Becoming a Master Student

Dave Ellis is a leadership coach, author, educator and philanthropist. A respected lecturer and electrifying workshop leader, he has captivated audiences worldwide since first sharing his principles in 1979. Ellis got started in education in 1976, when he taught junior high school math. After earning a master's degree in mathematics, he taught computer science for six years at National American University, where he became assistant dean of student services. In 1979, he designed a course to improve student retention and then traveled the country for a decade conducting workshops for teachers on ways to improve student retention and test scores. He began training coaches in 1983 and started a public course for coaches in 1993. He puts into practice the principles he teaches, utilizing his remarkable system in his own life. Friends and colleagues often describe him as the happiest person they know with an amazingly wonderful life. He is president of Breakthrough Enterprises, a publishing and consulting company, as well as founder and president of The Brande Foundation, a nonprofit organization offering assistance to organizations working toward world sufficiency, environmental integrity, human rights and personal transformation. Ellis has contributed millions of dollars to the work of his foundation and other organizations. You can visit his website at www.fallingawake.com. Ellis lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Trisha. They have four daughters and six grandchildren.