Cultural Tourism Program of Barranquilla and Atlántico

PROJECT TO CREATE THE CULTURAL TOURISM CLUSTER OF ATLÁNTICO

AT A GLANCE

This initiative was designed and developed by Manuel María Márquez & Associates – The Center for Competitiveness and Innovation, through its Innovation: Business Culture Plus, which teaches the most powerful soft skills to create Optimal Thinking Practices, High-Performance Innovative Teams, and DIAMOND Products and Services.

The project has been executed in partnership with ACOPI, ACODRES, COTELCO, the Nature Tourism Cluster, the main business associations of this industry, in alliance with the institutions which are the cultural leaders of the city: Carnaval de la 44, Carnaval de la 84, Noche de Tambó, more than 50 leading actors from business, culture, and tourism in Atlántico, and with the support of the Mayor’s Office and the Governor’s Office.

Business Culture Plus is the result of 30 years of research, experimental development amd Innovation (I+D+ï). After five prototypes, more than 170 pilot programs, and the publication of a 646-page book on the subject — The Secret Code of the Gods (2013) — six universities and the Government of Atlántico, through a formal written document, recognized our Intellectual Property ownership of our Neuroscience Innovation: Business Culture Plus:The Mental Models–Neural Circuits of Creativity, Innovation, and Excellence.

This innovation is designed to boost Productivity and Competitiveness, build High-Performance Teams, and combat Poverty.

VISION

By 2035, Barranquilla-Atlántico will be the paradise of Global Cultural Tourism,
because here there is Carnival and Memorable Tourism Experiences all year round.

Progress Toward Achieving our Vision:

Disruptive Innovations in Barranquilla Carnival Marketing

The Carnival, a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, was traditionally marketed as a four-day event. This short-term view was disruptively transformed through the following innovations:

1-Promotion of the Carnival through a digitally marketed Commercial Showcase — an initiative that did not exist prior to our project — positioning the Carnival as a much longer season, extending from January 1 through the end of the high season in late February or early March.

2-A commercial platform was launched to promote this tourism offering, currently marketed digitally via Google Ads in 11 countries: the United States, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Panama, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela.

This innovation has significantly increased the potential sales of the entire Atlántico tourism system by tens of billions of pesos, according to the city government. Barranquilla generated 810 billion COP in revenue during Carnival 2025, and participating travel agencies substantially increased their bookings for the event..

Click on this line to view the initial website

3- Creation of the Annual Event: Barranquilla Nomad Paradise
An annual event conceived for the digital nomad community, designed to make Barranquilla the happiest milestone in every digital nomad’s yearly journey. The event is promoted through its dedicated website and digital marketing strategy.

4-Carnival Welcome Fests
Created to encourage the general public who visit Barranquilla for Carnival to extend their stays in the city. This event also has its own website and digital marketing campaign to attract and engage visitors.

These disruptive marketing strategies are reinforced by additional initiatives currently being implemented by the entire network of partner institutions and enterprises.

Complementary Strategic Actions

5-A High-Performance Innovative Team was established to work permanently on implementing the overall strategy.

6-Participating companies and institutions have begun processes to create and/or elevate their products and services to DIAMOND status.

7-Fourth-level collaborations have been established among major tourism and cultural entities in Atlántico.

8-New tourism products and services are being developed under the “Carnival All Year Round” approach.

The full report on the impact of the commercial showcase during the first period of the project leading up to Carnival 2025 is included below. It contains Google Ads metrics, Lead Pages data, and interviews with tourists who stayed for more than seven days.

Click on this line to view the full report.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM AND ITS CONTENTS

This program is the result of research initiated in 2021 by Manuel María Márquez y Asociados – The Center for Competitiveness and Innovation, aimed at determining the impact of COVID-19 on global tourism flows and at generating linkages between the tourism and cultural sectors of Barranquilla and Atlántico, within a Cluster-type structure.

