BCtA Events
Business, The MDGs and Beyond, Cape Town
As we approach 2015, the target date for the internationally-agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), there is growing awareness of the importance of a vibrant private sector in driving long-term growth and development in Africa.
As the world starts to explore what framework might replace the MDGs, it is important to integrate the views of those investing and doing business in Africa, and to understand how best to harness business as an engine for economic development.
You are invited to participate in a high-profile, lunchtime event on 8 May in Cape Town, timed to coincide with the WEF Africa Summit.
The event is being convened by Business Fights Poverty and the Overseas Development Institute. Business Action for Africa, the International Business Leaders Forum and the Business Call to Action are supporting partners.
The event will see the launch of a research report by ODI and Business Fights Poverty.
Speakers:
- Mthuli Ncube, Chief Economist, African Development Bank
- Andy Wales, SVP, Sustainable Development, SABMiller
- Fathima Dada, President, Schools International Business Unit, Pearson
- Amina Mohammed, Assistant Secretary-General; Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, United Nations
Location: Cape Town, South AfricaSocial Innovation Summit 2013
May 29-30, 2013 United Nations Headquarters First Avenue at 46th Street New York, NY 10017
ONLINE REGISTRATION Summit Website: www.socinnovation.comVIP Code: UN30 (special 30% discount)
PARTIAL LIST OF PAST SPEAKERS- Adam Brotman, Chief Digital Officer – Starbucks
- Akhtar Badshah, Senior Director of Global Community Affairs – Microsoft
- Alan Hassenfeld, Chairman of the Executive Committee – Hasbro
- Alicia Keys, Multi-Platinum Grammy award-winning Musician, Actress
- Barbara Bush, Executive Director – Global Health Corps
- Bill Draper, Legendary VC; Chairman – Draper Richards Foundation
- Bill Gross, Chairman & CEO – Idealab
- Bryan Clay, Olympic Decathlete, Gold Medalist – 2008 Beijing Olympics
- Charles Best, Founder & CEO – DonorsChoose.org
- Charles Moore, Executive Director – Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy
- Craig Newmark, Chairman & Founder – Craigslist
- Cynthia Germanotta, Co-founder and President – Born This Way Foundation (Lady Gaga’s Mother)
- Dan Warmenhoven, Chairman – NetApp
- Daniel Epstein, CEO – Unreasonable Institute
- Dan'l Lewin, EVP, Strategic & Emerging Business Development – Microsoft
- Dikembe Mutombo, Philanthropist, former NBA All-Star
- Eric Benhamou, Former Chairman & CEO – Palm, 3Com
- Gerald Chertavian, Founder & CEO – Year Up
- Howard W. Buffett, Executive Director – Howard G. Buffett Foundation
- Hunter Walk, Head of Social Good Initiatives – YouTube
- Jacquelline Fuller, Director, Charitable Giving & Advocacy – Google
- James Gowen, Chief Sustainability Officer – Verizon
- Jean-Pierre Rosso, Chairman – World Economic Forum USA
- Jeff Seabright, Chief Environmental Officer – Coca-Cola
- Jeff Swartz, Former CEO & President – Timberland
- John Abele, Founder – Boston Scientific Corporation
- John Wood, Founder & Co-Chairman – Room to Read
- Jonathan Greenblatt, Head, Office of Social Innovation – White House
- Kathy Pickus, VP, Abbott Fund & Global Citizenship and Policy – Abbott Labs
- Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, President – Marc & Laura Andreessen Foundation
- Mallory Weggemann, Paralympic Swimmer, Gold Medalist – 2012 London Olympics
- Marc Pollick, President and Founder, The Giving Back Fund
- Marika McCauley Sine, Director of International Public Affairs – Coca-Cola
- Maura O’Neil, Chief Innovation Officer – USAID
- Mitchell Kapor, Founder – Mitchell Kapor Foundation
- Nick Beim, General Partner – Matrix Partners
- Nirvan Mullick, Founder, Imagination Foundation; Director – Caine’s Arcade
- Padma Lakshmi, Author, Actress, Model, Television Host; Co-Founder – Endometriosis Foundation
- Peter Bloom, Chairman – DonorsChoose.org
- Rahul Raj, Director of Sustainability and E-Commerce – Walmart.com
- Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder and Chairman – LinkedIn
- Rhonda Mims, President – ING Foundation
- Richard Hall, Director, Global Strategic Alliances – Intel Corporation
- Robert Torres, Senior Program Officer – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Sal Khan, CEO & Founder – Khan Academy
- Seth Farbman, Global Chief Marketing Officer – Gap
- Shannon Schuyler, Senior Managing Director, Corporate Responsibility – PwC
- Shelly Esque, President – Intel Foundation
- Soon-Hong Choi, Chief Information Technology Officer – United Nations
- Steve Gleason, Former NFL Player; Founder – Team Gleason Foundation
- Ted Danson, Actor, Activist; Board Member – Oceana
- Tim Draper, Founder & Managing Director – Draper Fisher Juvertson
- Tim Koogle, Former CEO/Chairman – Yahoo!
