Great Lakes Seminars
Great Lakes Seminars, founded in 1998 in Toledo, Ohio, provides physical therapy continuing education through 30+ in-person, live hybrid, and webinar courses. It serves PTs, OTs, and athletic trainers across 23+ US states and runs the Synthesis CIMT and CTES certification programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersToledo, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Great Lakes Seminars does
Great Lakes Seminars is a privately held, founder-led physical therapy continuing education company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, founded in 1998. The company provides a curriculum of 30+ hands-on courses covering orthopedic manual therapy, including region-specific courses (Comprehensive Shoulder, Hip, Knee, Lumbar Complex, Cervical-Thoracic), specialty topics (Vestibular Rehabilitation, Pelvic Health, TMD Treatment, Headache, Myofascial Release, BPPV), and functional training. Its primary differentiator is a 75% hands-on, 25% lecture teaching methodology designed to make skills immediately applicable in clinical practice. The product is delivered through four channels: in-person courses hosted at facilities across 23+ US states, Live Hybrid Courses and Live Webinars delivered via Zoom, condensed EXPRESS Courses, and Private Course Hosting for individual healthcare organizations.
The business operates on a multi-stream revenue model. Individual clinicians register for public in-person courses at $350–$650 and for the multi-day Synthesis CIMT certification at $1,050. Healthcare facilities book Private Courses for their staff at $8,000 per 2-day engagement (up to 16 registrants, with $500 per additional registrant) and $4,850 for 1-day engagements. Live Webinars are priced as low as $119 for a 3-hour session. Course registration and event management run on the Arlo platform, and the company is additionally supported by Zoom for live delivery and Fortibus for SMS alerts. The CIMT (Certified Integrated Manual Therapist) and CTES (Certified Therapeutic Exercise Specialist) programs create a tiered certification pathway with prerequisite requirements and a public "Find a CIMT" locator.
Customer segments include licensed physical therapists and PTAs (primary), occupational therapists and OTAs, and certified athletic trainers, alongside healthcare facilities that purchase private on-site training. Named enterprise and mid-market customers include Premier Orthopaedics, OrthoAlliance, ATI Physical Therapy, Sparrow Health, Southern Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dynamix Physical Therapy, and Advanced Physical Therapy. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed venture funding, and is led by founder Patrick Hoban alongside President and Co-Owner Tony Castaldi; the core operating team is 1–10 employees supported by a 20+ person instructor network that all teach within the founder's synthesized GLS treatment philosophy.
Great Lakes Seminars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Great Lakes Seminars
- Legal name
- Great Lakes Seminars
- Website
- https://glseminars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Great Lakes Seminars, founded in 1998 in Toledo, Ohio, provides physical therapy continuing education through 30+ in-person, live hybrid, and webinar courses. It serves PTs, OTs, and athletic trainers across 23+ US states and runs the Synthesis CIMT and CTES certification programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Great Lakes Seminars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Continuing Education Services
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rehabilitation Support (PT/OT Aide) (EDAOAJAI)
Keywords
Where Great Lakes Seminars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toledo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Great Lakes Seminars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Public Course Registrations: Individual clinicians register for public in-person and live hybrid courses. Course prices range from $350 for 1-day courses to $650 for 2-day courses. Synthesis certification courses are priced at $1,050.
- Private Course Hosting: Healthcare facilities book private courses exclusively for their staff. 2-day courses are priced at $8,000 for up to 16 registrants with $500 per additional registrant. 1-day courses are $4,850. This provides predictable revenue per booking.
- Live Webinars: Focused 2-3 hour lecture-based webinar sessions on specific topics, approved for live CEU credit in most states. Differentiating Shoulder Pain webinar priced at $119 for 3 hours.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 2-Day In-Person/Live Hybrid Courses - Individual Registration |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Course Hosting - 2-Day |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Course Hosting - 1-Day |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Live Webinars - 3 Hour Sessions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Great Lakes Seminars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Great Lakes Seminars provides physical therapy continuing education courses through practical, hands-on learning, delivering 30+ in-person and online courses covering manual therapy techniques, orthopedic rehabilitation, vestibular therapy, pelvic health, and pain management. The company offers two certification programs (CIMT and CTES) and serves both individual clinicians and healthcare organizations through public course registration and private on-site course hosting. Courses are approved for live CEU credit in most states for PT/PTA, OT/OTA, and AT/CSCS disciplines.