The Post-COVID Shift in Global Tourism

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed to millions of high-income professionals in the Knowledge Economy—particularly in the United States and Europe—that life can end in an instant. In response, they began actively seeking LIFE—to live more fully and meaningfully.

Research showed a substantial increase in Digital Nomads, a significant cultural transformation within the Knowledge Economy, and the massive economic impact these travelers generate in their destinations. It also revealed that their main interest lies in Memorable Tourism Experiences, especially those rooted in Cultural Tourism.

787 BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR

The search for life-enriching experiences has led to longer stays at destinations offering Memorable Tourism Experiences—from three-day visits to stays lasting several months, as seen in cities such as Mexico City and Madrid.

Digital Nomads are bringing millions of dollars and euros to destinations that provide this type of experience. In 2024 alone, there were 40 million Digital Nomads worldwide, 47% of them from North America, generating USD 787 billion in local economies.

DIGITAL NOMADS SEEK MEMORABLE TOURISM EXPERIENCES

Like those lived at the Barranquilla Carnival.

"¡Que me quiten lo bailao!" — as the Carnival song says.

Barranquilla–Atlántico is a quintessential Cultural Tourism destination, thanks to its Carnival and its many related experiences, making it an ideal place for Digital Nomads.

The Carnival’s tourism power is so significant that in 2023 and 2024, the World Travel Awards (WTA)—the “Oscars of Tourism”—recognized Barranquilla as South America’s Leading Festival Destination.

Traditionally, only the final four days of the Carnival are well known, but Carnival activities actually begin as early as June of the previous year, increasing toward the end of the year. This means the destination is capable of offering Carnival-related events year-round—indeed, two such events were already organized in June 2024.

In recent years, both the Barranquilla District Government and the Atlántico Department Government have invested heavily in infrastructure projects such as the Riverside Promenade (Malecón del Río), Puerto Mocho, several newly developed beaches, the Puerto Colombia Gastronomic Center, Tren de las Flores, Ecoparque Mallorquín, the Río Cruise, inclusion in the World Kite-Surf Championship, and promotion of Event Tourism.

These initiatives have led to numerous new tourism experiences, giving Atlántico the comprehensive offer it needs to increase tourist stays.

With all this new tourism infrastructure, combined with the Carnival’s many related experiences and the rich cultural tourism of its municipalities, Barranquilla–Atlántico is now ideally positioned to become a top destination for Digital Nomads.

WHY A CULTURAL TOURISM CLUSTER?

Despite its vast array of Memorable Tourism Experiences, Barranquilla–Atlántico still lacks recognition among Digital Nomads.

The project was conceived as a pathway to design and implement a strategy that would captivate Digital Nomads and turn them into ambassadors of our tourism destination.

To achieve this, it was deemed essential to establish fourth-level linkages among key sector stakeholders and provide them with the most advanced Neuroscience-based and High-Management tools, enabling them to form a High-Performance Innovative Team to co-create the strategy collectively.

The project design used the Business Culture Plus Innovation Methodology, developed and owned by Manuel María Márquez y Asociados and The Center for Competitiveness and Innovation, whose Intellectual Property Rights were formally recognized in 2013 by six universities and the Atlántico Department Government.

Business Culture Plus, a methodology specialized in creating Collective Intelligence, High-Performance Innovative Teams, and DIAMOND Products/Services, has proven highly effective for aligning actors from diverse backgrounds whose differences often pose major challenges to collaboration and co-creation.

CHALLENGES FOR BARRANQUILLA AND ATLÁNTICO

The research also found that, to optimize income potential from Digital Nomads, the Barranquilla–Atlántico tourism offering must address several key challenges:

BELOW-INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

High-income tourists expect the same standards they enjoy in developed countries. Many traditional and emerging tourism experiences in Atlántico do not yet meet those expectations, particularly those led by micro-entrepreneurs in the Popular Economy, such as nature tourism providers, Carnival folklore groups, or beach vendors in Sabanilla, whose business development remains limited.

