Building on his insightful contribution to last December’s IPBN discussion on business in 2025, Ricardo led a focused session on how design thinking can serve as a strategic tool for international growth. Specifically, the session explored how ethnographic research and user-centered approaches can identify complementary products and inspire alliances across international markets—not just with customers, but with partners in adjacent or even unrelated industries.

Drawing from his extensive teaching on design thinking—including an 8-hour workshop grounded in the methodology of the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany—Ricardo helped participants navigate the shift from a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex ...