ESDP Corporate-Ready Accelerator Program 2026

Maria Halse Duloquin

Innovation Sprint Facilitator, MHD Innovation

Maria designs and facilitates hackathons, innovation sprints, and structured learning programs for corporate and startup teams across Europe, the Gulf, and the US.

With a background spanning consumer marketing, music, tech events, and design thinking, she brings creative energy and rigorous methodology to every session, making complex topics accessible, interactive, and genuinely fun.

Corporate clients include Aviva, Bel Groupe, Compass Group, and Artefact. Since 2018, she has trained 5,000+ participants at client events and Paris and Geneva business schools.

Session 1: Are You Ready? The Launchpad

Before you approach a corporate buyer, you need to know where you stand. In this opening session, we audit your business against what corporates actually check, from your pitch and pricing to your admin and online presence.

You will leave with a personal scorecard, your biggest gap identified, and one action to take before our next session.

Date & Time: Tuesday 28 April, 15:30–17:00 (CEST)

Session 2: The Corporate Buyer Journey

Ever wondered why corporates never call back? In this session, Andrea Fimian (CEO & Founder, fips consulting) will take you inside the buyer's world, how they search, shortlist & choose diverse business partners, and what happens after that first meeting.

You will map your own buyer journey and discover exactly where you are getting filtered out and how to fix it.

Date & Time: Tuesday 12 May, 15:30–17:00 (CEST)

Session 3: Relationship Building & The Art of the Follow-Up

Many diverse business owners stop following up far too early, missing the chance to build real relationships. In this session, Paulina Rabell (Managing Director, ESDP) will tell you what actually makes a business owner memorable, and we will build your personal follow-up system together.

Fair warning: You will write & send real follow-ups before the session ends. Bring your contact list.

Date & Time: Tuesday 26 May, 15:30–17:00 (CEST)

Session 4: RFP Compliance Made Simple

RFPs, insurance, certifications, documentation – the compliance mountain stops many great businesses before they even bid.

With Andrea Fimian (CEO & Founder, fips consulting), we will break it all down and work through a real RFP together. You will build your own compliance folder, so next time you are ready in minutes, not weeks.

Date & Time: Tuesday 02 June, 15:30–17:00 (CEST)

Session 5: ESG as a Competitive Asset

ESG isn't just for big corporations, it's becoming a requirement for their diverse business partners, too. In this session, an ESG expert explains what large companies are asking for, why the certification is a competitive advantage & how to tell your ESG story.

You will leave with a one-pager ready to share with any corporate buyer.

Date & Time: Thursday 18 June, 15:30–17:00 (CEST)

Session 6: Pitch and Feedback

The finale. You will pitch* live to a panel of real corporate buyers, get structured feedback, and bring together everything you have built across all 6 sessions into your complete corporate-ready game plan. We will celebrate how far you have come and send you off ready to win.

*Pitch priority given to those who have participated in most sessions.

Date & Time: Tuesday 30 June, 15:30–17:00 (CEST)

After completing the program, you will leave with:

🎯 A clear understanding of how corporate buyers actually find and choose diverse business partners.

● Understand procurement cycles.
● Understand risk, compliance, and decision-making layers.
● Understand why corporates don’t take chances.

📋 A compliance folder ready to go, no more scrambling for documents.

🤝 A live corporate pipeline tracker in place with personal follow-up strategy.

🏆 A refined pitch, tested with a buyer panel, and the confidence to play the long game.

💡And an actionable, corporate-ready game plan you can use from day one.

Join us and take the first real step toward becoming a corporate-ready business owner! 🚀