LACK OF TOURIST SUPPORT

Tourists often find themselves without adequate information or cultural orientation to understand the city or its experiences. There are no strong strategies to connect year-round business tourists with new attractions or with the Carnival.

LACK OF TOURISM PRODUCTS

Many tourism opportunities remain untapped—both cultural and recreational. Initiatives like “En Barranquilla se Baila Así”, or experiences leveraging the Malecón, Mallorquín, the Tajamar Train, and the river represent immense potential for new products and enterprises.

LACK OF COORDINATION

There is insufficient articulation between new tourism experiences and the Carnival, and among the experiences themselves and the tourists.

LACK OF INNOVATION

Creative processes that drive innovation and maximize the monetization of tourism experiences are missing. Barranquilla’s nightlife is minimal, and spaces such as the Gran Malecón could host ongoing cultural events that currently do not exist.

INABILITY TO PRODUCE “WOW” EXPERIENCES

Existing gaps prevent the creation of fully memorable, “WOW”-level experiences that build top-of-mind recognition, loyalty, and positive storytelling, transforming tourists into destination ambassadors.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

The local weaknesses described above are part of a broader national challenge that has been diagnosed by several studies identifying structural gaps in key areas such as Innovation, Effective Management, and Sustainability—all of which limit Colombia’s sustainable economic and social development.

The international consultancy Monitor Company, commissioned by the Ministry of Development and Confecámaras in 1994, diagnosed the presence in Colombia of certain psychological factors known as Mental Models–Neural Circuits, which inhibit optimal individual and collective decision-making in economic and social development.

Similarly, CONPES 4011 (2020) and the World Management Survey (WMS) revealed that Colombia ranked last in South America in management quality among small and medium-sized enterprises—and, naturally, among microenterprises in the Popular Economy.

Additionally, the study “Determinants of Accelerated Business Growth in Colombia” (Confecámaras, 2018) found that an inhibiting mental model is preventing innovation in the country. It concluded that “most entrepreneurs view innovation as a costly and risky activity, to the point that they consider the benefits of innovating less attractive than the costs involved.”

This, however, is a fallacy easily disproved by countless real-world examples—such as the case of Cosechas, a company that created a disruptive innovation from the simplest of products: natural fruit juices. This innovation permanently transformed that market.

THE SOLUTION: CREATING A HIGH-PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TEAM WITHIN THE CULTURAL TOURISM SYSTEM – THE CULTURAL TOURISM CLUSTER, BARRANQUILLA–ATLÁNTICO

To address the challenges outlined above, bridge the existing gaps, and establish fourth-level linkages, the Business Culture Plus methodology calls for the creation of a High-Performance Innovative Team (HPIT), whose work should focus on:

Identifying the areas and strategies needed to raise the standards of Atlántico’s Tourism System to international levels.
Developing creative processes to design new tourism products, consolidate existing offerings, and define the articulations and support systems that strengthen Atlántico’s tourism ecosystem—transforming high-income tourists into Ambassadors of Barranquilla and Atlántico.
Defining the stages and steps required to implement the strategies.
Forming work teams to execute and monitor those strategies.
Encouraging the active involvement of various sector stakeholders in the process of raising Atlántico’s tourism system to global standards.
Engaging government entities in the implementation process.
Promoting other collectively designed initiatives aimed at optimizing opportunities within Atlántico’s tourism system and fostering sustainability practices across the sector.

WHAT IS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TEAM?

A High-Performance Innovative Team is a group that consistently achieves innovation, optimal

productivity, and superior performance.

Such teams operate within a powerful organizational culture of excellence (Collins & Porras, 1994), built upon the Mental Models–Neural Circuits of Innovation, Competitiveness, and Excellence (Márquez, 2015).

This model—an innovative technological development—cultivates the soft skills that underpin optimal thinking practices and drive Optimal Decision-Making. It is protected by copyright and intellectual property rights, recognized in a 2013 document signed by six universities and the Government of Atlántico.

