Joshua Howell

Joshua Howell is senior coach, co-learning activities at the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), a global leader in lean management thinking and practice. Howell was a primary architect and implementer of the lean operating system for retail stores at Starbucks, where he also led and developed a team of coaches to sustain the lean transformation globally. As senior coach, Howell supports co-learning partnerships, develops onsite and public workshops, and conducts research into the implementation of lean business systems.

At Starbucks Coffee Company, Howell had extensive experience in managing stores and mentoring associates. As a process specialist, he designed and implemented a standardized routine for brewing coffee that improved quality, increased product availability, and reduced waste in stores. He also led cross-functional teams in applying the plan-do-check-act cycle of continuous improvement in multiple problem-solving initiatives.