Meet Mikey Ellis

Who I Am

I’m an educator, youth mentor, and facilitator with a deep commitment to supporting boys as they grow into grounded, emotionally intelligent, and connected young men. For over 20 years, I’ve worked with young people in classrooms, on mountain trails, in group circles, and across cultures — helping them discover who they are, what they care about, and how to live with courage and integrity.

At the heart of my work is a deep belief in teaching and learning — not just in formal settings, but as a lifelong, relational process. Over the last 10 years, I’ve brought that same focus into the corporate space, working as a People & Culture leader to help build strong, emotionally intelligent organisations. My work there has centred on leadership development, cultural transformation, and helping people navigate transitions with purpose and humanity.

Throughout, I’ve stayed connected to the world of rites of passage, men’s work, and youth development — supporting individuals and communities through key transitions: from school to work, adolescence to adulthood, and one stage of life to the next.

I’m the founder of alt:edu and the co-founder of Wayfinders, a term-based program that helps teenage boys explore identity, emotion, and belonging in a world that often tells them to shut down or harden up. I also run men’s circles that support adult men in their own journeys of healing, fatherhood, leadership, and emotional presence.

My Experience

• I spent nearly a decade at St Peter’s Lutheran College as a specialist middle years teacher and Year Level Coordinator, where I led curriculum development, parent engagement, and student wellbeing initiatives.

• As a Behaviour Management Specialist with Education Queensland, I designed adventure-based interventions for at-risk youth.

• For over 12 years, I led international expeditions with Antipodeans Abroad, guiding student groups through transformational service and cultural immersion in places like Nepal, Peru, Vietnam, and India.

• Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked with boys and men through men’s circles, mentoring, and rites of passage experiences, helping create spaces where emotional honesty, brotherhood, and growth can take root. I’m also the co-founder of The Wayfinders, a term-based program supporting teenage boys to explore identity, resilience, and what it means to become a good man.

• During this time, I’ve also held leadership roles in organisations as a People & Culture leader, where I’ve supported the development of emotionally intelligent workplace cultures and facilitated transformational workshops for teams and leaders.

• I’ve facilitated countless workshops for students, staff, and parents on topics like resilience, emotional literacy, and raising boys who thrive.

Qualifications & Training

• Bachelor of Education (Middle Years) – University of Queensland

• Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy & English) – University of Queensland

• Diploma of Coaching – The Coaching Institute

• Currently completing a Diploma of Counselling – Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors

• Level 1 & 2 Rites of Passage Facilitator – Rites of Passage Institute

• Cert IV in Outdoor Education & Training – Cairns TAFE

I’ve also trained in boys’ education, positive parenting, IFS, narrative learning, and social-emotional pedagogy.

Why I Do This Work

I do this work because I believe in the power of transformation – those threshold moments in life where we leave something behind, take a deep breath, and step into what’s next.

Whether it’s a boy moving into young manhood, a man reckoning with his identity or a leader finding new ways to serve, I’m drawn to the places where potential lives. My work has always been about teaching and learning, but beneath that, it’s about helping people remember who they are, reconnect with their values, meaning and purpose, and bring more of themselves into their relationships, communities, and work.

Rites of passage, emotional education, men’s circles, mentoring, cultural transformation—these are all expressions of a deeper intention: to walk alongside people as they grow. Not to fix them. Not to push them. But to hold space for their becoming.

At its core, this work is in service of connection – to self, to others, and to something greater. Because when we support boys and men to show up fully and honestly, everyone benefits: families become stronger, workplaces more human, and communities more whole.

This isn’t about fixing boys. It’s about remembering who they really are, and helping the adults around them do the same.