High-Performance Innovative Teams are inspired, committed, and aligned with their organization’s Vision, Purpose, and Goals. They are driven toward optimal decisions and high levels of Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration, Resilience, Continuous Learning, and Flexibility.

These teams activate their most powerful potential, using cutting-edge management strategies and tools to build internal processes and make strategic decisions.

Organizations that develop High-Performance Innovative Teams are naturally led toward INNOVATION, because:

Their Mental Models–Neural Circuits stimulate brain processes powered by neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which enhance creativity.
Their organizational culture possesses the competencies needed to nurture and consolidate the “baby innovations” that emerge within.

Such organizations become leaders in their fields because they are in constant pursuit of excellence. They possess the agility (Scott Keller, McKinsey & Company, 2022) and collective intelligence (Senge, 1990) that allow them to find optimal pathways, optimize resources, and produce superior results.

Peter Senge, the renowned organizational development theorist and author of The Fifth Discipline, notes that this type of team can be achieved not only in companies, but also in community organizations, the arts, sports, and entertainment.

When people are asked what it’s like to be part of such a team, they describe bei

ng part of something greater than themselves, connected, innovative, and generative. For many, participating in such teams represents one of the most meaningful and fulfilling periods of their lives.

THE PILLARS OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TEAMS

Monitor Company identified that certain mental models influence individual and collective decision-making. Some inhibit optimal decisions, while others enhance them.

The Mental Models–Neural Circuits of Innovation, Competitiveness, and Excellence—that is, the soft skills that create optimal thinking practices—generate an organizational culture that promotes Competitiveness, Sustainability, and Institutional Growth. These are the pillars that drive Optimal Decision-Making, High Achievement, Productivity, Innovation, Sustainability, Resilience, Collaboration, the Pursuit of Excellence, and Lifelong Learning.

Research by five recent Nobel Laureates in Economic Behavior and Decision Science, as well as studies by the World Bank’s Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit, have provided empirical support for these findings—especially Daniel Kahneman, who demonstrated that most decision-making processes are intuitive and automatic, and that the root causes behind them are precisely these Mental Models–Neural Circuits (Márquez, 2015).

Scholars K. Anders Ericsson, Neil Charness, and Benjamin Bloom have likewise found that certain mental models are consistently present in individuals who achieve extraordinary performance in the arts, sciences, and sports.

Many iconic entrepreneurs began their journeys with minimal resources but with the right mindset and team culture:

José María Acevedo, once an errand boy, founded Haceb with only a screwdriver and pliers.
Amancio Ortega started Zara making shirts at home.
María de Chávez created Jolie de Vogue from her kitchen.
McDonald’s began in a small stand.
Bill Gates, still a student, founded Microsoft from a payphone.

These examples show that while founders’ leadership and management skills are essential, they cannot succeed alone—they required High-Performance Innovative Teams built on the Mental Models–Neural Circuits of Innovation, Competitiveness, and Excellence.

NEUROSCIENCE: THE TRIGGER FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS

Business Culture Plus Innovation is the result of 35 years of Research and Experimental Development (R&D+i). The project benefited from collaboration with experts from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who transferred cutting-edge technologies to the methodology.

It directly addresses the gaps identified by Monitor Company (1994), CONPES 4011 (2020), and Confecámaras’ 2018 study, Determinants of Accelerated Business Growth in Colombia.

Business Culture Plus builds upon the principles of Michael Porter, the world authority on competitiveness, who asserts that accelerating business development requires strategies and high-level management tools that drive Optimal Strategic Decisions, Innovation, and a True Competitive Strategy based on High Differentiation. Porter emphasizes that traditional business development programs, while useful, are insufficient because they focus only on operational and technical survival tools.

PROJECT EXECUTION

OBJECTIVE

To create a High-Performance Innovative Team (HPIT) within the Atlántico Tourism System,

equipped with the competencies needed to transform the system into one capable of captivating high-income Digital Nomads and turning them into ambassadors of Barranquilla and Atlántico.

