ConCriterio · Market Innovation Thinking Lab

Market Innovation Thinking Lab · MITL

Knowledge
that moves
markets

We produce strategic market intelligence for organizations that need to decide with evidence. Where the conductivity of value can expand and systemic friction can be reduced — that's where we operate.

Diagnosis of commercial traction and market conductivity. We identify where value flows in your organization and where friction blocks it — with evidence, not assumptions.
View portfolio Learn about TGSIH →
25+
Years of practice
100+
Projects
15+
Sectors
LAC
Regional reach
ConCriterio · Market Innovation Thinking Lab ConCriterio · brand petals
TGSIH® — Proprietary methodology
Conductivity · friction
in market systems
Explore

Market intelligence for decisions that transform.

Portfolio

Five service lines,
one purpose.

Every project activates knowledge flows in complex market systems. The lines operate together or independently — always with methodological rigor and aimed at results that transform decisions.

Market Intelligence & Diagnosis

We produce strategic knowledge about markets, consumers, and ecosystems so organizations can make decisions with evidence. We integrate ethnography, behavioral analysis, quantitative research, and data science. We don't deliver reports: we deliver criteria for deciding.

Deep qualitative Quantitative Ethnography SNA · Networks Mixed methods

For whom: Mid-size and large companies, marketing departments, and general management teams that need to deeply understand their customers, segments, and markets.

Market Exploration & Intelligence ▼
Understanding of competitive environments and market dynamics. Competitive intelligence and strategic monitoring. Qual + quant research (PLS-SEM). Characterization of consumer profiles, behavior, and perception. Mystery shopping. Competitive scenarios and weak signals.
Strategic Analysis & Segmentation ▼
Advanced segmentation and stakeholder convergence. Evaluation of concepts, prototypes, products, and services. New markets, channels, and growth opportunities. Data analysis (Python · GIS · Bibliometrics). Technology monitoring and trend identification.
Behavior, Experience & Brand ▼
Customer Journey Map and Service Blueprinting studies. Brand architecture, brand equity, and brand stretch. Strategic communication for traction. Satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy studies. Consumer behavior with an ethnographic and psychological approach.
International Markets ▼
Exploration and evaluation of markets in more than 10 countries. Consumer research across diverse cultural contexts and internationalization of Colombian products and services. Sectors studied (Innovation Shop · Colombia Productiva · 2025): agroindustry and food (avocado, coffee, infusions, dried foods), health and wellness (skincare, haircare, blood derivatives), applied technology (software, AI, cybersecurity, automation), engineering and construction, textile manufacturing, and professional services. Countries: USA, Mexico, Spain, Peru, Chile, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico.
CAMB Innovation Diagnosis

We apply ConCriterio's own diagnostic instrument to measure an organization's value-exchange capacity in its market. We don't diagnose isolated problems: we map the entire system — trust, access, regulatory framework, and knowledge — to identify where the lever for transformation lies.

Systemic diagnosis CAMB Proprietary methodology Opportunity map

For whom: Companies, institutions, and ventures that want to grow, enter new markets, or understand why they aren't gaining traction as expected.

The four CAMB dimensions ▼
C — Trust: How trustworthy customers perceive the value proposition to be.
A — Access: How easy it is to reach, use, and participate in the market.
M — Regulatory framework: How favorable the regulatory and institutional environment is.
B — Knowledge band: How well the organization understands its customers, trends, and opportunities.
Diagnosis deliverables ▼
Map of strengths and frictions by dimension. Organizational conductivity profile. Map of prioritized opportunities. Differentiated value proposition. Actionable strategic recommendations.
Application modes ▼
Express diagnosis (2–4 weeks) to identify critical frictions. Full diagnosis (6–10 weeks) with ecosystem analysis. Comparative diagnosis for portfolios of companies or ventures (funds, incubators, trade associations).
Market & Innovation Strategy

We accompany organizations through commercial and strategic transformation processes. We design business models, map innovation ecosystems, and facilitate decision-making processes in complex environments. Includes AI-applied-to-markets workshops and foresight analysis.

Strategy Ecosystems Applied AI SDGs Foresight

For whom: Management teams, innovation funds, accelerators, development agencies, and organizations leading transformation processes or scaling business models.

