Great Lakes Seminars

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.

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

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

• Physical therapy continuing education
• Manual therapy certification
• Orthopedic manual therapy
• Continuing education units
• Clinical skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Toledo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ArlocoreTechnology or IntegrationArlo 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.
• ZoomcoreTechnology or IntegrationZoom 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GreatLakesSeminars
• Facebookfacebook.com/glseminars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-lakes-seminars
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatlakesseminars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Seminars