COMPOSITION OF THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TEAM OF THE ATLÁNTICO TOURISM SYSTEM

This is a free program designed for leaders representing the diverse actors within Atlántico’s Tourism System — including hoteliers, travel agencies, the Nature Tourism Cluster, restaurateurs, production guilds, and media organizations, among others.

The team was composed of 40 to 60 participants.

The plan called for a total of seven working days (56 hours), during which participants would receive scientific and technical content and use Collective Intelligence to design strategies that would bridge the gaps and overcome the challenges of Atlántico’s tourism system — with the goal of attracting and retaining the new global flows of high-income tourists.

As a result of the Collective Intelligence process, the team would define additional working sessions (if needed), determine the next steps, and establish mechanisms to implement the decisions made.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

INITIAL ALLIANCES

Manuel María Márquez y Asociados and The Center for Competitiveness and Innovation initially invited ACOPI (the Colombian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises) to join as a strategic partner, given its national leadership and the fact that micro, small, and medium enterprises (MiPymes) make up the majority of the cultural tourism sector. Some adjustments to the project were made in collaboration with ACOPI.

The Nature Tourism Cluster, which represents entrepreneurs offering tourism experiences beyond the Barranquilla-Carnival circuit, was also invited, along with COTELCO, the leading association of the hotel sector.

Before the knowledge transfer phase began, three preparatory meetings were held at ACOPI between June 12 and July 28, during which participants were selected for the program.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND EXECUTION

Due to the particularities of Atlántico’s tourism system, it was not possible to execute the Business Culture Plus methodology in its originally planned intensive four-day format. Instead, it was divided into shorter sessions of one to two days, which limited the impact of some neuroscience-based modules and the delivery of certain contents.

APPLICATION OF BUSINESS CULTURE PLUS

The project was formally launched on August 21, with the support of ACOPI, the Atlántico Department Government, the Barranquilla Department of Culture, the Nature Tourism Cluster, COTELCO, ACODRES, and 46 additional institutions and companies — including Carnaval de la 44, Carnaval de la 84, travel agencies, the Tour Guides Association, and others.

Between August 21 and September 17, participants completed 40 hours of training using the Business Culture Plus innovation methodology.

During this phase, the team received neuroscience-based tools, including the Mental Models–Neural Circuits of Competitiveness, as well as high-management strategies employed by global business leaders such as Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, and Amancio Ortega.

These concepts are grounded in the work of world-renowned experts such as:

Michael Porter (Competitiveness)
Peter Senge (Organizational Development)
Ronald Heifetz (Leadership)
Clayton Christensen (Innovation)
Edward de Bono (Creativity)

Through this training, participants acquired the competencies required to function as a High-Performance Team, developing Collective Intelligence that empowers them to think and make decisions innovatively — “out of the box.”

CO-CREATION PHASE

Building on the competencies acquired through the Business Culture Plus methodology, participants engaged in a 16-hour co-creation process between September 24 and October 3.

During these sessions, the team collectively defined the strategic agenda for implementation, outlining the actions required to realize the vision:

“By 2035, Barranquilla–Atlántico will be the global paradise of Cultural Tourism.”

NEXT STEPS

The next phase involves:

Continuing the implementation of the co-created strategies.
Expanding participation among key tourism, cultural, and business actors.
Strengthening the digital promotion of Barranquilla–Atlántico as a Cultural and Digital Nomad Destination.
Developing new DIAMOND-level tourism products and services aligned with the “Carnival All Year Round” approach.
Monitoring progress and consolidating institutional alliances to sustain the cluster’s evolution.

