As the founder of Cogent Solutions and Peer Driven PD, Mike Alpert believes in empowering educators so they can more freely empower the next generation.Mike’s corporate experience as a project analyst for an international renewable energy firm (Iberdrola Renewables) and as a financial services specialist (employee credit union of Intel and Microsoft) led him to realize the importance of education across all fields. Mike earned his MBA at Portland State University, with focused coursework in finance and innovation management, and took his expertise to the classroom and front office, where he worked over the next decade as a teacher before becoming a building administrator.Mike is a Crystal Apple Award Winning educator, and has worked in both small, rural districts and large, suburban districts in the Portland metro area, even serving overseas as a teacher and Central Administrator in Prague, Czech Republic. Mike mentors managers at local startups and is a founding board member of Ex Novo Brewing Co, the world’s first non-profit brewery. On his “off days” (a little educator joke) you can find him training for his next half-marathon or at home with his wife and their son.Is Mike available for in-person or virtual speaking engagements? Maybe.
Mike regularly speaks to teachers and administrators on a variety of topics, including teacher job satisfaction, social emotional learning, project-based learning, building resilient relationships with students, the future of education, and numerous other topics.For availability, contact [email protected].Read testimonials here.
"Mike is an authentic presenter. He makes connections with teachers through shared experiences. He has a passion and dedication to education and is a true advocate for all students. His approach to difficult topics through kindness and humility make him a presenter we want to listen to and learn from."Nicholas
MS Science Teacher
"Mike has a real talent for delivering professional development in a way that is entertaining and yet also very informative. He provides a good balance of interaction and instruction. Most of all, he has a talent of connecting positively with an audience and conveying passion for the content he is sharing. He's the best!"Megan
Secondary Administrator
"I always enjoy Mike's presentations He has a mellow, friendly, humble style of addressing his audience which puts everyone at ease, and he's prepared, thorough, and very organized when presenting his content and materials. He solicits and answers questions regularly, and he's got a great sense of humor. Mike does a great job."Doug
Math Teacher
"Mike's humor and energy are always a welcomed relief in presentations. He has the innate ability to connect with people using his confidence and authenticity to engage his audience."Aubrey
School Psychologist
"Mike's organization of information and clarity of message results in an excellent presentation. He can take a complicated, multi-step message and turn it into a relatable and memorable message. [He] also provides visuals and copies for the audience to further promote learning and retention."Trish
Humanities Teacher