The challenge

Miami Development Center (MDC) plays a critical role in supporting small and mid-sized businesses across South Florida.

Their mission

Help local entrepreneurs grow, create jobs, and build sustainable communities. But behind the mission, the organization was experiencing the same challenges as the businesses it served—rapid change, fragmented communication, and inconsistent leadership practices.

Managers were juggling multiple initiatives, each with different timelines, board members and community stakeholders. Teams were committed but stretched thin. Meetings were frequent yet left people unclear about next steps. Coaching for internal leaders had been reactive and mostly when it was too late.

One senior director summarized it perfectly: “We are advising small businesses to lead with clarity and courage—but we are not modeling that consistently ourselves.”

The goal

MDC partnered with Mind Market to design a customized leadership solution that would strengthen its internal leadership capacity and, in turn, enhance how the organization supports its internal and external clients.

The organization wanted more than another training—they wanted a leadership transformation that mirrored the values they teach.

Our approach

Mind Market’s solution began where all transformation begins with people. We listened, diagnosed, and co-designed a program that fit MDC’s mission and schedule.

1. Leadership discovery and assessment.

We conducted leadership interviews, 360 assessments, and focus groups with managers and business program directors. The insights were clear: MDC’s people were passionate, but their leadership practices were not consistent. Everyone cared deeply, but teams were working in isolation. They lacked trust in each other, and sometimes competed against each other.

2. The 90-Day leadership acceleration program.

We introduced a 90-Day Leadership Sprint a focused, practical approach to strengthening leadership agility and communication.

Leaders received individualized coaching and a personalized growth plan tied to real projects.

We offered weekly, high-impact workshops, to address imminent challenges.
Leaders practiced how to give feedback with respect, coach others, prioritize and lead community conversations with confidence.

the format blended one-on-one coaching, peer learning circles, and executive reflection meeting the leaders where they were, not pulling them away from their work.

3. Executive alignment during change.

We worked closely with two executives to establish a coaching culture inside MDC—equipping leaders with the tools they need to hold honest feedback conversations, delegate and respond, rather than react, to board member requests and urgent needs. The process included monthly strategy check-ins, where progress was reviewed, goals were clarified, blocks addressed, and wins celebrated.

The result

After just three months, the Center began seeing visible and measurable changes:

Business owners participating in MDC’s programs reported more consistent communication, faster decision-making, and a noticeable increase in follow-through from their MDC business development office. A key board member said, “You can tell they’ve changed how they lead. When they coach us, it’s not just advice it’s partnership.”

The impact

By strengthening leadership skills within MDC, the organization amplified its impact across the small business ecosystem. Leaders became better coaches. Teams became better collaborators. And local businesses gained access to stronger guidance, clearer expectations, and higher trust in the process.

“We cannot build strong communities without strong leadership. This program helped us walk our talk.” Ibis Alvarez.

At Mind Market, we believe that one size does not fit all.

We create customized leadership solutions that meet people where they work, empowering them to thrive and lead in dynamic environments where change is the norm, not the threat.

Mind Market helped MDC leaders pause, reflect, and build the muscle of humanity that connects people, purpose, and performance.

The Mind Market difference

At Mind Market, we believe that leadership isn’t a given—it’s a journey through self-awareness, acceptance, reflection, and intentional practice.

Our PhD-level team combines 125 years of corporate and community expertise to design people-centered programs that drive results where they matter most: in clarity, collaboration, and measurable outcomes.

We don’t offer off-the-shelf training. We build leadership ecosystems that transform how people think, connect, and lead.