Jared Thatcher on Growing the Global Lean Summit and Partnering with Toyota

In this bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews, host Mark Graban talks with Jared Thatcher, founder of the Global Lean Summit, to preview the upcoming event taking place September 23–25, 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana.

Jared shares the Summit’s origin story—from a virtual event launched during COVID lockdowns to a high-impact in-person gathering that brings together Lean leaders, practitioners, and learners from a wide range of industries.

This year’s Summit includes: ✅ A site visit and training day at Toyota Material Handling ✅ A new healthcare track, co-hosted with Indiana University’s medical school ✅ A foundational Kaizen facilitation workshop for hands-on learning ✅ Free in-person access for university students ✅ A 30-60-90 day virtual follow-up to help participants apply what they learned

Notable speakers include Phil Wickler (GE Aerospace), Sam McPherson, Mohamed Saleh, Nick Katko, Hide Oba, and Mark Graban, among others.

Whether you’re just starting your Lean journey or looking to deepen your capabilities, the Global Lean Summit is designed to foster meaningful connections, practical learning, and sustained improvement.

🌐 Learn more and register at GlobalLeanSummit.com 💡 Subscribe & catch new episodes at LeanCast.org