Founded by Marilyn Zakhour in April 2020, Cosmic Centaurs emerged from the global shift to remote work. What began as a concept inspired by professionals on video calls—half business, half casual—has evolved into a premier organizational and leadership development firm helping MENA leaders build high-performing and deeply human workplaces. Five years later, the firm is launching major initiatives to shape the region’s leadership landscape.
Building Regional Influence and Global Credibility
Cosmic Centaurs has established a strong presence by supporting a diverse clientele, ranging from global tech giants like TikTok, Meta, and Adobe to regional champions such as the Misk Art Institute and Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA). In five years, the firm has supported over 35 organizations across 18 industries, impacting nearly 100,000 individuals in 92 countries.
Developing Proprietary Frameworks and Thought Leadership
A key milestone in the company’s journey was the 2021 design and trademark of The Omnichannel Organization® framework. This proprietary model helps leaders identify and remove barriers between strategy and execution by analyzing an organization’s culture, people, systems, and structure.
The firm has also contributed significantly to global discourse on the future of work, co-authoring two Harvard Business Review articles. Its 2025 article, “The Surprising Power of Team Rituals,” was the result of a three-year primary research study, placing insights from the MENA region on the global stage.
Championing Psychological Safety Across the Region
Cosmic Centaurs has become the first regional and official Arabic-language partner of the Fearless Organization Scan. This partnership makes the pioneering research of Harvard Professor Amy Edmondson on psychological safety accessible and measurable for organizations across theMiddle East.
Building on this, the firm is inviting organizations to participate in the 2025 Global Psychological Safety Report. This initiative offers companies a chance to shape a regional benchmark for workplace culture, gain tailored insights on their performance, and demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being.
The 2025 Cosmic Conference Shifting From Firefighting to Future-Building
The firm’s annual Cosmic Conference has become a key event for regional leaders. The 2025 conference, themed “The System is the Strategy: How the most effective leaders shift from firefighting to future-building,” will run from September 15 to November 4, 2025.
The conference will feature online sessions and in-person events in the UAE, KSA, and Lebanon. It will focus on systems thinking, exploring how leaders can design structures and processes that deliver results without constant intervention. For the first time, the conference will include the Beirut Leaders Circle on October 16th, a 3-hour peer-learning event for senior leaders and founders.
About Cosmic Centaurs
Cosmic Centaurs is an organizational and leadership development consultancy founded in 2020. The firm helps leaders and leadership teams make better decisions and effect sustainable change. It specializes in organizational development, leadership training, team effectiveness, and promoting psychological safety to build organizations that thrive and deliver on their strategies.
Source: Beirut Digital District