- Timothy McClimon, President – American Express Foundation
- Tom Shadyac, Director, Screenwriter, and Producer – Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, I Am
- Tony Bates, President – Skype Division, Microsoft
- Wyclef Jean, Musician, Record Producer, Politician
Measuring Impact, for Impact, London
- Kitrhona Cerri, Program Manager, WBCSD
- Caroline Ashley, Director, Inclusive Business Results, BIF
- Marianne Mwaniki, Head of Social and Economic Impact, Standard Chartered
- To register for this event, you first need to become a member of Business Fights Poverty. Membership is free and comes with a number of benefits. To become a member, click here.
- Once you have become a member, Business Fights Poverty event page and click on one of the RSVP options on the right hand side of the page.
GBCHealth Annual Conference 2013
The Business Call to Action is thrilled to partner with GBCHealth for this year’s annual conference, which convenes business and allied leaders on some of the world’s pressing health challenges. With more than 500 attendees, GBCHealth Annual Conference is vital for anyone interested in the intersection of business and health. GBCHealth invites BCtA members to join them for this exciting conference, May 15-17, 2013, in New York City and is extending a discount of 25% to BCtA members and friends – just use code BCTA when registering. For more information, go to GBCHealth Annual Conference website. Register for the event.
Location: The Roosevelt Hotel, New York City BASE II Forum for the Development of the Base of the Pyramid in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Business Call to Action is excited to support the II BASE International Forum for the Development of the Markets at the Base of the Pyramid to be held by the Inter-American Development Bank on June 6 and 7 in Medellín, Colombia. The II BASE Forum will bring together over 800 leading experts: business executives, development professionals, entrepreneurs, government officials, impact investors and others who are involved in the exciting work of creating innovative business models by connecting private sector resources and ingenuity with the untapped potential at the base of the socioeconomic pyramid. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about new business opportunities and network with investors and industry experts. Panelists include:- Iqbal Quadir, founder and director of the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT. In the 1990s, Quadir founded Grameenphone, which provides effective telephone access throughout Bangladesh.
- Stuart L. Hart, professor, co-creator of the BOP concept and Samuel C. Johnson Chair in Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University.
- Deepa Prahalad, author, business strategist and consultant specializing in opportunities at the intersection of consumer experience, technology and strategy.
- Colombia: Country of Pioneering Companies serving the Base of the Pyramid.
- Taking the Great Leap to the Markets at the Base of the Pyramid: Strategy or Chance?
- The Challenges of Financing Business Models for BOP.
- Business Leaders of Tomorrow: Pioneering models for BOP.
Register for the event at www.forobase2013.com.
G20 Inclusive Business Workshop in Asia Scaling: Impact Through Innovation
The Business Call to Action is pleased to support the G20 Inclusive Business Workshop in Asia, a unique business-to-business forum bringing together the G20 Challenge Winners with more than 50 business leaders and innovation experts to share best practices and discuss solutions for scaling-up and replicating inclusive business models. With its focus on the topic “Scaling Impact through Innovation” it will explore successful strategies to foster innovation within inclusive business models. This regional workshop is organized in cooperation with the Sankalp Unconvention Summit 2013, a leading Asian social enterprise platform, which will be held subsequent to the workshop on 17-18 April 2013. In combination, these two events provide an exceptional platform to link up with inclusive business leaders, investors, policy makers, donors and other stakeholders. We would be happy to connect with any attending BCtA members!
Location: Mumbai, India#MDG Momentum – 1,000 days of action!
Friday, 5 April marks 1,000 days to the target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are the most successful global anti-poverty push in history. Governments, international organizations and civil society groups around the world have helped to cut in half the world’s extreme poverty rate. More girls are in school. Fewer children are dying. The world continues to fight killer diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. There are 1,000 days to accelerate action on issues such as hunger, access to education, improved sanitation, maternal health and gender equality. Get involved and help build more #MDGmomentum!
