The scenario of business education in Brazil is undergoing a silent yet radical transformation. Market data shows that demand for executive training grew by 30% in 2023, with entrepreneurs increasingly seeking knowledge that can be immediately applied to sustain the growth of their businesses. A survey conducted by Group X, involving entrepreneurs and business owners from all regions of the country, reveals that 82% of business owners invest in training with a focus on management and scalability, while 41.7% point to innovation and market adaptation as their main goal when studying. The numbers reinforce a crucial point: the diploma is no longer the priority. What’s at stake is the survival and growth of businesses.
This shift exposes the fragility of the traditional executive education model, characterized by long academic cycles, high costs, and little connection with the reality of small and medium-sized enterprises. In Brazil, where 99% most companies are SMEs and account for more than 27% of GDP, and around 55% of formal jobs, most leaders cannot afford to wait two years to apply concepts learned in a classroom. They need immediate solutions to tackle cash flow, leadership, sales, and positioning issues in an increasingly competitive market. It is in this space that corporate education hubs have emerged as the true ‘new Brazilian MBA.’
The logic is simple: entrepreneurs don’t seek titles, they seek results. Unlike traditional MBAs, which often prioritize theory and academic methodology, hubs like Group X offer short programs, strategic mentoring, practical immersions, and access to an active networking circle. Learning comes from the experience of those who have lived in the market, made mistakes, succeeded, and now share applicable methods for the reality of entrepreneurs on the front lines of operations. ‘Business owners don’t have time for theory that doesn’t yield results. What they want is to learn today and apply tomorrow. Brazil’s new MBA doesn’t last four years: it’s continuous, practical, and market-connected,” says Jorge Kotz, CEO of Group X, which has already impacted 167,000 businesses across Brazil, which together have generated R$ 1 billion in revenue.
This movement is not restricted to major cities or the business elite. On the contrary: entrepreneurs from midsize cities and regional hubs, who previously had no access to high-level networks, now find in clubs and networking hubs a viable alternative for growth. More than just classes, they receive practical content coupled with connections that turn into partnerships, contracts, and expansion opportunities. It’s a model that democratizes access to strategic knowledge, bringing elite tools to businesses that, until recently, were off the radar of major financial centers.
