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7th Annual Grand Rapids Lean Summit
Monday, March 17, 2025
GVSU L.V. Eberhard Center, Grand Rapids, MI
Get ready to dive into innovative Lean strategies and connect with fellow professionals dedicated to driving continuous improvement. We promise a day packed with insightful sessions, hands-on experiences, and valuable takeaways.
Agenda
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Time
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Activity
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8:00 – 8:30 AM
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Check-In and Light Breakfast
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8:30 – 9:00 AM
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Welcome
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9:00 – 9:55 AM
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Keynote: Nigel Thurlow
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10:05 – 11:05 AM
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Breakout Session 1
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11:15 – 12:15 PM
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Breakout Session 2
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12:15 – 1:00 PM
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Lunch
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1:00 – 2:00 PM
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Breakout Session 3
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2:15 – 3:00 PM
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Closing
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☘️Celebrate Lean and St. Patrick’s Day☘️
As luck would have it, the Summit lands on St. Patrick’s Day! Expect a touch of festive fun as we bring Lean and continuous improvement together with a little Irish flair.
Keynote Speaker
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Nigel Thurlow 
CEO | The Flow Consortium
Nigel Thurlow is an expert in organizational design, author, and renowned speaker who serves as a consultant to industry in business agility — and as an expert in the application of cross-disciplinary methods and approaches to accelerate business change.
As the first-ever Chief of Agile at Toyota, he developed the award-winning “Scrum the Toyota Way” and co-created The Flow System™, a holistic approach to delivering customer-first value rooted in The Toyota Production System. Over his career, Nigel has trained more than 8,500 professionals worldwide and authored several notable works, including The Flow System Playbook and The Substrate Independence Theory. His expertise lies in designing effective organizational frameworks that blend Lean, Agile, and complexity science to enable long-lasting, context-driven transformation.
Currently the CEO of The Flow Consortium, Nigel continues to expand the boundaries of Lean and Agile thinking by integrating distributed leadership and team science. He also serves on academic boards, advises Fortune 500 companies, and contributes to publications as a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. With a passion for empowering organizations to become "armies of problem solvers," Nigel remains at the forefront of innovation, challenging traditional methods and driving impactful change.
Meet our Emcee
Brian DeVries
Senior Advisor | Lean Fox Solutions
Brian DeVries is a passionate advocate for Lean principles, with a mission to bring more happiness and empathy into everything he does, both professionally and personally. With over 13 years of experience across diverse industries—including manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage, golf course maintenance, and insurance—Brian has helped organizations develop Lean strategies and achieve meaningful improvements.
Currently, Brian serves as a Senior Advisor with Lean Fox Solutions, where he focuses on empowering people and teams to unlock their potential and improve their lives through continuous improvement.
Brian’s contributions to the Lean community include serving on the Michigan Lean Consortium Board, appearing on various podcasts, and speaking at notable events like the Lean Six Sigma World Conference, where his team earned the prestigious Project of the Year award. He also hosts his own podcast, Kaizen and the Unusual Suspects, which explores the human side of improvement.
Outside of his professional life, Brian is a dedicated family man. He has been married to his wife, Allison, for 15 years and is the proud father of two energetic boys, Greyson (10) and William (4). In his free time, Brian enjoys playing golf, exploring bourbons, and honing his skills as an aspiring pitmaster.
Brian’s passion for Lean stems from his love of inspiring others, learning from diverse experiences, and celebrating the profound impact continuous improvement can have on people’s lives.
Welcome
Dr. Adebayo "Bayo" Ogundipe
Dean, Padnos College of Engineering | Grand Valley State University
Bayo Ogundipe currently serves as the Dean of the Padnos College of Engineering at Grand Valley State University. He was previously a Professor and Head of the Department Engineering at James Madison University. His scholarly background includes DOD-sponsored work was on developing tools and protocols for assessing sustainable engineering designs. He is the co-author of 2 textbooks on sustainable engineering as well as multiple guidance documents on the topic. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in chemical, environmental, civil and mechanical engineering.
His interests have expanded to include synergistic activities between engineering and non- engineering disciplines with the goal of interdisciplinary holistic approaches to problem solving. His ongoing cross-disciplinary work leverages international collaborations to develop appropriate educational modules that help engineering students develop complementary skills and cultural competencies. Bayo earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos in Nigeria, followed by a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and PhD in Environmental Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ.
