Our Innovation builds innovative leaders, change agents and high-performance, innovative teams with the most effective business tools and capabilities to create DIAMOND-level products and services in companies and institutions.

We teach the most powerful soft skills: the Mental Models and Neural Circuits of Competitiveness that drive The Best Thinking Practices, the smartest decision-making, thinking outside the box, and the high-level performance of the greatest achievers in business, science, the arts, and sports, such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Picasso, Shakira, Michael Jordan, Jeff Bezos among others.

Scientific studies have proven that these powerful soft skills are not hereditary or genetic, but are acquired. Therefore, they can be effectively taught.

Our methodology is built on more than 35 years of integrative, transdisciplinary research, development, and innovation (R&D+i), building knowledge on the Root Causes of Economic and Social Development.

It draws on discoveries from Neuroscience (e.g., Eric Kandel, Nobel Laureate 2000), Behavioral Economics (e.g., Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate 2002; Richard Thaler, Nobel Laureate 2017), Psychology, Psychiatry, Organizational Development, Leaderrship, and the work of authorities in Business and Organizational Development, such as Michael Porter, Peter Senge, Clayton Christensen, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, Edward de Bono, and Ronald Heifetz. It is also built with the work of renowned scholars including Max Weber, Lawrence Harrison, Samuel Huntington, and Martin Seligman, among others.

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. Our Reserarch an Development work included five prototypes and the implementation of over 170 pilot programs in alliance with institutions such as: Office of the Presidency of Colombia, the Ministry of Commerce, the Government of Atlántico, the Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce, ACOPI, Macondolab of the Univesidad Simon Bolivar, which reached more than 4,000 beneficiaries until that moment.

Each of the four main applications described below includes evidence of the efficacy of our Innovation—along with videos featuring hundreds of attestations—that validate its effectiveness, outputs, and overall impact.

The Soft Skills Gap: A Key Barrier to Development and Prosperity

Soft skills have long been a central focus for scholars studying business development and productive lives. In the OECD document Social and Emotional Skills for Better Lives: Findings from the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills 2023, we read:

“At a time… where a multitude of disruptions require individuals to constantly learn, unlearn and relearn to find and adjust their place in life and work, individuals need skills that go beyond academic knowledge. These are skills like cooperation, empathy, and creativity to find solutions, or the persistence to get things done despite challenges. Such social and emotional skills underpin our ability to interact with other people and manage our own emotions and behaviour in healthy and productive ways.”

These skills—essential for making optimal decisions in the face of 21st-century complexities—are part of a broader global challenge tied to the role of soft skills and decision-making in achieving development and prosperity.

In fact, the ability to realize one’s full potential is crucial not only for personal fulfillment but also for promoting collective well-being. Numerous studies on underdevelopment—such as Lawrence Harrison’s Underdevelopment Is a State of Mind (1985) and Samuel Huntington’s Culture Matters (2000)—have long emphasized that long-term progress is rooted not only in economic factors but also in values, mindsets, and cognitive frameworks. They argue progress is absent in many countries because it is not based solely on economic factors, but also on values, mindsets, and collective cognitive frameworks. And in some countries, these constructs do not drive development forward, but rather hold it back..

Peter Senge, in The Fifth Discipline (1990), emphasizes how soft skills such as Mental Models, systems thinking, are essential for organizational learning and are foundational to building high-performance teams in companmies and institutions.

Unlocking cognitive, emotional, and social capacities empowers individuals to overcome limitations, fostering adaptability, creativity, and purpose-driven leadership. In doing so, they become better equipped to innovate, collaborate, and build sustainable futures—both for themselves and their communities.

Moreover, when individuals activate their full potential, they contribute to breaking the cycles of stagnation that hinder development at both local and national levels. Max Weber, in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905), was among the first to show how internalized beliefs and mental constructs influence economic behavior and institutional evolution.

The challenge we face is to find effective ways for people to learn and apply the most powerful soft skills in their daily lives—skills that enhance thinking processes, build key competencies, and support sound economic decision-making.

These capabilities not only promote personal prosperity but also drive business growth, national development and long-term, widespread societal progress.