FINAL REMARKS

The Cultural Tourism Cluster of Atlántico represents an unprecedented collaborative effort among the region’s leading institutions and entrepreneurs. Through innovation, collective intelligence, and strategic coordination, the initiative is positioning Barranquilla–Atlántico as a tourims destinatioin all year long.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS FROM HARVARD AND MIT, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Experts we have contracted and brought to Colombia from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have transferred to us cutting-edge strategies and technologies in our core areas of work: Neuroscience, Innovation, Strategic Management, Leadership, Psychology, and Organizational Development.

assachusetts Institute of Technology.

Click on this line to view press records of technology transfers from Harvard and MITM

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

After 30 years of research and experimental development, five prototypes, more than 170 pilot programs, and the publication of a 646-page book on the subject — The Secret Code of the Gods (2013) — six universities and the Government of Atlántico, through a formal written document, recognized our Intellectual Property ownership of our Neuroscience Innovation: The Mental Models–Neural Circuits of Creativity, Innovation, and Excellence.

This innovation is designed to boost Productivity and Competitiveness, build High-Performance Teams, and combat Poverty.

Click on this line to download the Intellectual Property Ownership document

Among other content from global authorities in business development, our innovation incorporates tools and technological advancements from:

1-Applied neuroscience, derived from the research of Nobel laureate Eric Kandel.
2-Mental Models–Neuronal Circuits of Innovation, Competitiveness, and Excellence, for individual and collective empowerment.
3-Michael Porter, global authority on Competitiveness and Director of the Institute for Strategy 4-and Competitiveness at Harvard University.
4-Peter Senge, global authority on Organizational Development, from MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
5-Ronald Heifetz, global authority on Leadership, from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Rosabeth Moss Kanter, authority on Trust and change processes.
6-Edward de Bono, global authority on Creativity.
7-Clayton Christensen, global authority on Innovation.
8-Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner in Behavioral Economics.
9-Organizational Psychology, for the creation of High-Performance Teams.

THE CENTER FOR COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION

We are a center for the Development of Innovations and Technology Transfer from leading global hubs of business knowledge, such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Our mission is to generate knowledge, and Innovations, VALUE for business and communites, that drives growth and increases profitability and economic and social development and improves the efficacy struggle against poverty.

For over 30 years, our leadership team has developed the Business Culture Plus Innovation, a methodology designed to create DIAMOND Products/Services, boost productivity, competitiveness, and innovation, and build high-performance, innovation-driven teams within businesses and different institutions and organizations.

In 2013, our Intellectual Property Rights for this Innovation were certified by six universities and the government of the Atlántico Department, in Colombia. This recognition followed a technology transfer process involving experts we contracted and brought to Barranquilla from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Harvard. At that time our work included the development of five prototypes and the implementation of over 170 pilot programs in alliance with diverse institutions for more than 4,000 beneficiaries.

One of the current applications of Business Culture Plus is the Cultural Tourism Cluster Project in the Atlántico Department, which we are currently leading. This initiative brings together over 50 companies and institutions from highly diverse sectors—including culture, carnival, and business—in a coordinated effort supported by the Barranquilla District Secretariat of Culture and the Atlántico Department Secretariat of Tourism.

Over the years, we have successfully delivered numerous programs to thousands of individuals, companies, and institutions, including:

Office of the President of the Republic of Colombia-ANSPE
Ministry of Commerce – Innpulsa
Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce
Government of the Atlantico Department
ACOPI (Association of Small and Medium Enterprises)
ACRIP (Colombian Association of Human Resource Management)
Armenia and Quindío Chamber of Commerce
Universidad del Norte
RCN Radio
Telecaribe
MacondoLab (entrepreneurship accelerator at Universidad Simón Bolívar)
Fondo Mixto de Cultura de Sucre

TESTIMONIALS FROM BENEFICIARIES OF OUR PROGRAMS

Over time, we have conducted programs for the Ministry of Commerce – Innpulsa, the Sucre Mixed Culture Fund, Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce, ACOPI, ACRIP, the Chambers of Commerce of Armenia and Quindío, Universidad del Norte, RCN-Radio, Telecaribe, Macondo-Lab (business accelerator of Universidad Simón Bolívar), ANSPE – Presidential Advisory Office for Poverty Reduction, among others.