Strategy & Business Models ▼
Strategic support in commercial transformation. Design and redesign of business models (Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Design). Scaling prototypes and innovation to market. Strategic niche management (MLP). Planning with a complex-systems approach.
Ecosystems & Impact Innovation ▼
Stakeholder mapping and analysis (AMR). SDG strategy and alignment with sustainability agendas. Circular economy and recovery markets. Territorial development and community innovation. Change management and cultural transformation processes.
AI Applied to Markets ▼
Artificial intelligence workshops for research and strategy teams. AI-assisted detection of weak signals and emerging trends. Semantic and narrative market analysis. Cognitive infrastructure for organizations that produce knowledge.
Applied Academic Research

We produce research with academic standards applied to real-world problems. Systematic literature reviews, bibliometric analysis, social network analysis (SNA), and rigorous methodological design. We bridge academia and practice — a space few organizations occupy credibly.

Bibliometrics SNA · Gephi Systematic review Publications

For whom: Universities, research centers, think tanks, public institutions, and doctoral researchers who need a methodological partner with practical experience.

Research Design & Production ▼
Methodological design for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research. Systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis (VOSviewer, Gephi). Knowledge network and co-citation analysis. Scientific infographics and research data visualization.
Research for Publication ▼
Collaboration with university networks and research centers. Support in producing articles and book chapters. Participation in applied research projects with Colombian universities and international partners.
TGSIH — Frontier Research ▼
The General Theory of Human Exchange Systems (TGSIH®) is ConCriterio's proprietary research framework. Developed with doctoral rigor and empirically validated, it offers an original perspective on how markets operate as sociotechnical systems. Access for researchers by agreement.
Training & Knowledge Transfer

We design and facilitate learning experiences in market research, innovation, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. From 2-hour talks to specialized diploma programs. Multidisciplinary teams are assembled to fit each engagement.

Workshops Talks Diploma programs Applied AI Custom-built

For whom: Universities, trade associations, chambers of commerce, companies, academic events, and professionals seeking high-level training grounded in practice.

Available topics ▼
Market research and applied ethnography. Strategic innovation and ecosystem management. Sustainability, SDGs, and circular economy. Artificial intelligence for market research. Social network analysis (SNA) and bibliometrics. Innovation methodologies: Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas.
Formats & modes ▼
Keynote talks (2–3 hours). Intensive workshops (half day – full day). University modules and short courses (8–20 hours). Specialized diploma programs (40–80 hours). Modes: in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Teams assembled to fit each project.
Teaching history ▼
Teaching at 9 Colombian universities: EAFIT, UPB, UdeA, EIA, ColMayor, UdeMedellín, ITM, IU Envigado, U. San Buenaventura. Georgia Tech Train the Trainer (2025). Innovation Shop / Calidad 2.0: 700 hours of training support for 35 MSMEs across 4 regions.
Sample of ConCriterio clients (2013–2026)
Novaventa · Grupo Nutresa Pintuco Pactia / Gran Plaza ITM Constructora Concreto Colcafé Asocolflores CTA Antioquia Veolia – Indugevi CFA / DGRV Corpocaldas Colombia Productiva · IDB IU Envigado City of Medellín Fundación Nutresa

Markets as living systems. Knowledge as structural advantage.

Proprietary methodology

TGSIH® — General Theory
of Human Exchange Systems

TGSIH is ConCriterio's original theoretical framework. It starts from a central premise: markets are not pricing mechanisms — they are human exchange systems where value flows, gets blocked, and is transformed between actors, institutions, and territories.

The theory operates with three key concepts: gradient — the impulse that drives exchange; conductivity — the ease with which value circulates in the system; and systemic friction — the forces that block it. Diagnosing a market means mapping how these three elements interact.

From this perspective come concepts such as organizational cognitive architecture — the deliberate design of how an organization produces knowledge — and existential conductivity — the ability to connect knowledge, experience, and technology to generate understanding that moves markets. Original theoretical framework. Intellectual property of the author, operated by ConCriterio®.

