EC 056: Applying Lean Six Sigma to Boulder Hospice Care Thrift Shop Donations

In this podcast, I share the audio from an interview I did with Lynn McCullough and Joe Wojniak (pronounced why-knock). Lynn runs the TRU Hospice Thrift Shop in Boulder, Colorado. TRU Thrift Shop sells donated household items and clothes to raise money to provide hospice care services for those in need. Joe is her brother,

EC 055: Engaging Staff and Volunteers – Deconstruction and Reuse Conference

In this podcast, I share the audio from a presentation I gave to the Deconstruction and Reuse Conference in Pittsburgh, PA on October 29, 2019. The conference was setup by the Build Reuse (formerly Building Material Reuse Association). I was invited to speak based on my work with reuse organizations like ReStore and The Rebuilding

EC 054: Lean and Sustainability at Portland Business Alliance Sustainability Roundtable

In this podcast, I share the audio from a presentation I gave to the Portland Business Alliance (our local Chamber of Commerce). They have a Sustainability Roundtable each quarter, and I was asked to talk about my application of Lean to sustainability efforts. You can watch the video below to see the slides that accompany
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EC 053: Six Sigma Project to Improve Stadium Recycling

In this podcast, I share the audio from a presentation I created about a Six Sigma project I setup and facilitated a few years back. The project helped improve the recycling program at the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium. You can watch the video below to see additional photos and information that does not come

EC 052: Integrating Sustainability Into Your Lean Six Sigma Program Initiative at Dallas AME

In this podcast, I gave this presentation at the AME Annual Conference in Dallas in October 2016 called “Integrating Sustainability Into Your Lean Six Sigma Program Initiative” I discuss adding green into improvement initiatives, how to communicate sustainability to existing improvement personnel, how existing tools can be modified to consider environmental impacts, how organizations and

EC 051: Spreading Lean Six Sigma Nonprofit Volunteering Around the World

In this podcast, I share a presentation I gave at the 2019 IISE Annual Conference in Orlando, FL on May 19, 2019. For the past 3 years, Lean and Six Sigma practitioners in Portland (Oregon) have been volunteering with local nonprofits to teach and mentor them on process improvement. The focus has been on environmental reuse nonprofits

EC 050: Update on Lean Six Sigma and the Environment Progress

In this podcast, I share an update on my recent work to apply Lean and Six Sigma techniques to reduce environmental impacts. I discuss the following topics: Monthly Coaching Calls Green Banana Paper (Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia) IISE Annual Conference Volunteer Service Project Excellence in Sustainable Development Award Clothing nonprofit work Links IISE Sustainable

EC 047: Lean and Energy Efficiency with Kjell van Zoen of Energy 350

In this podcast, I share a presentation given by Kjell van Zoen, who was a lean consultant and small business owner, and who now runs the Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program for Energy 350. He explains how there are strong overlaps in SEM and Lean principles, and how he is applying his lean skills to

EC 048: How 8 Wastes Impact the Environment

In this podcast, I share a snippet of a talk from the Master Brewers Association of America Northwest District Spring Meeting. I spoke as part of Lean Portland, along with Matt Horvat and Maria Grzanka. The full presentation is available on podcast and video. Links EPA Toolkit (reference for slide) Master Brewers Association of America