Mike Rother is an American researcher renowned for introducing the business practices of Value Stream Mapping and Toyota Kata, which encompasses the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata. His work has significantly influenced modern management techniques within the manufacturing industry.

Rother has had affiliations with several prestigious institutes and universities. His career includes contributions at the Industrial Technology Institute in Ann Arbor, University of Michigan College of Engineering, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation in Stuttgart, and the Technical University Dortmund.