Breakout Sessions
Workshop: Transforming Process Maps into Predictive Models for Continuous Improvement*
Breakout Sessions 1 & 2 | Limited to 28 participants
A personal computer is required for this interactive session.
Static process maps are useful tools for visualizing the ideal state of a process. However, in the real world, processes are rarely static—variation, bottlenecks, and rework create inefficiencies that static tools cannot account for. How can organizations design processes that withstand this variability and validate that proposed changes will improve outcomes before implementation? This hands-on session addresses the growing need for Lean practitioners to move beyond static maps and incorporate dynamic modeling for real-world process design.
*Note: This workshop will replace the first two breakout sessions (10:05 AM - 12:15 PM) and requires a personal computer to participate.
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Peg Pennington
President | MoreSteam
Peg Pennington champions critical thinking and problem-solving as core competencies for all organizations. She is a team builder, sharing her passion for problem-solving over two decades of her career. Working as an educator and process improvement thought leader with MoreSteam's global clients, she loves to share her enthusiasm for building a culture of innovation.
Prior to joining MoreSteam's executive team, Peg was the Executive Director of the Center for Operational Excellence. She helped to architect the Master of Business Operational Excellence (MBOE) program and establish rigorous standards for Lean Six Sigma certification aligned with industry norms. She also was an instructor in the MBOE and MBA programs at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business.
She has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Dayton.
Session: The Cost of Poor Communication
What if the biggest obstacle to your business success isn’t competition but communication? Studies show that poor workplace communication costs businesses an average of $12,506 per employee annually and is responsible for up to $1.2 trillion in losses across U.S. companies every year. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this compelling keynote, Robert Heath, Sr. reveals how communication isn’t just a soft skill—it’s a hard driver of productivity, profitability, and organizational growth. Using real-world examples and actionable insights, he’ll help you uncover the hidden costs of poor communication and show you how to transform it into a powerful tool for competitive advantage.
Attendees will walk away with:
● A diagnostic lens: Learn how to identify the financial and operational impacts of communication gaps within your organization.
● Actionable strategies: Discover practical tools to foster transparency, accountability, and alignment that save money and improve results.
● A roadmap to growth: Gain insights on leveraging communication as a strategic driver for retaining talent, increasing customer satisfaction, and scaling your business.
Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or department manager, this keynote will challenge your thinking, inspire action, and show you how to elevate your organization by mastering the art of communication
Robert Heath, Sr.
CEO of The Legacy Leadership Consulting Group
Robert A. Heath, Sr. is an author, engaging communicator, and leading expert in Empowering Leadership. His work is centered on helping leaders get the best out of themselves and those who work for them. Robert received his JD, cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law. He also holds an MA in Teaching from Christian Brothers University, as well as dual BA degrees in Economics and Speech Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Robert served for 8 years as a United States Marine Corps Officer and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his leadership as a Commander of one of the largest companies in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Combining the Leadership principles he learned as an Officer and Company Commander in the United States Marine Corps with the personnel development strategies he has mastered over 20 years of leading, teaching, and coaching, Robert works with leaders who desire to increase productivity, initiative, and follow through; reduce stress; and get the very best out of their team on every project, regardless of who they may lead.
Exclusive Gift for GR Summit Attendees!
All attendees will receive a copy of Courageous Communication: How Great Leaders Create Alignment, Navigate Conflict, and Drive Meaningful Change by Robert Heath Sr.
Are your conversations creating clarity and connection—or just adding to the noise? In this game-changing book, Robert Heath, Sr. provides a powerful framework for leaders to navigate difficult conversations, build authentic relationships, and drive real impact in their organizations.
Whether you're a seasoned leader or an emerging changemaker, Courageous Communication will equip you with strategies to inspire teams, gain buy-in, and lead with empathy—all essential skills in today’s fast-paced world of continuous improvement.
Session: Continuous Improvement of Business Systems through Human-Centered Design
This interactive workshop session will provide participants an opportunity to develop a basic understanding of human-centered design principles and apply that mindset in a creative, team-based exercise. The discussion will begin with an overview of key methods and frameworks used to develop an understanding of customer and stakeholder needs including empathy mapping, customer journey mapping, and stakeholder mapping. The session will then shift to an in-depth conversation around a tool that can be used help organizations visually map the interaction between their customers, employees, and business support systems – the service blueprint diagram. The session will conclude by providing participants an opportunity to apply their learning as they work in teams to create a visual map of an aspect of their business and discuss how the tool can support continuous improvement of their systems. Participants will walk away with a few new references, tools, and insights they can use to them integrate stakeholder perspectives in their strategic planning efforts in the future.
