In an era where the pace of technological change continually outstrips traditional business structures, many organizations find themselves grappling with an innovation paradox: they know they must evolve, but struggle to execute that transformation effectively. At the heart of this challenge lies a growing gap between aspiration and action. MHD Innovation, a boutique agency founded by Maria Halse Duloquin, is addressing that gap head-on with high-impact hackathons and innovation sprints designed to catalyze results—not just ideas.
Maria Halse Duloquin, a British-Mexican strategist and producer, leads MHD Innovation as its Hackathon Lead and Innovation Facilitator. With an approach that combines design thinking, strategic clarity, and immersive facilitation, Duloquin’s work brings rigor, urgency, and creativity to corporate innovation efforts. “Most companies say innovation is a priority, but very few give their teams the time and space to actually do it,” she explains. That insight has become a driving force behind her agency’s rapid rise as a trusted partner for both global enterprises and fast-growing startups.
MHD Innovation specializes in delivering tailor-made innovation experiences—primarily through 24- to 48-hour hackathons—where cross-functional teams come together to solve real business problems under conditions of creative constraint. These events are far from superficial brainstorming sessions. Each is a highly structured engagement that enables teams to design, build, and pitch real prototypes in a matter of days. “Hackathons are pressure-tested playgrounds for collaboration,” Duloquin says. “They shake up hierarchy, unlock real ideas, and make innovation feel energizing again.”
With a background that spans marketing, international business, finance, music, education, and tech events, Duloquin offers a rare combination of corporate fluency and creative dexterity. Her career trajectory reflects a multidisciplinary perspective that informs every engagement she leads. “I bring heart and high performance,” she notes. “I’m not just a facilitator—I’m a strategist, a producer, and a partner in bold thinking.” This versatility has proven critical in helping clients build real momentum across departments and leadership levels.
MHD Innovation’s events are not designed to entertain—they are built to deliver. At a time when 83% of companies rank innovation among their top three priorities but only 3% believe they are prepared to meet those goals, the need for structured, outcome-oriented interventions is acute. By crafting bespoke challenges and guiding teams through rapid ideation and execution cycles, Duloquin empowers organizations to move from inertia to impact. “I don’t just run workshops—I build momentum. My job is to help companies move from stuck to shipping,” she emphasizes.
Clients across sectors—from luxury retail to public policy—are turning to MHD Innovation for its ability to bridge the gap between big-picture thinking and tangible results. Whether running a 150-person hackathon or a focused sprint with a single team, Duloquin remains directly involved throughout each engagement. Her hands-on approach ensures that every event is grounded in strategic relevance and delivered with precision. This commitment to quality and personalization is a cornerstone of the agency’s value proposition.
What sets MHD Innovation apart in a crowded field is its integrated approach to innovation facilitation. Rather than treating creativity and strategy as separate disciplines, Duloquin weaves them together to deliver experiences that are both inspiring and actionable. “Every hackathon brings teams closer to a better way of working,” she says. That philosophy underscores the agency’s belief in experimentation, diverse collaboration, and results-driven design as foundational tools for transformation.
The company also distinguishes itself by rejecting the “innovation theatre” that often dominates the corporate landscape. Its events prioritize real outputs over theoretical frameworks, ensuring that teams walk away not only with ideas but with prototypes and action plans. “This isn’t about trends or buzzwords,” Duloquin explains. “It’s about doing the hard work of making innovation real in complex organizations.”
As a women-led agency, MHD Innovation reflects Duloquin’s personal commitment to inclusive leadership and representation in the innovation space. By intentionally amplifying diverse voices and fostering environments of psychological safety, the agency helps teams tackle challenges from multiple perspectives. This inclusive ethos has become a core differentiator and an engine of creativity within the agency’s work.
The article’s themes—spanning from the growing innovation execution gap to the power of hackathons as catalysts for cultural and strategic alignment—resonate at a time when many businesses are re-evaluating how they pursue change. With economic pressures intensifying and consumer expectations evolving, the ability to deliver meaningful innovation rapidly is more valuable than ever.
Maria Halse Duloquin’s journey with MHD Innovation stands as an example of how agile, values-driven leadership can unlock new pathways to success in today’s innovation economy. Her agency continues to deliver structured experiences that shift mindsets, align stakeholders, and produce prototypes with the potential to shape the future of business. For companies ready to stop circling ideas and start building them, MHD Innovation offers a clear path forward—fast, focused, and grounded in real results.
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