Our Theory of Change

To cultivate innovative individuals and agents of change—equipped with the competencies to successfully face the disruptive challenges of the 21st century, optimize the use of Artificial Intelligence, build purpose-driven and highly profitable enterprises led by High-Performance Innovative Teams capable of creating DIAMOND-level products and services—as well as to shape well-rounded citizens with the skills to foster economic and social progress, prosperity, and the fight against poverty—it is essential to empower their minds with Optimal Thinking Practices.

They must become ACHIEVERS+.

The path to transformation begins with the elimination of disabled and limiting Mental Model Neural Circuits—Mental Inhibitors—such as fear of failure, lack of resilience, a resigned attitude, and corrosive traditions, among other worldviews that hinder individual and collective development.

At the same time, they must learn and apply in daily life the most powerful soft skills: the Mental Model Neural Circuits of Competitiveness—mental drivers that underpin the extraordinary performance of ACHIEVERS+ such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Picasso, Shakira, Michael Jordan, among many others.

Through this transformation, individuals will build optimal mental structures—complete with blueprints, templates, and foundations for consistently making optimal decisions and achieving long-term prosperity

But it goes beyond corporate success

These powerful mental tools are also game-changers in poverty reduction, empowering low-income individuals to break limiting behavioral patterns, make optimal economic choices, generate new income, unlock their potentials, and build prosperous futures.

When individuals master the core soft skills—the engines of strategic thinking, innovation, and smart decision-making—they become Change Agents, ACHIEVERS+: bold thinkers, agile leaders, and purpose-driven change-makers.

Whether your aim is to build a billion-dollar enterprise or to uplift marginalized communities, teaching these Best Thinking Practices delivers a transformative roadmap to excellence, impact, and sustained prosperity.

Core Applications

1. Creating high-performance, innovative teams — and DIAMOND products and services.

(40 hours program)

Key Beneficiaries

• Founders, business owners, senior managers, executives, stakeholders, and their teams.
• Founders, executive and Board of directors of institutions, institutional stakeholders, and their teams.

Identified Gaps and Areas for Improvement

According to the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) Document 4011 (2020) and the World Management Survey (WMS, 2022), managerial quality in medium, small, and micro-enterprises in Colombia ranks among the lowest in South America. As a result, the performance of their management teams is far from reaching the level of high-performing, innovation-driven teams.

Additionally, the study “Determinants of Accelerated Business Growth in Colombia” (Confecámaras, 2018) found an inhibitor Mental Model: that most business owners perceive innovation as a costly and risky endeavor—so much so that they believe the potential benefits are not worth the investment required. So they do not make the intent of innovating.

Methodology Highlights

• Tailored content based on audience profiling
• A seven-module curriculum (typically 40 hours) aligned with the program’s goals.
• The strategies and tools are provided to the manager and up to four additional executives in all in-person sessions. Additionally, in two hybrid sessions focused on enhancing corporate culture, all employees considered important by management are invited to participate.
• For special projects we provide a digital support platform and AI-powered mobile app for 24/7 reinforcement and implementation of tools and strategies
• The methodology is based on case studies of high-growth companies such as Zara, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Kiocera, Cosechas, Haceb, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Zappos, Procter & Gamble, as well as, the greatest achievers, like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Picasso, Shakira, Michael Jordan, among many others.

Participant attestations, Outputs, and Impact

2

Creating business clusters to boost local development

Key Benefitiaries

Business eco-systems that can benefit from inter-company linkages to optimize their growth and competitiveness.

Identified Potential

Business Clusters serve as a central mechanism for expanding economic activity and accelerating growth through structured inter-company collaboration. Defined as geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, and associated institutions in a particular field that both compete and collaborate (Porter, 1998)—foster innovation, increase productivity, and enhance competitiveness through knowledge sharing and resource pooling.

Empirical research has shown that firms operating within clusters tend to grow faster, innovate more frequently, and exhibit higher levels of employment and export activity compared to isolated firms (Delgado, Porter & Stern, 2010; European Commission, 2016). Moreover, clusters often attract investment, enable labor specialization, and support the development of localized value chains that benefit not only individual firms but also regional and national economies (OECD, 2007). In emerging economies, well-supported clusters have been linked to poverty reduction and inclusive growth by creating employment opportunities and fostering entrepreneurship at the local level (Humphrey & Schmitz, 2002).

