The community aims to connect business leaders, promote the exchange of best practices, and facilitate networking to drive organizational innovation.
By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
EGADE Business School—Tecnológico de Monterrey officially launched the EGADE Innovation Community in Monterrey on October 8, consolidating its commitment to connecting and collaborating with innovation leaders to accelerate business development in the region.
This professional community has gone from strength to strength in Mexico City since its creation in 2023, propelled by Fernando Moya, director of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation at EGADE Business School, and Cristian Granados, professor in the same department.
The community is now expanding to Monterrey to promote the exchange of best practices and business networks.
Horacio Arredondo, dean of EGADE Business School, highlighted that this initiative aligns with the school’s strategy and commitment to innovation as a driver of sustainable development in Latin America.
Cristian Granados explained that the EGADE Innovation Community emerged in Mexico City in response to the initiative of Alma Álvarez, Global Innovation director for Grupo Bimbo, and has grown with itinerant sessions at the corporate offices of BBVA, McKinsey, Amazon, and Bayer, among others, addressing key topics such as decarbonization, clean energy and innovation culture.
The academic stressed that the community is based on four pillars: knowledge, networking, co-creation, and challenges, and that EGADE Business School acts as a neutral space where its members can share their challenges and experiences in a climate of trust.
The event included a panel moderated by Isaac Lemus, professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation at EGADE Business School, with the participation of Elisa Escalante, Marketing director at Oracle; Carlos Flores, Business Development leader at Wayra Hispam; and André Soresini, general director of the Vaccine Unit at Sanofi México.
They discussed topics such as the community’s impact on innovation management, the importance of capitalizing on professional diversity to foster innovation, and the prominent trends that affect industries.
Escalante mentioned that the community's diversity has enriched the way they approach challenges at Oracle, noting that diverse professional experiences enable more complete, effective solutions.
Flores commented that the community's "white flag" approach has been crucial to sharing challenges and solutions openly between companies from different sectors and highlighted that cross-sector collaboration enriches ideas.
Soresini then indicated that the community has allowed him to explore vulnerabilities and learn in a safe space, recognizing that problems in innovation are common to multiple industries.
The event ended with announcements on the next sessions in Monterrey and the launch of the EGADE Innovation Community in Guadalajara. It was followed by a networking space in which the participants had the opportunity to strengthen ties and share experiences.