Jon Moroney
Professor of Product Design | Ferris State University
Jon Moroney is a Professor of Product Design and the Coordinator of the Innovation Hub at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design. Jon has extensive experience applying human-centered design principles working as a product/service development consultant within several industries, developing several startup businesses, and leading innovation-focused initiatives within the university. His diverse background in design, business, and entrepreneurship fuels a collaborative approach to strategic planning that integrates stakeholder perspectives to drive innovation.
Wes Keely
Associate Director | Crowe
Wes Keely is a designer, entrepreneur, and educator specializing in human-centered innovation and experience design. With a background in industrial design and social innovation, he blends creativity, strategy, and problem-solving to develop scalable solutions that impact industries ranging from technology and healthcare to education and consumer products.
As Associate Director of Experience Design of the X-Lab at Crowe, Wes works with multidisciplinary teams in crafting business models, strategies, and innovative products. His passion for entrepreneurship extends into his role as an adjunct instructor at KCAD of Ferris State University, where he equips students with the skills to turn ideas into viable businesses. Additionally, as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Spartan Innovation, he mentors founders in refining their concepts, securing funding, and navigating the startup landscape.
Beyond his leadership in design and strategy, Wes is the founder of KBrakes, a globally recognized product line for drummers. His expertise in storytelling, prototyping, and experience design allows him to bridge the gap between creativity and business, helping individuals and organizations bring visionary ideas to life.
Session: Lean by Doing creates Operational Excellence
Lean isn’t just a concept—it’s an action. Join Brian as he shares how hands-on implementation is transforming his business into a lean powerhouse. Discover why doing is the key to success, how coaching can empower your team, and how a culture of continuous improvement unlocks excellence in everyone.
Brian Meyers
President | JCR Offroad
Brian, a passionate business owner, inspires others through his transparency and decisive actions. With an unwavering commitment to accomplishing goals and bringing others along with him, Brian has become a powerful force for growth and change. A recent convert to lean principles, he has received praise from global leaders, including Paul Akers, author of 2-Second Lean, who described his lean transformation as "nothing short of breathtaking!" Follow Brian as he shares the valuable lessons, he's learned on his journey toward building a world-class, lean-driven organization.
Performance by Lindsey O'Donnell
Lindsey O'Donnell
Grand Valley State University
Performing: An Cailín Alainn
Mezzo-soprano Lindsey O'Donnell is a senior at Grand Valley State University studying vocal performance. An avid lover of classical music, she has performed with numerous on-campus ensembles including the Early Music Ensemble, the New Music Ensemble, and the University Arts Chorale, and as a soloist for the GVSU Concert Series at St. Mark's and as part of the Opera Theatre. She recently partnered with the New Music Ensemble's student composers to premiere a song cycle highlighting Haiku texts. Lindsey has won several awards for her artistry, including the Alexander Calder Honors Scholarship, in which she competed against all mediums of art offered at Grand Valley. She is active in the local competition scene and can often be found performing the National Anthem at community outreach events. In addition to her vibrant performance life, Lindsey also enjoys teaching. She currently runs a music studio where she is a voice and piano instructor. When not singing, she enjoys studying languages, doing crafts, and traveling.
Sponsors
Parking
Please park in the Fulton Lot as indicated by the map below:
Hotel Block
We’re excited to offer a convenient hotel option for Summit attendees. Reserve your stay at the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown and enjoy a special group rate exclusively for our event participants.
Details
Booking Information:
Hotel Cancellation Policy
Guests can cancel their reservation without penalty according to the hotel’s standard cancellation policy.
Book your Stay Here
Stay tuned for more details!
New To The MLC?
At the MLC, we do our best to be inclusive at every level of experience, whether it’s a conference, Gemba walk or any other of our membership activities.
An individual or organizational membership gives you a year’s worth of great Lean learning and networking at low- or no-cost!
Summit Registration Cancellations
We understand that plans change. In the event you are unable to attend an event, refunds will be issued in full for cancellation refund requests received in writing via the events@michiganlean.org email at least seven (7) days before the event. Refunds will not be issued when less than a seven (7) day notice is provided. After submitting your cancellation refund request via email, please allow up to ten (10) business days for your refund to be processed. If the event is rescheduled, all purchases will be honored for the rescheduled event date. If the event is cancelled, all purchases will be refunded in full.
