charter School, and has also served as Director of Student Life at Achievement First Endeavor Middle School (Brooklyn, NY).

    Marvin also worked in the Investment Banking (Municipal Finance Group) at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

    Marvin holds a bachelor's in Economics from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) and a Masters in Education Administration and Supervision from the University of Houston. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and desires to pursue opportunities in community development and co-found a K-8 school for young boys of color in Houston, TX.

  • Alejia Ali is the College & Career Transition Coordinator for Eight Million Stories. Her focus area is to help students with post-graduation success. During and after earning their GED, students are assisted with College and Career preparation. Students learn the necessary soft skills and steps that are required to enter post-secondary education as well as their desired career field.

    Prior to Eight Million Stories, she served as an In-School Youth Career Case Manager for High School Seniors in the Austin Area through the WIOA program. Shortly after, she transitioned to the Goodwill Excel Center for Adults where she served as an Academic Advisor for students working towards earning their High School Diploma ages 18-50 years old.

    Alejia holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and a Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and has a desire to use her educational background and experience to be a driving force in helping the youth learn the skills necessary to be successful students and upstanding individuals.

  • Skyra Thomas is the Managing Director of Strategy & Operations at Eight Million Stories. Her work at Eight Million Stories is focused on planning, coordinating, and supervising the day-to-day operations of the program. In her role, Skyra ensures that the program runs efficiently and is student centered, while driving the mission and vision of Eight Million Stories. Streamlining systems, improving processes, and analyzing the effectiveness of the program are the highlights of her work, but nothing compares to fostering strong and lasting relationships with the students.

    Prior to Eight Million Stories, Skyra was the Dean of School Programming at Brownsville Ascend Middle School, where she led student social-emotional learning, college readiness, and developed the school’s first National Junior Honor Society chapter.

    Skyra earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Oakwood University (Huntsville, AL) and a Master of Social Work with a certificate in nonprofit management from Boston University.

  • Bianca Clark is the Managing Director of Programs at Eight Million Stories. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing program management, training, and development of educational programming for Eight Million Stories, 8MS Works, REACH, and Houston ISD R.E.A.L. Her primary focus is to ensure all students are emotionally and academically equipped to be successful and self-sufficient in adulthood.

    She began her career as an English teacher in Houston ISD. Since then, she has served as a Dean of Instruction in Fort Bend ISD, an Assistant Principal at KIPP Houston, a school improvement consultant at Region 10 ESC, and most recently as a Principal at Southwest Schools.

    As an educational leader, Bianca is known for setting high expectations and creating a safe environment where students and staff can thrive. Bianca holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a Master of Education in School Administration and Leadership, both from Prairie View A&M University. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

  • Natosha Watson serves on the operations team at Eight Million Stories. Ms. Watson previously served as an Operations Team Leader for Hope for Families, Inc. and as personal assistant to the Senior Pastor at the Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Her work is rooted in ensuring the day-to-day functionality of the organization is fully operational, without flaw. Her work in the field of operations not only involves the day to day, but includes event planning, community outreach, marketing and program development. Ms. Watson has always aspired to use her experiences to support and empower young people, especially young women. Her goals in supporting Eight Million Stories include continuing her own education in the field of social work and guidance counseling. While Ms. Watson’s passion has always involved empowering young people, her Christian faith keeps her grounded in being the best mom, sister and daughter she can possibly be.

Interested in joining our team?

We’re always on the hunt for talented people to join our team. Whether you’re interested in something part-time, full-time, or on a volunteer basis, there’s a place for you to make a difference at Eight Million Stories.

Our Board of Directors

Warren Broadnax Todd Coutee- Chairman
Larry Guillory
Toby Hamilton Tama Lundquist Akilah Mance
Jeffrey McKay Marshall Stevenson III
Champ Warren Eli Warren
Paul Wasserman