“Self-reflection leads
to self-direction.”
From high school athletes and coaches to c-suite executives and office teams, Elie loves to work with mission-driven organizations seeking to prioritize internal culture and maximize external contribution to our world. Elie customizes speeches, trainings, and experiences that facilitate a group’s coalescence.
Elie completed the University of Pennsylvania's Master's in Education Entrepreneurship program. Through that, Elie designed and co-founded InnerView with Mike Bota.
Elie is based in Washington D.C. where he is the Peace teacher at the city’s largest public elementary school. Elie is available to travel for in-person opportunities or work virtually.
Emory University - B.A.
Relay Graduate School of
Education - M.A.T.
University of Pennsylvania - M.S.E.
Peace of Mind (current)
Wonders Learning (current)
CONNECTdmv (founding, former)
Previous audiences:
C-suite executives & office teams
Sports team coaches & mentors
Youth leaders & team captains
Previous audiences:
Corporate office teams
Principals & teachers
Team captains & coaches
Previous audiences:
School-based parent associations
Early childhood education centers
Medical practice parent communities
Ash Wellness (NYC)
TALMA Teaching Fellowship (Israel)
Werth Institute at UConn (CT)
The Field School (DC)
Crowd Pleasers Dance Company (TX)
Global Youth Entrepreneurship Zone (U.S. + China)
"Most programs teach content.
The best ones develop people."
Mike Bota designs courses and programs that turn what experts know into what learners can do.
Mike has presented on learning organizations, inclusive workplaces, and purpose-driven reflection at University of Arizona Global Campus, the POD Network, and Peace of Mind. He partners with medical programs, schools, and mission-driven organizations that want learning built for real people.
While studying neuroscience at the University of Michigan, Mike came to see that wellbeing is shaped as much by culture as by biology. He decided to teach middle school science and social studies on Chicago's South Side through Teach For America. He then co-designed and launched a 30-student school through the 228 Accelerator as its Director of STEAM, leading an innovative online curriculum when the pandemic hit.
In 2021, Mike co-founded InnerView Education and began a PhD in Learning Design and Technology at Wayne State University. His research focuses on self-regulated learning: how trainees learn to direct their own growth when no one is lecturing. At the Kresge Eye Institute, he designs curriculum for physician-scientist training. Through Wayne State's Center for Teaching and Learning, he consulted with roughly 50 faculty and graduate students, led 15 unique workshops, and co-led a faculty teaching circle on AI pedagogy.
Wayne State University - M.A. and PhD (2028) in Learning Design & Technology
Relaty Graudate School of Education - M.A. in Teaching
University of Michigan - B.A in Neuroscience
Mike is taking on a limited number of projects this year as he writes his dissertation. Every engagement starts with a free 30-minute consultation.
An essay that shows you and your potential
Mike helps students do the harder, more useful work first: reflecting on their experiences, finding the story that's actually theirs, and revising it through focused feedback until it's clear and compelling. Students leave with a finished essay and with skills they'll use long after applications are submitted: they know how to reflect, take feedback, and revise their own work.
Your program should produce the graduate you promise.
Most programs grow one course, rotation, and requirement at a time. Eventually no one can say how the pieces add up, and learners feel it before leadership does. Mike works with your leadership and faculty to define the graduate you're trying to develop. He maps every course and experience against that profile, with learner and faculty input built in from the start.
From a folder of materials to a course that teaches.
Faculty are experts in their field, not in course design, and they rarely have time for both. Mike works alongside them to turn lectures, cases, and readings into a structured course with clear outcomes, aligned assessments, and activities that build real capability.
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