On April 5, BCtA is joining forces with more than twenty other organizations worldwide in Momentum1000 global digital rally! The rally will consist of 1000 consecutive minutes of chats, Q&As, and hangouts with our partners in all areas of global development.BCtA will be hosting a Twitter chat on #InclusiveBusiness and MDGs from 1:30pm to 2pm. Be part of the rally by following @BCtAInitiative and #MDGmomentum on April 5!
CO-Creating Wealth Summit
The Business Call to Action is a supporting partner at B4MD’s annual Co-Creating Wealth Summit, in Melbourne and Sydney, taking place on December 10, 2012.
The 2012 Business for Millennium Development (B4MD) Summit “Co-Creating Wealth” presents a series of compelling perspectives from international and Australian business leaders within the food and agriculture sector on the motivation, methodology and business case for co-creation of profitable business models within the food and agriculture sector.
The summit will provide access to best practice case studies and strategic analysis from respected global brands. The associated workshop will bring business leaders together from across the spectrum – with NGOs and social entrepreneurs to test innovative ideas and practical steps that businesses can implement to activate viable and impactful co-created projects.
For more information on the event, see the program.
Location: Sydney & MelbourneImplementing Inclusive Innovation
Join the BoP Innovation Center and Business Call to Action for the Implementing Inclusive Innovation event taking place in Amsterdam. The panel sessions and practitioner workshops will feature the latest insights on implementing inclusive innovations at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP).
Implementing Inclusive Innovations is an interactive learning event. All gathered professionals are triggered to actively share their knowledge to answer pressing learning questions. You will be part of the movement towards more effective and efficient implementation of inclusive innovations!
For more information on the main learning topics we will tackle during the event, see the program.
Click here to read BCtA Outreach Specialist Albert Tseng's blog about key topics discussed at the event.
Location: Amsterdam RAIBusiness, the MDGs and Beyond
Over 120 leaders from business, government and civil society will convene in New York City on 25 September to discuss the powerful role that business can play in accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and developing a post-2015 agenda for development.
The day is being organised by a coalition of leading international business and development organisations including: the Business Call to Action, Business Fights Poverty, the Overseas Development Institute, the United Nations Development Programme and UNGlobal Compact. Event partners include Business Action for Africa, Harvard Kennedy School’s CSR Initiative, Initiative for Global Development, the International Business Leaders Forum, ONE and Business Council for the United Nations.
The day is being organised by a coalition of leading international business and developmentorganisations including: the Business Call to Action, Business Fights Poverty, theOverseas Development Institute, the United Nations Development Programme and UNGlobal Compact. Event partners include Business Action for Africa, Harvard KennedySchool’s CSR Initiative, Initiative for Global Development, the International BusinessLeaders Forum, ONE and Business Council for the United Nations.
This event is by invitation only. For event videos, summary report, and other information please click here.
Speakers include:
Business leaders
- John Fallon, Chief Executive, Pearson International
- Miguel Pestana, Vice President, Global External Affairs, Unilever
- Dieter May, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phone Services, Nokia
- Lise Kingo, Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff (COS), NovoNordisk
- Abayomi Awobokun, CEO, Oando Marketing PLC
- Eduardo Ferreira, CEO of Microinvest, ItaúUnibanco
- Beatrice Perez, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Coca-Cola Company
- Rick Hooper, CEO, Barefoot Power
- Jim Ayala, Founder and CEO, Hybrid Social Solutions
Government and Civil Society
- Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
- Deborah Dugan, CEO, RED
- Shinichi Iida, Director, Global Issues Cooperation Division Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Christopher Jurgens, Global Partnerships Division Director, USAID
- Sigrid Kaag, Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- Georg Kell, Executive Director, UN Global Compact
- H.E. Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi, Deputy Prime Minister, Kenya
Scale Up: How do Social Enterprises Meet the Challenge?
The Business Call to Action, in collaboration with Columbia Business School and the Global Business School Network, will host a panel discussion featuring executives from leading social enterprises, including Jaipur Rugs Company, Sproxil, and WaterHealth International, proceeded by a keynote speech by Sasha Dichter, Chief Innovation Officer of the Acumen Fund. A reception will follow the event. Please see event details in the attached flyer, and be sure to RSVP at this link, seats are limited!
