The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University will be hosting a conference entitled “Business with Four Billion: Creating Mutual Value at the Base of the Pyramid [1].” The conference brings together BOP business managers, policy makers, social entrepreneurs, academics, and non-profit leaders. The main conference topics are: understanding the landscape of the base of the pyramid; evaluating the development implications of enterprise-based approaches to poverty alleviation; and exploring the capabilities organizations need to develop successful BOP-oriented ventures.

The conference has a solid lineup of speakers, including some big names like Amartya Sen [2] on the invited list (cross your fingers). Some of those near to Nextbillion’s heart include Al Hammond [2], Stuart Hart [2], and C.K. Prahalad [2]. If the recent publications and research [2] by these figures is any indication, conference attendees can expect to hear topics [3] such as “Exploring the best leverage points for employing enterprise-based approaches and social entrepreneurship at the BoP” addressed with solid empirical analysis and excellent insights.

The bad news is that it won’t be held until September 2007 (although you can register [4] now). If you’re feeling impatient in the mean time you can always read this [5] or this [5].