Product overview
Great Lakes Seminars provides physical therapy continuing education as a unified platform of course delivery formats. The core offering consists of In-Person Courses (with 75% hands-on, 25% lecture structure) supplemented by virtual alternatives: Live Hybrid Courses (1-2 day Zoom-based courses), EXPRESS Courses (condensed 1-day online formats), and Live Webinars (2-3 hour focused sessions). The company also offers two certification programs: Synthesis CIMT Certification (a 4-day advanced certification requiring prerequisite completion) and Certified Therapeutic Exercise Specialist (CTES). Course topics span orthopedic manual therapy specialties including comprehensive treatments for body regions (shoulder, hip, knee, foot/ankle, lumbar, cervical-thoracic), specialized approaches (myofascial release, vestibular rehabilitation, pelvic health, TMD treatment, headache treatment, pain management), and functional training (balance, running, overhead athlete, corrective exercise). The company extends its reach through Private Course Hosting (on-site training for organizations) and Public Course Hosting (open registration courses at partner facilities).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- In-Person Courses
- Live Hybrid Courses
- EXPRESS Courses
- Live Webinars
- Synthesis CIMT Certification
- Certified Therapeutic Exercise Specialist (CTES)
- Private Course Hosting
- Public Course Hosting
Quantifiable outcome
- 75% hands-on learning with 25% lecture structure ensures immediate skill application
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Great Lakes Seminars
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Great Lakes Seminars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Great Lakes Seminars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ArlocoreArlo training and event software platform powers the course registration and event management system on Great Lakes Seminars' website. The platform handles scheduling, registration, waiting lists, and certificate delivery for all courses.
- ZoomcoreZoom video conferencing platform is used for live hybrid courses and live webinars. The platform enables real-time interaction between instructors and attendees for CEU-eligible online courses.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Great Lakes Seminars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MedBridge: Large subscription-based online CE and patient-engagement platform for PTs, OTs, and SLPs. Competes with GLS for the same clinician CEU budget but with a digital, on-demand model rather than instructor-led live courses.
- North American Seminars: Live and home-study PT/OT continuing education courses across orthopedic manual therapy and rehab topics. Direct competitor to GLS in self-paced and live CEU formats for the same clinician base.
- Great Seminars Online: Specializes in geriatric and orthopedic PT continuing education with online and live courses. Comparable subject-matter focus (manual therapy, geriatric rehab) and PT/OT clinician audience.
- Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute: Specialty pelvic health continuing education for PTs, OTs, and nurse practitioners with live courses, webinars, and certification pathways. Overlaps directly with GLS's Pelvic Health course line and clinician CEU delivery model.
- Allied Health Education: Provides live and online continuing education courses for PTs, OTs, and SLPs across orthopedic, neuro, and geriatric topics. Comparable course catalog breadth, delivery formats, and clinician audience.
- Evidence in Motion (EIM): Provides physical therapy continuing education, residency/fellowship programs, and certification tracks. Directly comparable to GLS in subject matter (orthopedic manual therapy, advanced clinical training) and PT/OT audience, with overlapping CIMT-style certification offerings.
- Institute of Clinical Excellence (ICE): PT-owned continuing education company offering live, hands-on and online courses for PTs, OTs, and ATs across orthopedic and sports topics. Closest direct competitor in methodology (mentorship-model, hands-on focus) and customer segment.
- Summit Professional Education: Provides live and online continuing education for PTs, OTs, SLPs, and educators across multiple disciplines. Comparable live course catalog and self-study CEU offerings for rehabilitation professionals.
- Motivations CEU: Continuing education provider offering live and online courses for PTs, OTs, athletic trainers, and massage therapists. Comparable course catalog and self-study/live delivery model targeting the same rehabilitation clinician audience.
Broad incumbents
- PESI (Professional Education Systems Institute): Large healthcare continuing education provider offering live seminars and online CEUs across PT, OT, nursing, counseling, and behavioral health. Overlaps with GLS on PT/OT live CEUs but at significantly greater scale and broader discipline coverage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Great Lakes Seminars social profiles
Digital presenceGreat Lakes Seminars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Great Lakes Seminars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Great Lakes Seminars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Great Lakes Seminars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Seminars
What does Great Lakes Seminars do?
Great Lakes Seminars provides physical therapy continuing education courses through practical, hands-on learning, delivering 30+ in-person and online courses covering manual therapy techniques, orthopedic rehabilitation, vestibular therapy, pelvic health, and pain management. The company offers two certification programs (CIMT and CTES) and serves both individual clinicians and healthcare organizations through public course registration and private on-site course hosting. Courses are approved for live CEU credit in most states for PT/PTA, OT/OTA, and AT/CSCS disciplines.
Is Great Lakes Seminars a public or private company?
Great Lakes Seminars is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Great Lakes Seminars founded?
Great Lakes Seminars was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Great Lakes Seminars based?
Great Lakes Seminars is headquartered in Toledo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Great Lakes Seminars make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Course Registrations are the primary driver. The others are private Course Hosting and live Webinars.
Who are Great Lakes Seminars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MedBridge, North American Seminars, Great Seminars Online, Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, Allied Health Education, Evidence in Motion (EIM), Institute of Clinical Excellence (ICE), Summit Professional Education and Motivations CEU. PESI (Professional Education Systems Institute) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Great Lakes Seminars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Great Lakes Seminars.
What industry is Great Lakes Seminars in?
Great Lakes Seminars's product category is Continuing Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOAJAI, Rehabilitation Support (PT/OT Aide). Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 8200.