What: “Scale Up: How do Social Enterprises Meet the Challenge?”
When: Monday, September 24, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Where: Columbia University Club of New York, 15 West 43rd Street, New York City,Alexander Hamilton Room
RSVP: http://www.gbsnonline.org/event/scaleup
Keynote Address: Sasha Dichter, Chief Innovations Officer, Acumen Fund
Introduction: Guy Pfeffermann, CEO, Global Business School Network
Panelists:
Asha Chaudhary, CEO, Jaipur Rugs Company
Ashifi Gogo, CEO, Sproxil
Sameer Mithal, Chief Development Officer, WaterHealth International
Moderator: Murray B. Low, Director, the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center, Columbia Business School
Concluding remarks: Sahba Sobhani, Acting Program Manager, Business Call to Action
Listen to the recording:
Access the PowerPoint and Video presentations:
Jaipur Rugs | Sproxil | WaterHealth International
Location: Columbia University Club of New York, 15 West 43rd Street, New York City Alexander Hamilton Room (2nd floor)Profits and Opportunities at the Base of the Pyramid
In advance of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development – known as Rio+20 – the Business Call to Action, Business Action for Africa, International Business Leaders Forum, International Chamber of Commerce, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, UN Development Programme, and UN Global Compact will host a half-day event entitled “Profits and Opportunities at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP)”. The event will take place as part of the Corporate Sustainability Forum (www.compact4rio.org), and gather innovators and market leaders who are driving inclusive business approaches inside their companies as part of a long-term growth and investment strategy.
This event is open to all participants registered for the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum.
Agenda
- Introduction and Welcome 09:00 – 09:05
- Susan Chaffin, Programme Manager, Business Call to Action, UNDP
- Setting the Context – The Role of the Private Sector in Development 09:05 – 09:15
- Jane Nelson, Director, CSR Initiative at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and Senior Advisor, International Business Leaders Forum
- Keynote Address – The Business Case for Investing in the Base of the Pyramid 09:15 – 09:30
- Marcelo L. Cardoso, Senior Vice-President of Organizational Development and Sustainability, Natura
- Panel Discussion I – Inclusive Supply Chains 09:30 – 10:30
- Moderator: Gib Bulloch, Executive Director, Accenture Development Partnerships
- Ian Hope-Johnstone, Director, Agricultural Sustainability, PepsiCo
- Andy Wales, Senior Vice President, Sustainable Development, SABMiller
- Greg Priest, Head of Sustainability Policy and Compliance, IKEA Group
- Coffee Break 10:30 – 11:00
- Context Continued – Driving Sustainable Innovation from the BoP 11:00 – 11:15
- Stuart Hart, S.C. Johnson Chair in Sustainable Global Enterprise and Professor of Management and Organizations, Cornell University
- Panel Discussion II – Product and Service Innovation for the BoP 11:15 – 12:15
- Moderator: Susan Chaffin, Programme Manager, Business Call to Action, UNDP
- Abayomi Awobokun, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Marketing PLC
- Peter Todbjerg Hansen, Managing Director, Grundfos LIFELINK
- Alison Hill, Managing Director for Climate, Vestergaard Frandsen
- Marco Signorini, Chief Executive Officer, Econet Mobile and Technologies
- Wrap up and Closing Remarks 12:15 – 12:30
- Susan Chaffin, Programme Manager, Business Call to Action, UNDP
- Filippo Veglio, Deputy Director, Development Focus Area, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Empowering People Through Mobile Technology
Missed the webinar? Watch the presentations here.
Worldwide, mobile phone subscriptions have reached 5.9 billion, with 79 percent penetration in developing countries. Mobile phones are no longer used only to stay connected. Mobile phones allow low-income people to gain access to health information, agricultural data, banking services, employment and educational opportunities.
Register today to hear sector leaders speak about their experiences in tailoring mobile technologies to the specific needs of low-income people in developing countries.
The GSMA’s Mobile Money for the Unbanked Programme, an initiative of one of the world’s leading industry associations providing mobile technology at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP), will discuss innovative products and partnerships aimed at addressing financial inclusion at the BoP using mobile technology. Ericsson, one of the leading telecommunications companies, and MicroEnsure, an insurance intermediary serving the BoP, will present their experiences in developing innovative business models using mobile technology with the potential to reach scale and the types of partnerships necessary to access target consumers.
Join the Business Call to Action, Business Fights Poverty and Business Action for Africa for a discussion on the up-to-date impacts and transformational potential of mobile technology.