Soft skills are crucial for business clusters, as they underpin the relational capabilities needed to work cooperatively despite economic disparities and divergent interests—through effective communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and collaboration. This is particularly relevant in the context of coopetition, a strategic concept where competing businesses collaborate in certain areas (such as R&D, lobbying, or training) while still competing in others like sales or market share.

Methodology Highlights

• Tailored content based on audience profiling
• A curriculum aligned with the program’s goals.
• The strategies and tools are provided to the key players in the eco-system and their teams in-person sessions. Additionally, in two hybrid sessions focused on enhancing cluster culture, all employees considered important by management are invited to participate.
• For special projects we provide a AI-powered digital support platform and mobile app for 24/7 reinforcement and implementation of tools and strategies.

Business Culture Plus in Action

The effectiveness of the Business Culture Plus methodology for clusters is evidenced through successful real-world implementations, such as the Cultural Tourism Cluster Project of Atlántico Department.

This initiative created a highly innovative -performance team with 50+ companies and institutions across highly diverse sectors—tourism, culture, restaurants, hotels, carnival, and companies—in a coordinated effort involving the Barranquilla District Secretariat of Culture and the Atlántico Department Secretariat of Tourism.

The project exemplifies how integrated methodologies and cluster-based strategies can drive territorial development through inter-sectoral collaboration and shared value creation.

Key Results from the Cultural Tourism Cluster Project of Atlántico Department

(June 2024-March 2025)

• Creation of a High-Performance, Innovation-Driven Team

A permanent innovation team was formed to implement and manage the full strategy.

• Carnival Marketing Innovation (2025)

The traditional promotion of the 4-day celebration of the UNESCO-recognized Carnival was expanded into a season-long offering—from January 1 to March 9—featuring a broad range of cultural tourism products and services.

This innovation has multiplied the sales potential of the Atlántico region’s entire tourism ecosystem by tens of billions of pesos. According to the Mayor’s Office, Barranquilla’s income during Carnival 2024 reached COP 810 billion.

• Launch of a Digital Commercial Showcase

A digital platform was launched to promote the extended Carnival season and tourism offerings. The campaign is currently being promoted through Google Ads in 11 countries: United States, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Panama, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela. 109.000 + potential tourists were impacted.

• Product & Service improvement

Participating companies and institutions began processes to upgrade or create DIAMOND-level products and services.

• Increased Travel Bookings

Partner travel agencies have reported increased bookings for Carnival 2025.

• Fourth-Level Linkages Established

Strategic, cross-sector collaborations were developed between key cultural and tourism offerings across Atlántico.

• Development of Year-Round Tourism Products

New products and services are being designed under the concept of “Carnival All Year” to extend cultural tourism beyond the traditional season.

Complete information on the project and results

3

Teaching poor communities how to drive their own development and fostering local development at the neighborhood level

(From 40-82 hours)

Key Benefitiaries

Residents of low‑income neighborhoods—families, community leaders, grassroots organizations, and micro‑entrepreneurs.

Identified Gaps and Areas for Improvement

The “UN-HABITAT Guide for Prevention in Neighborhoods: Towards Policies of Social Cohesion and Citizen Security” (2010) emphasizes that when communities are not united and lack social or cultural control references, they may be more prone to fostering violent behaviors. Conversely, when they possess Community Social Capital, are organized as active and well-structured entities, they serve as a shield against corrosive processes and become the best support for government programs.

Lawrence E. Harrison, in his book Underdevelopment Is a State of Mind: The Latin American Case (1985) and other publications, argued that the root of underdevelopment lies in the mind. This idea is further highlighted in his collaborative work with Samuel P. Huntington, Culture Matters (2000). There is a clear need for soft skills that promote Optimal Thinking Practices, which in turn drive development. Numerous studies have found this phenomenon not only in Latin America but also in Africa and Asia. As early as 1905, Max Weber, in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, identified the relationship between mental content influencing decisions and development processes.

Families often harbor corrosive narratives rooted in dependency on paternalism and other inhibitory Mental Models and Neural Circuits, which instead of propelling them toward progress, reinforce the vicious cycle of poverty and even validate behaviors bordering on criminality.

