BoP Organizations and Initiatives
Organizations, initiatives, and online resources about the BoP
The Base of the Pyramid Learning Lab: a consortium of companies, NGOs, multilateral organizations, and academics working together to create growth opportunities in the Base of the Pyramid. These opportunities address some of the needs of the world's poorest people and communities, while opening vast opportunities for business growth. The original BoP Learning Laboratory was founded at the Univeristy of North Carolina's Center for Sustainable Enterprise and has since moved to Cornell University. Moreover, more labs have been created around the world, with labs in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, India, South Africa, and Europe.
Base of the Pyramid Protocol: The Base of the Pyramid (BoP) Protocol is a corporate innovation process for sustainably serving communities in the base of the world's income pyramid (BoP). With the BoP Protocol, companies work to simultaneously develop new markets and lift up low-income communities through the co-creation of new innovations and enterprises in the BoP. Beginning with SC Johnson in 2005 and DuPont's Solae Company in 2006, a growing number of companies have used this multi-year innovation process to launch new businesses and to incubate new markets in the BoP.
Base of the Pyramid Research Initiative - at the William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan. WDI's BoP Initiative is a global leader in knowledge creation, innovative thought dissemination, capacity building, and co-development of BOP Ventures. The BOP Initiative focuses on understanding and facilitating organizational change while simultaneously exploring the links between a BOP strategy and poverty alleviation.
NextBillion.net: Out of WRI's Eradicating Poverty through Profit conference (see above) comes NextBillion.net, an online community to continue the incredible hallway and coffee break conversations that took place during the conference and to report news and discuss business strategies for the world's majority, the so-called "poor".
New Ventures: part of the World Resources Institute, the program supports sustainable enterprise creation in emerging economies by accelerating the transfer of venture capital to outstanding investment opportunities that incorporate social and environmental benefits
Sustainable Livelihoods: of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), focuses on researching the roles that corporations and markets can play in bettering the lives of impoverished people in ways that are beneficial to all concerned.
The BoP Working Group: a registration required Yahoo Group discussing new ventures and ideas for new ventures in the Base of the Pyramid. Moderated by Patrick Donohue (BRINQ), Katie Kross (UNC Center for Sustainable Enterprise), and Sheri Willoughby (World Resources Institute). You can request to join the discussion.
