Building Momentum for Base of the Pyramid
(BOP) Initiatives Through Conferences
NextBillion.net emerged from the successes of Eradicating Poverty Through Profit: Making Business Work for the Poor, held in 2004. Since the inaugural meeting, WRI and other organizations have convened events at which "base of the pyramid" strategies take center stage.
Eradicating Poverty Through Profit [0]
San Francisco, California: December 12-14, 2004
[0]In December 2004, World Resources Institute (WRI) organized a first-of-its-kind conference, attracting over 1000 attendees, exploring the role the private sector can play in poverty alleviation and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, while at the same time, serving the interests of its stakeholders. Is it possible, in other words, to "do well and do good" at the same time?
[0]In December 2004, World Resources Institute (WRI) organized a first-of-its-kind conference, attracting over 1000 attendees, exploring the role the private sector can play in poverty alleviation and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, while at the same time, serving the interests of its stakeholders. Is it possible, in other words, to "do well and do good" at the same time?Business With Four Billion: Creating Mutual Value at the Base of the Pyramid [0]
Ann Arbor, Michigan: September 9-11, 2007
[0]The William Davidson Institute [1] (WDI) at the University of Michigan and the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University [2] hosted "Business with Four Billion: Creating Mutual Value at the Base of the Pyramid." This was the first major "base of the pyramid" meeting since World Resources Institute [3] convened the "Eradicating Poverty Through Profit [3]" conference in December, 2004. By all accounts, the conference was a huge success. The event was sold out, and several of the sessions were streamed live online for more people to join in from afar.Global Poverty: Business Solutions and Approaches [3]
Cambridge, Massachusetts: December 1-3, 2005
[3]Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative brought together committed scholars and corporate, non-profit and government leaders to discuss the role of business in poverty alleviation in a 3-day conference. The event featured case studies on and empirical research of successful business models, the role of civil society and government, and the ethical and operational challenges faced by businesses who seek out poor customers.Business Opportunity and Innovation at the Base of the Pyramid
Mexico City, Mexico: September 1, 2005 [3]
São Paolo, Brazil: August 30, 2005 [3]
In August and September 2005, WRI, in partnership with the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) and Ashoka, used the momentum created by the San Francisco conference to focus on stirring the private sector toward Base of the Pyramid (BOP) issues in Brazil [3] and Mexico [3] through a BOP Conference in each of these countries, collectively attracting over 800 participants.Sustainable Technology and New Market Creation [4]
Ithaca, New York: July 20-22, 2005
[5]In July 2005, over 120 people attended the 11th Annual BELL Conference in Ithaca, New York to work towards a better understanding of how any company might become more competitive by viewing social and environmental challenges as unmet market needs that can provide business growth opportunities through innovation, entrepreneurship and organizational change. Conference sessions featured progressive research, pedagogical techniques, cutting-edge practices, and the experiences of small and large companies.