Missing Links - Business Development in the BOP

Frontier Markets has been participating in a 3-Day discussion with colleagues of Entrepreneurs, B2B services, and general business development in BOP Communities.

Here is the overall theme of Microlinks discussion on Missing Links – Business Development – BOP Communities

Posted by Monica_Touesnard

See the original post here microlinks.kdid.org/speakers-corner-39-missing-links-business-development-base-pyramid-bop-communities/welcome-bop-discu

Welcome to the online discussion titled, “Missing Links of Business Development in Base of the Pyramid (BoP) Communities.” The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University believes that the private sector has a critical role to play in helping solve the world’s most pressing social problems. How it will manifest itself at the base of the pyramid is still unclear.

As the world’s population continues to grow it magnifies the environmental and social constraints of our global system. Despite technological advances, environmental problems and the number of people living in the base of the economic pyramid are increasing. Multilateral and non-profit organizations are traditionally viewed as the entities best suited to respond to and address these problems. Recently, however, companies are beginning to realize that there is an opportunity to create new business enterprises while simultaneously trying to solve these environmental and humanitarian problems. As a result, companies are experimenting with new business models in low-income communities using both old and new technologies with limited success. In addition, locally-embedded entrepreneurs are also trying to respond to local needs through new business ventures. However, it is yet to be determined who will have more success and ultimately what factors will determine successful execution.

We hope that our conversation over the next three days will explore some angles of business development at the BoP whose importance is often overlooked – the role of the entrepreneur (Day1); business to business (B2B) opportunities (Day 2); and the role of youth (Day 3). Through your contribution to the dialogue we hope that all participants will gain new insight into the issues discussed. Therefore we invite you to join us each day to share your ideas and knowledge in the discussion forum.

Monica Touesnard

Associate Director

Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise

The Johnson School at Cornell University

I will be posting the summaries of discussions on our blog for everyone to follow.