Transform Lives, Starting 
With Yours.

Michelle Cordero, Breathe For Change’s Head Trainer, has devoted the last 3 decades to deepening her connection to and sharing the powerful practice of yoga with the world. Michelle has led retreats, workshops, and teacher trainings internationally, and was voted “Best Yoga Teacher of the East Bay” by Oakland Magazine. She is certified at the highest level with the Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 & YACEP credentials.

Michelle’s greatest passion is inspiring educators to teach yoga in an inclusive and accessible way. She teaches with a sense of humor, curiosity and compassion. Michelle’s classes are inclusive, gender affirming, trauma-informed and uniquely tailored to meet the needs of each student regardless of experience, age, gender, or body shape.Michelle has contributed greatly to the development of Breathe For Change’s 200-hour Training, 300-hour Training, Professional Development offerings, and Educator Collective events.

Michelle has her Master’s Degree, a certificate in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy and is a Certified Wellness Coach and Craniosacral Work practitioner, and has trained with the Trauma Center’s Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TC-TSY) program and the Trauma Informed Resilience Oriented Approach (TIRO). She also completed a 75-hour Skill in Action training with Michelle C Johnson, focused on the intersection of Yoga and Social Justice. Michelle is inspired and honored to be guiding you along your yoga teaching journey.

Dr. Ilana Nankin — Founder and Co-CEO of Breathe for Change — is an award-winning entrepreneur, teacher educator, and former public school teacher. Ilana earned degrees in psychology and education from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her dissertation revealed the critical connection between educator well-being and student learning, and the transformative impact of wellness and social-emotional learning on classroom communities.

Inspired by her research, she founded Breathe for Change — a movement dedicated to bringing wellness, inspiration, and community to every educator and student in the world. As one of the lead professors of this Human Intelligence course, Ilana weaves her expertise in embodied awareness, social-emotional learning, and systemic well-being throughout the curriculum. Her leadership and vision ground the course’s theory of change: empowering educators to transform themselves, transform their teaching, and ultimately transform the way students learn. Ilana lives in San Francisco, and is also the proud mother of two precious daughters, Aliya and Zoe, and applies everything she knows from being a pre-k teacher to her role as a parent.

Elizabeth Knapp Schreiber is an accomplished educational leader and specialist based in Stevensville, Montana, currently serving as the District Curriculum and Title 1 Director for Stevensville Schools. With a career spanning over two decades, she has held diverse roles ranging from elementary and middle school teaching to high-level administration, including serving as a Full-Time Administrative Designee and acting primary school principal. Her leadership is defined by a commitment to systemic improvement, having facilitated district-wide initiatives for technology planning, curriculum alignment to Montana Core Standards, and the implementation of positive behavioral models (MBI).

A recognized expert in wellness and social-emotional learning (SEL), Elizabeth holds a Master of Science in Education in Yoga, Mindfulness, and Social Emotional Learning, as well as a Master of Education in Educational Leadership. She translates this expertise into practice as an Adjunct Professor and Lead Instructor for Breathe For Change, where she mentors educators and facilitates professional development focused on trauma-informed strategies and self-regulation. Her influence extends to the state level, where she has served as a keynote speaker and presenter for the School Administrators of Montana (SAM), advocating for resilient leadership and regulated learning environments.

Beyond her administrative and academic achievements, Elizabeth is driven by a profound personal mission: the inspiration and healing of teachers. She believes that by empowering educators to become the best versions of themselves, they can serve as catalysts for broader change. Her work is dedicated to fostering teacher wellness as a fundamental strategy to help heal a wounded educational system, ensuring that both staff and students can thrive in safe, regulated, and compassionate environments.

Kelli Sammis spent nearly 30 years in public education, serving as a classroom teacher, principal, and district Director of School Leadership. After earning her doctorate in curriculum from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, she designed induction and professional learning programs grounded in positive behavior, systems thinking, mindful practices, and social-emotional well-being. She is also a 500-hour E-RYT yoga instructor, a certified meditation teacher, and an Ayurvedic health coach—training that continues to shape her approach to educational leadership.

One of her greatest strengths is coaching and empowering school leaders to create environments of health and well-being for their staff so that ultimately staff are doing the same thing for the students and families they serve. She firmly believes that without wellness being kept as a priority at the leadership level, schools will never perform at the level of expectations that our state legislature is setting for them.

Sam Levine is the Chief Product Officer at Breathe For Change, a member of the founding team, and a Professor of Psychology and Mindfulness. He began his career as an educator, first as an ESL teacher in the Middle East and later as a middle school science teacher in Washington, D.C. Sam holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University with a concentration in mind-body and spirituality practices. A longtime mindfulness practitioner, Sam integrates contemplative practice with modern psychological science to cultivate awareness, compassion, and resilience. Over the past decade, he has taught social-emotional learning, wellness, and leadership skills to educators, organizational teams, and business leaders. His interdisciplinary background bridges evidence-based research with practical tools for embodied teaching and personal transformation.

Pamela Alles is a trauma-informed educator, mentor, and coach with 30 years of classroom experience supporting students from childhood through adulthood. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she moved to California to begin her career in Special Education, and currently teaches English Language Development at the high school level.

Holding a Master’s of Education degree in Health and Wellness, along with certifications in SEL and Transformative Teaching, Pamela is also an RYT 500 Yoga instructor through Breathe for Change. This background provides her with a deep understanding of the brain-body connection and holistic well-being.

Pamela is passionate about bringing wellness practices to students and colleagues. She offers weekly mindfulness and meditation practices to guide them in becoming more present and centered, helping them navigate life’s challenges. As a Mentor, SEL*F Facilitator, and Production Lead Trainer within the Breathe for Change organization, she is honored to be leading Mindfulness Meditation weekly on the platform.