Featured Speakers:
Seema Desai, Director and Claire Penicaud, Coordinator: Mobile Money for the Unbanked Programme (MMU), GSMA Development Fund
Karin Svingby, Director Projects & Partnerships, Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Ericsson
Richard Leftley, President and Chief Executive Officer, MicroEnsure
Discussion moderated by Susan Chaffin, Programme Manager of the Business Call to Action.
Location: WebinarBCtA: La Plataforma Global de Acción Empresarial para el Desarrollo
La Fundación Carolina y la iniciativa del PNUD (UN) Business Call to Action tienen el gusto de invitarles al acto de presentación en España de: “Business Call to Action: la plataforma global de acción empresarial para el desarrollo”. Realizará la presentación de la iniciativa: Susan Chaffin, program Manager, BCtA.
BCtA y Fundación Carolina, quieren convocar a empresas españolas a participar en esta iniciativa y de relevar los modelos de negocio más innovadores en los sectores de salud, agrario, energías renovables y sostenibilidad medioambiental. Por ello tras la presentación, los representantes de grandes empresas españolas (e instituciones) convocadas podrán plantear sus preguntas y observaciones.
Location: Calle General Rodrigo 6, 4ª planta. 28003 MadridB2B Partnerships: Creating Opportunity through Strategic Alliances
In today’s marketplace, collaboration and partnership between companies can be highly beneficial. Vodafone and Movirtu are part of a new wave of companies that leverage Business-to-Business (B2B) partnerships to improve access to products and services in base of the pyramid communities, promote value chain efficiencies, and improve the enabling environment for inclusive business.
Register today to learn about how Vodafone, the world’s largest telecommunications provider, is promoting more efficient pharmaceutical value chains and building its business in The Gambia through collaboration with Pfizer. Movirtu, a mobile service provider, will also discuss how B2B partnerships are helping the company promote its cloud-based mobile phone platform in base of the pyramid markets in Africa and Asia.
Join the Business Call to Action, Business Action for Africa and Business Fights Poverty for a lively discussion with Vodafone and Movirtu about the role of B2B partnerships in creating new market opportunities. Accenture Development Partnerships, a market leader in developing strategic alliances, will provide an overview of new trends and opportunities in the inclusive B2B space.
Featured Speakers:
Anastasia Thatcher, Senior Manager, Accenture Development Partnerships
Axel Nemetz, Head of mHealth Solutions, Vodafone Global Enterprise
Jean-Philippe Labat, Vice President Global Sales, Movirtu
Discussion moderated by Susan Chaffin, Programme Manager of the Business Call to Action
Watch the webinar presentations:
Access individual presentations:
Anastasia Thatcher | Axel Nemetz | Jean-Philippe Labat
Access the PowerPoint presentations:
Anastasia Thatcher | Axel Nemetz | Jean-Philippe Labat
Location: WebinarFourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness Private Sector Forum
Public-Private Co-Operation for Broad-based, Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
Approximately 2,000 delegates will review global progress in improving the impact and value for money of development aid and make new commitments to further ensure that aid helps reduce poverty and supports progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals. The Private Sector Forum (PSF) will take place alongside the thematic and high level sessions and will provide an opportunity for governments, business and other stakeholders to engage in in-depth discussions on the role of the private sector in development and aid effectiveness, with particular focus on what is needed to build an enabling policy environment and on lessons learnt from Public-Private Partnerships. BCtA member company Noha Nyamedjo will speak at the event.
Location: Busan, South KoreamHealth: Changing Health Care at the BoP
Mobile technology is transforming the face of health care in low-income communities around the globe. A driving force behind this change is new and innovative business models that harness mobile technology to decrease the cost of care and create new applications that improve health care outcomes. Companies such as Sproxil and Dimagi are helping to transform health care in developing countries by providing access to critical health and information services for underserved communities through mobile technology.
Join the Business Call to Action (BCtA), Sproxil and Dimagi for a webinar discussion about mHealth solutions and how they are improving health care outcomes for people living at the base of the pyramid (BoP). Jonathan Jackson, CEO of Dimagi, will demonstrate how his CommCare application is connecting rural communities in India to health clinics and hospitals for improved health care outcomes. Mohamed Haider, Vice President of Sales at Sproxil, will discuss how his company has developed an application that helps weed out fake drugs.
