Frameworks and Data Analysis for
Strategy and Competitiveness

About

Rich Bryden is an economist and strategist specializing in regional competitiveness projects and cluster mapping. He has collaborated extensively on projects across dozens of regions and countries and with organizations including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.

Rich joined Prof. Michael Porter at Harvard Business School for the launch of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness (ISC) in 2002, where he directed the groundbreaking development and launch of the U.S. Cluster Mapping Project. The project attracted tens of thousands of registered and subscribed users, and its success led to a major grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, enabling its expansion and integration with the Department’s Economic Development Agency programs. As Director of Information Products at the ISC through 2023, Rich contributed broadly to the Institute’s broader economic research agenda while developing analytical methods crucial for economic development analysis.

Since 2024 Rich has continued to work as a consultant with corporate strategy clients as well as sponsors of economic development projects including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce, and the Maine Jobs Council.

Rich holds an MBA in Analytical Finance and Economics from the Booth School at the University of Chicago and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University.

Marcela Merino is a Senior Consultant with over 20 years of experience in economic development, competitiveness, and shared value. She has led economic and social development projects in the US and abroad collaborating with private sector organizations, government agencies, and academia.

Marcela served as Project and Research Manager for the Guyana Development Initiative (GDI), a multi-year competitiveness project originally launched by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter with the goal of building shared prosperity in Guyana. Previously, Marcela worked at Harvard Business School as a Research Associate for the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness (ISC) led by Professor Michael Porter. At the ISC, she supported various competitiveness research initiatives and engagements focusing on strategy, economic development and shared value. Her work included engagements with the MOC Network, the U.S. Competitiveness Project and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC).

Marcela has managed multiple projects with a focus on competitiveness and private sector development. She worked for the Economic Growth team at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) to help launch the Pacesetters small business program and as a Researcher at McKinsey & Co. where she supported regional competitiveness engagements. As part of her international experience, she worked for the Economic Competitiveness Group (ECG) to help lead development projects including the National Competitiveness Nicaraguan Project and Export Market studies for the Honduran Investment and Export Promotion Agency (FIDE). She also supported project management efforts for Tufts University Food Aid Program in Honduras and the USDA Hurricane Mitch Reconstruction Project.

Marcela holds a Master’s degree in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University, an MBA from Antonio de Nebrija University in Spain, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Central American Technological University in Honduras.