# Breathe For Change

> Breathe For Change is a San Francisco-based education company transforming schools from the inside out by training educators in mindfulness, social-emotional learning, and yoga. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Ilana Nankin and Michael Fenchel, the company has certified over 20,000 educators across all 50 states, creating ripple effects that reach more than 20 million students. Through a suite of programs including a fully accredited Master's degree (with William Jewell College), a Human Intelligence Certification, and the original 200-hour wellness and yoga teacher training, Breathe For Change makes the case that teacher well-being isn't a perk - it's the foundation of student success.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Dr. Ilana Nankin (Founder & Co-CEO), Michael Fenchel (Co-Founder & Co-CEO)
- **Team size:** ~160 employees
- **Products:** Master's in Human-Centered Education (M.S.Ed.), Human Intelligence Certification Program, Mindfulness, SEL & Yoga Teacher Training (200-hour), Educator Collective, Professional Development for Schools & Districts
- **Notable:** Trained over 20,000 educators across all 50 US states, Reached an estimated 20 million students through trained educators, Acquired Yoga Ed. in June 2023, a major school-based yoga brand

## Products & services

- **Master's in Human-Centered Education (M.S.Ed.)** — A fully accredited 12-18 month, 30-credit online Master's degree in Transformative Teaching and Learning, offered in partnership with William Jewell College and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. FAFSA-eligible.
- **Human Intelligence Certification Program** — A 13-week online certification program covering Breathe For Change's proprietary five-dimension Human Intelligence Framework, with a bonus Edupreneurship 101 module.
- **Mindfulness, SEL & Yoga Teacher Training (200-hour)** — The company's original flagship: the world's only 200-hour wellness and yoga teacher certification program designed specifically for educators, covering yoga, meditation, mindfulness, social-emotional learning strategies, and trauma-informed practices.
- **Educator Collective** — A membership community for educators prioritizing their own well-being and sharing wellness practices with their school communities.
- **Professional Development for Schools & Districts** — B2B programs for school districts and organizations including Houston ISD, NYC Schools, Austin ISD, and Chicago Public Schools, focused on teacher wellness, SEL facilitation, and trauma-sensitive practices.
- **TEACHella: Wellness & SEL Festival** — A free virtual wellness festival for teachers featuring online workshops designed to revolutionize approaches to wellness and social-emotional learning in education.

## Achievements

- Trained over 20,000 educators across all 50 US states
- Reached an estimated 20 million students through trained educators
- Acquired Yoga Ed. in June 2023, a major school-based yoga brand
- Launched fully accredited Master's degree program with William Jewell College
- Research partnerships with Harvard, Stanford, Tulane University, and Learn Platform validating program outcomes
- Over 500 research studies documenting positive outcomes across grade levels
- Partnered with Manduka for nationwide classroom yoga mat program
- Programs operating in major school districts: Houston ISD, NYC Schools, Austin ISD, Chicago Public Schools
- 48,000+ Instagram followers as @breathe4change

## Latest updates

- **2023-11** — Announced ongoing partnership with yoga brand Manduka to provide mats and funding for classrooms in underserved communities across America.
- **2023-06** — Acquired Yoga Ed., bringing Julia Bond (former Yoga Ed. CEO) on board as Chief Growth Officer and expanding school-based yoga programming.
- **2023-01** — Launched new Human Intelligence Certification Program and new courses, graduating over 2,000 educators in the year.
- **2022-01** — Launched fully accredited Master's in Human-Centered Education (M.S.Ed.) in partnership with William Jewell College, FAFSA-eligible.

## Links

- Website: https://breatheforchange.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/breathe-for-change
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDPs7I28QOD5rzmFIQzmtQg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breathe4change/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Breathe4Change

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/breathe-for-change
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-19