The webinar discussion will focus on mHealth trends and opportunities that will likely emerge in the near future, barriers to the growth of this sector, and the role of partnerships in scaling up these initiatives.
Missed the Webinar?
Watch the webinar presentations:
View the PowerPoint presentations:
Jonathan Jackson | Mohamed Haider
Location: Webinar2011 mHealth Summit
The 2011 mHealth Summit is the world's largest mobile health event. This year's event will focus on the business, end-user, and policy perspectives of mHealth, fostering in-depth dialogue to identify and accelerate cross-cutting value chains and sustainable mHealth business models from around the globe. The summit will also provide a dedicated focus to the healthcare research and evaluation needs of mHealth, facilitating the development and commercialization of empirically-supported solutions.
Conference sessions will explore, examine, and debate the ways mobile technology will transform health care delivery, research, business and policy for the 21st Century in underserved communities in the US and abroad, including the developing world. Download Agenda.
Creating New Market Opportunities: Making Inclusive Business Work in Vietnam
The Business Call to Action (BCtA), SNV, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) will sponsor an interactive workshop to explore how companies operating and investing in Vietnam are addressing the challenge of integrating inclusive business models into operations. The event will provide examples of successful inclusive business ventures and give participants the opportunity to discuss the challenges and solutions associated with integrating these models. It is an opportunity to discuss best practices in inclusive business with leading companies, experts, donor organizations and practitioners, and to explore potential areas of collaboration for future endeavors. Download the Agenda.
Location: Ho Chi Minh, VietnamUnleashing Potential: Agribusiness and the Smallholder Farmer
Around the globe, there are about 500 million smallholder farms. The majority of these farmers are living in poverty, barely making enough to scrape by. For companies operating in the food/beverage and related sectors, sourcing from these farmers presents both tremendous growth opportunities, but also new challenges in terms of business model adaptation and supply chain innovation. Join BCtA, the Global Business School Network, the UN Global Compact PRME network and Columbia Business School for a discussion on how businesses are profitably investing in smallholder farmers for a more food secure future.
WATCH EVENT VIDEO: PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3
Overcoming Barriers to Growing Pro-Poor Inclusive Business Ideas & Models
The Business Call to Action and Accenture Development Partnerships are hosting a breakfast event in South Africa on inclusive business. Leading South African corporates and development sector organizations will be present, providing an opportunity to learn from and engage with others interested in seeing more business innovations that improve lives. We will be focusing more on the “how” than the ”why” of inclusive business or pro-poor business implementation.
The session will be facilitated by Adrian Ristow, Africa Outreach Associate for the UN Business Call to Action (BCtA) and Trip Allport, ADP Lead for Southern Africa.
For more information, contact Adrian Ristow.
Location: Cape Town, South AfricaEnhancing Value through Inclusive Business Strategies
Business Call to Action (BCtA) will bring together BCtA members and selected partners for an invitation-only breakfast event that will focus on strategies that enhance the value of inclusive business models. The event will give senior-level company representatives the chance to network with experts and practitioners in this space, identify new models and opportunities for innovation, and explore areas for potential collaboration. Business Fights Poverty is providing online community support for the event.
Download the Agenda.
Videos:
Opening Address: Sigrid Kaag, Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Administrator, UN Development Programme (UNDP) delivers opening remarks.
BCtA Company Commitments: Sameer Hajee, CEO, Nuru Energy; Enrique Coronado, CEO, Por ti Familia; and Neal Lesh, CSO, Dimagi announce commitments to the BCtA.
High-Level Panel: Encouraging, Expanding and Scaling Up
Inclusive Business in Support of the MDGs
- Georg Kell, Executive Director, UN Global Compact
- Ted London, Director of the Base of the Pyramid Initiative, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
- Christine Montenegro McGrath, Vice President of Sustainability and Latina Cohorts, Kraft Foods
Discussion moderated by Jane Nelson, Director, Harvard University’s CSR Initiative.
See Photos from the event.
Webinar: Bringing Markets Closer to Farmers: MCX’s Gramin Suvidha Kendra Initiative
Access to agricultural information can help transform lives and allow growers to boost productivity and income. Multi Commodity Exchange's (MCX) Gramin Suvidha Kendra Initiative provides smallholder farmers with up-to-date market data, crops prices, crop protection products, and weather reports. Business Call to Action and Business Innovation Facility (BIF) invite you to this case study approach will delve into the details of how MCX’s model is being implemented, including challenges and solutions. An expert respondent will then compare the MCX model to other approaches for covering the last-mile distribution and draw out lessons.