Discuss its application
C
Trust
How trustworthy actors perceive the value proposition to be within the system.
A
Access
How easy it is to participate, reach, and use the market's mechanisms.
M
Regulatory framework
How favorable the regulatory, institutional, and rule-based environment is.
B
Knowledge band
How well the organization understands its market, customers, and trends.
ConCriterio · brand mark
TGSIH® · REGISTERED IP · DNDA COLOMBIA
⚡
Conductivity diagnosis
How well value flows through each exchange mechanism in your organization — and where it's lost before reaching who it should.
🔍
Systemic friction mapping
We identify exactly where the blockages are — transaction costs, cultural barriers, network structures — and how they interact.
🚀
Intervention design
Portfolios of mechanisms that amplify conductivity and reduce friction. Not generic recipes: interventions designed for the specific system.
Frontier concepts that guide our work
Existential conductivity
An organization's ability to connect knowledge, experience, and technology to produce understanding that generates market value.
Cognitive architecture
The deliberate design of the systems through which an organization produces, processes, and applies knowledge to make better strategic decisions.
Systemic friction
The forces that block the flow of value in a market: regulatory, cultural, network, or cognitive. Diagnosing them is the first step to reducing them.
Epistemic infrastructure
Knowledge production and validation systems as a structural competitive advantage. The foundation on which a next-generation market lab operates.
Sociotechnical intelligence
Hybrid human–AI systems that interpret and act on complex markets and social systems with a depth no single tool can achieve on its own.
Augmented researcher
The professional profile that emerges when AI amplifies — without replacing — human analytical judgment. Contextual interpretation as an irreplaceable differentiating advantage.
87
Mapped mechanisms
5
Analysis zones
DNDA
Registered IP · Colombia
CAMB
Applied diagnosis
🔒 The complete TGSIH methodology is available exclusively to active clients and academic partners under prior evaluation and a confidentiality agreement. Original theoretical framework — Intellectual Property of the author, operated by ConCriterio®. Access granted personally by Carlos Mejía.
Want to apply TGSIH to your organization?
Request access or schedule an initial conversation with Carlos Mejía · Director, ConCriterio.

Conducting value requires understanding the friction that blocks it.

Projects & trajectory

100+ projects.
Two decades of practice.

A trajectory built on methodological rigor and closeness to the real problems of organizations across Colombia and Latin America.

100+
Projects
15+
Sectors
13
Years in operation
★ SDG
Impact projects
Sectors worked
Food & consumer goods
Direct sales
Construction & real estate
Paint & home
Publishing & culture
Sustainability & circularity ★
Rural cooperativism ★
Environment ★
Urban tourism ★
Higher education
Applied research
Business innovation
Productivity & internationalization
Innovation policy ★
Exports & LAC + USA + Spain + Malaysia markets
Featured clients & projects · ConCriterio 2013–2026
Novaventa / Grupo Nutresa
Food · Direct sales · Colombia
Multiple projects
Pintuco
Paint & home · Colombia
Consulting
Pactia / Gran Plaza
Real estate · Colombia
5 cities
ITM
Higher education · Colombia
Institutional brand
Asocolflores
Agroindustry · Peru & Chile
International
Noel – Puerto Rico
Food · Puerto Rico
International
Veolia – Indugevi
Circular economy · Colombia
SDG ★
CFA / DGRV
Rural cooperativism · Colombia
SDG ★
Corpocaldas
Environment · Caldas
SDG ★
CTA Antioquia
Sector innovation · Colombia
Innovation ★
Colombia Productiva · IDB
12 countries · agroindustry, health, tech, manufacturing
International ★
IU Envigado
Higher education · Colombia
Academia
City of Medellín
Urban tourism · Colombia
SDG ★
Fundación Nutresa / UdeA
Social impact · Colombia
SDG ★
El Malpensante / Opc. Gráficas
Publishing · Colombia
International

Partial list · ConCriterio maintains confidentiality on the methodologies applied in each project · Full track record available upon request · 2013–2026

Carlos Andrés Mejía Beltrán has more than 25 years of experience in applied research, consulting, and teaching. This is his complete professional story — before and after founding ConCriterio. ← View ConCriterio projects

