Ilana Nankin, PhD — the Founder & CEO of Breathe For Change — is an award-winning entrepreneur, teacher educator, and former public school teacher committed to using wellness as a vehicle for healing and social change. Ilana earned degrees in both psychology and education at UC Berkeley and received her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin. Her dissertation revealed the critical connection between educator well-being and student learning, and the positive impact that wellness and social-emotional learning can have on teachers' and students’ lives. Inspired by her research, Ilana founded Breathe For Change, a movement on a mission to enhance the health and well-being of educators, students, and entire communities.

Breathe For Change offers Wellness, SEL, and Yoga Teacher Training specifically for educators, changemakers, and community leaders who are committed to using wellness as a vehicle for healing and social change. Through our training, educators become certified Yoga Teachers and Social-Emotional Learning Facilitators. Since 2015, Breathe For Change has certified 10,000 educators through their training, who are now positively impacting the lives and well-being of over 2 million students. Breathe For Change also enhances educator and student well-being through their Wellness and SEL Platform, which includes live meditation and yoga classes, wellness and SEL PD and curriculum, daily well-being practices, and a thriving community of educators nationwide.