The Base of the Pyramid conference ended Tuesday with an insightful discussion on capabilities, more networking and concurrent sessions, and a pledge to keep the discussion going well into the future.
The final day of the three-day conference, "Business with Four Billion: Creating Mutual Value at the Base of the Pyramid," began with a casual plenary discussion moderated by Stuart Hart. Seated in plush, high-backed chairs, Kobus DeKlerk, Scott Johnson, and Erik Simanis talked about their BoP Protocol pilot projects.
Johnson, vice president for global environment & safety actions at SC Johnson, said trust, culture and crime are obstacles that must be overcome in order for the project to succeed on the ground.
DeKlerk, global lead for the Solae Co., said it is important for multinational companies who engage a community must understand the needs and aspirations of the NGO to see if they feel threatened if the company is there.
Simanis, co-director of the BoP Protocol, said the NGO is "central to the work," and will smooth the path in the local community.
DeKlerk said his key learning from the pilot project is that they understand the people they deal with and are taking them into their day-to-day business model.
Following the plenary discussion, three concurrent sessions started. Topics included key capabilities in creating BoP opportunities, and innovation based on removing constraints.
And then during lunch, Ted London, Bob Kennedy and Hart wrapped up the conference.
Kennedy, executive director of WDI, said he sensed less tension among the different sectors than he did at the last BoP conference three years ago. He said the networking sessions were a success. "I believe there is a sense of community here," he said.
He urged the group to think how to create a regular, ongoing forum.
Hart thanked the conference attendees, saying they made the event a success.
London said he liked seeing the many side conversations amongst attendees, the people from different sectors and regions talking about collaboration.
He said the end of the conference is not the end of the BoP discussion, and said he hoped it has helped the BoP movement in a positive way.
"I hope if this conference has a little bit of a legacy, it is that we can look back and say that it helped," London said.
WDI, along with the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University, co-hosted the conference at the University of Michigan.
The conference brought together leading thinkers in the BoP field, including business managers, policy makers, social entrepreneurs, academics, non-profit experts, and development agency professionals. They discussed what they have learned about operating at the base of the pyramid and explored current issues and challenges.