Period Role / Company Description & key achievements
2023 – Present ConCriterio — Stage II
Innovation Lab		 Evolution into a market and innovation lab. Projects with CTA-ANDI, Colombia Productiva/IDB (35 MSMEs, 10 countries, 700 hours), IU Envigado, CFA/DGRV, Corpocaldas. Georgia Tech Train the Trainer. LAC HUB for Transformative Innovation Policy.
2020 – 2026 PhD in Technology and Innovation Management
UPB / EAFIT		 Research: General Theory of Human Exchange Systems (TGSIH®). Author's intellectual property registered with DNDA Colombia.
2013 – 2022 ConCriterio — Stage I
Market Intelligence		 Founding and development of ConCriterio. 100+ projects with Novaventa, Grupo Nutresa, Pintuco, Pactia, ITM, Constructora Concreto, Colcafé, Asocolflores (Peru/Chile), Noel (Puerto Rico), Fundación Nutresa, City of Medellín, among others.
2017 Master's in Marketing
Universidad de Medellín		 Thesis: Applied Ethnographic Research Manual — Researcher's Journal. Deepened expertise in qualitative methodologies and market ethnography.
2008 Specialization in Global Market Management
Universidad EIA		 Meritorious recognition for thesis: Seduction in brand advertising communication.
2006 – Present University lecturer
9 universities		 Teaching in market research, consumer behavior, strategic marketing, and innovation. EAFIT · UPB · Universidad de Antioquia · EIA · ColMayor · UdeMedellín · U. San Buenaventura · ITM · IU Envigado.
2007 – 2013 Director of Research
Pigmalión		 Methodological leadership of market research projects for major corporations: Bancolombia, Almacenes Éxito, Suramericana, Coca-Cola (Latam), Familia-Sancela, Distroller, Bureau Medellín. Specialty: ethnography and consumer psychology.
2003 – 2006 Director, INCUGENESIS / Analyst, SURA Director of a business incubator, Eastern Antioquia. Analyst in the health sector (SURA). Specialization in Global Market Management (EIA).
2000 – 2005 Project Director
Mercadeo Gerencial		 Start of his career in market research and consulting. Projects with Argos, IBM, Aerolíneas ACES, EPM, Lotería de Medellín.
1997 – 2003 Management Engineering
Universidad Nacional de Colombia		 Medellín campus. Academic-performance scholarship. Teaching assistant, Pedro Nel Gómez Chair (Canal U).

Full résumé available upon request · carlosamejia@concriterio.co

The lab that connects evidence, theory, and action.

About us

The lab and its director

Carlos Andrés Mejía Beltrán · Director, ConCriterio
Researcher Consultant Lecturer PhD GTI TGSIH®
Carlos A. Mejía Beltrán
Founder & Director · ConCriterio® · Market Innovation Thinking Lab · MITL

Researcher, consultant, and university lecturer with more than 25 years of experience in applied market research, innovation management, and strategic analysis. I understand markets as complex exchange systems where the conductivity of value can be amplified and systemic friction reduced — and I design every project from that vantage point.

Management Engineer (Universidad Nacional de Colombia), Specialist in Global Market Management (EIA), Master's in Marketing (Universidad de Medellín). PhD in Technology and Innovation Management (UPB / EAFIT). Author of TGSIH® — General Theory of Human Exchange Systems, an original theoretical framework with Intellectual Property registered with DNDA Colombia.

ConCriterio works with multidisciplinary teams assembled to fit each engagement — ensuring that the team that understands the problem is the team that solves it.

✉ carlosamejia@concriterio.co 💬 WhatsApp LinkedIn ↗
25+
Years of practice
9
Universities taught at
10+
Countries studied
What is ConCriterio today?

A market intelligence and innovation lab at the intersection of applied research, strategic consulting, and frontier thinking. We start from the premise that markets are living exchange systems — and we work where conductivity can expand and systemic friction can be reduced. We build cognitive architectures that let organizations produce knowledge, anticipate trends, and decide with real evidence. We are not an agency. We are a lab that connects evidence, theory, and action.

Markets & territories

Projects by geography

Consulting, research, and innovation projects. Includes markets studied under the Colombia Productiva / Innovation Shop program (2024–2025).

Consulting · Company
Ecosystem · SDG
Research · Academia
Innovation · Institutional
Markets studied

★ Projects with SDG impact · Hover over each pin for details

Institutional teaching experience
Universidad EAFIT Univ. Pontificia Bolivariana Universidad de Antioquia Universidad EIA Colegio Mayor de Antioquia Universidad de Medellín Universidad Nacional de Colombia ITM IU Envigado

Contact

Let's talk about your project

If your organization needs to better understand how its market works — where the friction blocking growth is, or how to innovate with real evidence — this is the right place. Carlos Mejía personally replies to every message.

What kind of project do you have in mind?
Market research
Strategy & innovation
Ecosystems & SDGs
CAMB diagnosis
Training & workshops
Academic partnership
Public sector / government
TGSIH access

Carlos Mejía replies personally · Typical response time: 24–48 hours · concriterio.co

✓
Message sent
Carlos will contact you within the next 24–48 hours.
You can also reach him directly via WhatsApp.
Direct contact
✉
carlosamejia@concriterio.co
Primary email · personal reply
💬
Write on WhatsApp →
Medellín, Colombia
🔗
linkedin.com/in/carlosamejia79
LinkedIn · professional profile
🔒 TGSIH portal access
The portal includes the complete methodology, an interactive diagnostic tool, and technical documentation. Fill in your details and get immediate access to the Panel — your registration goes straight to Carlos Mejía.
ConCriterio
Innovation Lab