Methodology Highlights

• Tailored content based on audience profiling
• A curriculum aligned with the program’s goals.
• The strategies and tools are provided to the parents, leaders and key people of the neighborhood in all in-person sessions. Additionally, in six teleconferences, all offspring from all families are invited to participate.
• For special projects we provide a AI-powered digital support platform and mobile app for 24/7 reinforcement and implementation of tools and strategies.

Participant Feedback, Outputs, and Impact

4

Coaching for ACHIEVERS+, Change Agents, and tailor-made interventions for special Human Capital challenges

Key Benefitiaries

Audience 1: Individuals who aspire to fully develop their personal and professional potential — to become the DIAMOND version of themselves.

Audience 2: Business and organizations facing significant Human Capital challenges.

Identified Potential

Many individuals aspire to fully develop their personal and professional potential—to become the “DIAMOND” version of themselves. Yet most lack a clear process or guidance to achieve this transformation. This absence of structured development not only limits individual achievements, but also constrains the broader progress of countries, which fail to realize their full potential as a result.

In fact, underdevelopment is often the consequence for countries that fail to fully cultivate their human and institutional potential. It tends to persist in contexts where prevailing mental models are shaped by resignation, fear of failure, or rigid adherence to tradition, among others. Meaningful development requires the identification and elimination of these limiting Mental Models-Neural Circuits—known as Mind Inhibitors—that obstruct progress and innovation.

Developing one’s full potential is essential not only for personal fulfillment but also for advancing collective well-being specially to tackle the complex challenges of the 21st century.

Methodology Highlights

• Tailored content based on audience profiling
• A curriculum is built aligned with the program’s goals.
• The strategies and tools are provided to the individuals and/or the key players in-person sessions. Additionally, in two hybrid sessions focused on enhancing cluster culture, all employees considered important by management are invited to participate.
• For special projects we provide a AI-powered digital support platform and mobile app for 24/7 reinforcement and implementation of tools and strategies
• The methodology is based on case studies of high-growth leaders and companies such as Zara, Apple, Cosechas, Haceb, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Zappos, Procter & Gamble, and many others.

Participant Feedback, Outputs, and Impact

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

Chief Research Officer and CEO

Manuel María Márquez Angulo

President, The Center for Competitiveness and Innovation
Senior Consultant | Cluster Strategist | Innovation Leader | Chief Research Officer

For over 30 years, he has led programs and advised governments and companies to boost innovation, competitiveness, and productivity.

• He created the proprietary methodology Business Culture Plus®, certified in 2013 by the Government of Atlántico and six universities. This tool has helped organizations develop DIAMOND-level products, services, and high-performance teams.

• Over 7,000 businesses and individuals have benefited from his innovation and productivity programs.

• He was invited to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. for a year of training.

• Mr. Márquez Angulo has co-created major projects in Colombia and the U.S., including ABConsultants (Miami), Barranquilla Port Society, Probarranquilla, Barranquilla’s Water and Sanitation Company, Triple A, and Carnaval de Barranquilla S.A.

• He has provided strategic support for Latin American companies expanding into the U.S., including Super Brix, which has delivered 600+ food processing plants to over 60 countries.

• He leads the Cultural Tourism Program of Atlántico, a regional initiative to grow the tourism sector. It is implemented with support from ACOPI, COTELCO, ACODRES, the Government of Atlántico, the District of Barranquilla, and over 45 companies.

• In 2005, he co-led leadership programs with Dean Williams of the Harvard Kennedy School.

• In 1994–1995, he co-launched Colombia’s first competitiveness technology transfer initiatives with experts from MIT and collaborators of Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline.

• In 2011, with Jorge Ramírez of Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, he co-developed strategic management programs in Colombia.

• He has served as Director at ANDI, Fedemetal, Barranquilla Real Estate Board, and Probarranquilla. In 1998, he founded ABConsultants in Miami to support Latin American companies in global expansion.

• He holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad del Norte and has 40+ years of consulting experience in Colombia and the U.S.

• A founding member of the board to the Regional Competitiveness Commission of Atlántico (2009–2020).

• Mr. Márquez Angulo is also a philanthropist, committed to develop free programs for poor communities.

• He is the author of The Secret Code of the Gods: The Mental Models of Competitiveness, a pioneering work applying neuroscience to business and personal growth.