Moderated by Amanda Gardiner, Acting Programme Manager, Business Call to Action
FEATURED EXPERTS
Sarita Bahl, Vice President Group Corporate Social Opportunities, MCX
Nisha Dutt, India Country Manager, BIF and Associate Vice President, Intellecap
Register for webinar.
Location: webinar
MCX Disclaimer: Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited is proposing, subject to market conditions and other considerations, a public offer of equity shares by way of an offer for sale and has filed a Draft Red Herring Prospectus ("DRHP") with the SEBI. The DRHP is available on the websites of SEBI at www.sebi.gov.in and the book running lead managers at www.edelcap.com, http://www.online.citibank.co.in/rhtm/citigroupglobalscreen1.htm and www.morganstanley.com/indiaofferdocuments. Investors should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details in relation to risk factors, please see the section titled "Risk Factors" in the DRHP.
This advertisement may not be published or distributed in the U.S., Canada or Japan and is not an offer or solicitation of an offer for sale of securities in the U.S. These securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the U.S. absent registration or an exemption from registration under such act.
Location: WebinarWebinar: Mainstreaming Inclusive Business
Businesses that deliver both social and commercial returns have the potential to substantively reduce poverty. Inclusive business models allow companies to use their core business in achieving this. As more companies adopt these innovative approaches, leading business schools around the world are trying to develop curricula teaching the fundamentals of inclusive business.
The Global Business School Network and co-host Business Call to Action (BCtA), with the Aspen Institute and Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) anticipate an interactive discussion about the fundamentals of inclusive business strategies. Barclays and Vodafone will share how they’ve been able to incorporate these innovative models into core operations to generate new revenues and reach new market segments.
Featured Experts
William Derban, Head of Community Relations, Barclays Africa
Laura Crow, Sustainability Analyst, Vodafone Group
Moderator:
James H. Johnson Jr., Director, Urban Investment Strategies Center at Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise;
Willam R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship , University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School
This webinar is by invitation only.
Location: WebinarBusiness Innovations That Improve Lives: Ideas to Action
India’s remarkable economic growth in the past decade has created greater capacity for business to play its part in addressing the issues of poverty and exclusion that continue to be a major challenge within the country and the region.
Many companies are accepting this challenge, developing business models designed to return a profit for the company whilst including the poor – as suppliers, employees, customers or clients – and reducing dependency on natural resources.
Despite this flourish of innovation, many barriers remain to widening and deepening the reach of these ‘inclusive business models’ – barriers that company executives are often working alone to solve.
This Community of Practice workshop is aimed at practitioners interested in increasing the uptake and effectiveness of inclusive business models within their company. Building on the practice of Indian participants in the Business Call to Action and research conducted by the International Business Leaders Forum on the Barriers to Inclusive Business, participants will share approaches to inclusive business in India and work on solutions for the challenges they each face.
A resource book of examples and tools will also be shared. See Agenda
RSVP: To register for this event, please write to:
namrata.sandhu@iblf.org
Location: Mumbai, India
Webinar: Inclusive + Green: New Approaches to Rural Energy
The Business Call to Action invites you to partake in a discussion about the role of the private sector in promoting inclusive business approaches to clean energy. Access to sustainable, low-cost energy is inextricably linked to poverty reduction. To drive growth and to address environmental concerns, companies are creating inclusive business models that focus on decentralized energy systems, such as hand-held solar lights, small-scale solar panels and Biofuel energy. Through these emerging technologies, off-grid, low-income households in rural areas can access affordable clean energy, and increase opportunities for income. Join the BCtA, along with the Business Innovation Facility and leading businesses in this emerging sector, to discuss inclusive sustainable energy business models that are overcoming challenges to roll out viable business solutions to rural energy supply.
Register for the webinar.
Location: New York, United States2011 Global Business School Network Annual Conference
The Global Business School Network (GBSN) is hosting its Annual Conference at IPADE Business School in Mexico City 21-22 June.
Business Call to Action is co-hosting a panel with Fundação Dom Cabral taking place on Wednesday 22 June 2011.
Mainstreaming Inclusive Business: Successful Models Creating Value for All
Moderator:
William Mitchell, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University (USA)
Panelists:
Claudio Boechat, Fundação Dom Cabral (Brazil)
Cecilia Riviello, Natura Cosmetics Mexico, CEO (Mexico)
Francesco Piazzesi, Founder, Échale a Tu Casa (Mexico)
For more information about the conference, click here.