Click on this line to watch a video of testimonials from program beneficiaries at Club Los Lagartos in Bogotá

Click on this line to watch a video of testimonials from program beneficiaries for the Ministry of Commerce – Innpulsa at Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá.

Click on this line to see written evaluations from program beneficiaries for the Sucre Mixed Tourism Fund.

Click on this line to watch a video of testimonials from a program for executives, professors, and entrepreneurs at the MacondoLab business accelerator.

Click on this line to watch a video of testimonials from a program for entrepreneurs and business owners.

Click on this line to watch a video of testimonials from a program for officials from the Atlántico Governor’s Office.

Click on this line to watch another video of testimonials from a program for entrepreneurs and business owners

Click on this line to watch another video of testimonials from two programs (2009–2010) for journalists.

Manuel María Márquez Angulo, President of The Center for Competitiveness and Innovation, has for over 30 years designed programs to promote Innovation, Competitiveness, Business Productivity, and Social and Community Development, as well as to advise and support companies and government entities in creating Innovative High-Performance Teams and in their Competitiveness and Innovation programs. He has also supported numerous companies in expanding operations to the United States and successfully entering the North American market.

He has been co-manager of major companies in Colombia and the United States, including: Sociedad Portuaria de Barranquilla, Probarranquilla, Sociedad de Acueducto, Alcantarillado y Aseo de Barranquilla, and Carnaval de Barranquilla SA.

In 2005, he co-created and led, together with Dean Williams, Director of the Global Leaders Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Harvard, academic programs to transfer cutting-edge business leadership technology to Colombia.

In 1994–1995, he co-created and implemented, with experts from the team of the best-selling author Peter Senge, from the MIT Doctorate in Business Administration, the first programs to transfer Competitiveness technology to Colombia.

In 2011, together with Jorge Ramírez from the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School, and Michael Porter’s right-hand person for Latin America, he co-created and executed programs to transfer advances in Strategic Management to Colombia.

He was invited for one year to the United States Congress in Washington for training on the U.S. Market and Economic System.

In 1998, he founded ABConsultants, a consultancy in Miami specializing in supporting entrepreneurs in expanding their activities in the North American and international markets. He has served as Director of ANDI, Fedemetal, Lonja de Propiedad Raíz, and Probarranquilla.

He holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad del Norte, with over 40 years of experience in the United States and Colombia as a Senior Consultant for companies and institutions.

Philanthropist: Throughout his life, he has promoted altruistic and free programs for the development of the most disadvantaged communities.

Author of the book El Código Secreto de los Dioses: Los Modelos Mentales de la Competitividad, a global innovation in the field of individual and corporate Competitiveness, which contains the State of the Art in applications of Neuroscience to business and individual development.

PRO-BONO SOCIAL WORK FOR POOR COMMUNITIES

For over thirty years, as a complement to his research and business activities, the founder and CEO of The Center for Competitiveness and Innovation has promoted free programs to fight poverty by applying our Neuroscience Innovation to strengthen the skills of community leaders, enabling them to exercise constructive and inspiring leadership within their communities.

Over time, we have created High-Performance Teams to drive improvement processes in neighborhoods and communities and to generate entrepreneurial initiatives within the Popular Economy.

Additionally, our program involves the families of participants, turning them into Winning Family Teams.

See some testimonials of the results of our programs:

Click this line to see testimonials from the program on developing individual skills and transforming lives.

Click this line to see testimonials on the coordination of various boards executing self-managed projects with their own resources to build better municipalities.

Click this line to see testimonials from the program on developing skills for Self-Managed Community Work

Click this line to see 33 letters signed by more than 1,700 community leaders requesting our program from the Atlántico Government.

Click this line to see the positive evaluation of our courses from 15 groups of community leaders.

! En Barranquilla se Baila Así !

! En el Caribe se Vive Así !