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
BCtA Asia-Pacific Workshop: Accelerating Progress towards the MDGs through Inclusive Business
In the last decade, rapid economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region has brought with it a greater awareness of the role business can play in the achievement of development goals: creating jobs, building skills, developing technologies and innovations that improve the quality of people’s lives.
Initiatives such as the BCtA have encouraged companies to develop ‘inclusive’ business models that engage and meet the needs of low-income communities while also generating commercially viable business opportunities. These types of models differ from philanthropic or corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in that they engage the core business of the company with a view to supporting both development and business goals in a sustainable manner.
The conference in Jakarta on 21 June will bring together up to 200 key figures from business, government, and civil society across the Asia-Pacific region. See Agenda.
Register for the workshop.
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
7th World Chambers Congress
The 7th World Chambers Congress is organized by the ICC World Chambers Federation. Held every two years in a different region of the world, the World Chambers Congress is an international forum for chamber leaders to share best-practice experiences, exchange insights, develop networks, address the latest business issues affecting their communities, and learn about new areas of innovation from chambers around the world.
Register for the conference.
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
UN Global Compact Annual Local Network Forum
The 9th Annual Local Networks Forum (ALNF) will take place during UN Global Compact Week. This year, the ALNF will convene in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 19th of May and is expected to be attended by 300-400 participants from local networks, businesses and the BCtA.
Register for the conference.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Financing Business Innovations for Africa’s Development: Challenges and Solutions
The Business Call to Action in partnership with the International Business Leaders Forum, International Finance Corporation, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the UN Development Programme present Financing Business Innovation for Africa's Development: Challenges and Solutions, which will take place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Africa. There is growing momentum behind inclusive business models, which expand access to goods, services and jobs amongst low income communities through company value chains. One of the major barriers to inclusive business development is lack of finance.
Join us to share insights about the challenges and solutions of financing business investments that support Africa’s development. The event will be followed by an introductory meeting for participants interested in joining an Africa-focused working group around financing pro-poor business from 11:10 am to 12 pm. See Agenda.
Email Natasha Ncube for more information.
Location: Cape Town, South AfricaThe Role of the Private Sector in International Development: A Breakfast Discussion
Oxfam America, The Coca-Cola Company and SABMiller released an in-depth study about the economic and social impact of The Coca-Cola Company and SABMiller value chain on communities in El Salvador and Zambia. Exploring the Links between International Business and Poverty Reduction is available on www.oxfamamerica.org as well as the websites of The Coca-Cola Company and SABMiller. The breakfast, hosted by Business Action for Africa and Business Call to Action, will include a discussion between the three partners on the collaboration and report findings, as well as a chance for listeners to ask questions. Find out more here.
Attendance is by invitation only. Register here.
Location: Cape Town, South AfricaThe New Africa: Emerging Opportunities for Business and Africa
Join sponsors SABMiller, Business Call to Action and Business Action for Africa event The New Africa: Emerging Opportunities for Business and Africa taking place alongside WEF Africa 2011. There is an increasing shift towards an alternative perspective on Africa that portrays it as a continent on the rise – economically, politically and socially. The “New Africa” is one of new opportunities for business. At the same time, business is creating new opportunities to accelerate broad-based growth across the continent.
Join us to share insights about the new opportunities for business and Africa. The event will mark and discuss the launch of a new report by Business Action for Africa and Ernst & Young on “The New Africa”. Find out more here.
Ernst & Young House, 35 Lower Long Street, Cape Town, South Africa
Location: Cape Town, South AfricaExploring the Links between International Business and Poverty Reduction Webinar
The Business Call to Action invites you to join a webinar discussion on the role of the private sector in international development, featuring Oxfam America, The Coca-Cola Company and SABMiller.
The event coincides with the release of a new report, “Exploring the Links between International Business and Poverty Reduction” which documents the findings of a collaborative community impact study of the Coca-Cola system in El Salvador and Zambia.
Missed the webinar? Watch the recording.
Venue: Watch
Investors’ Summit on Social Investing and Social Enterprise in Africa
The Business Call to Action in partnership with Africa Investor and the United Nations Office of Partnerships present the Investor Roundtable on Social Enterprise in Africa, which will take place on the eve of the World Economic Forum Africa. At this one-day dynamic Summit, participants will hear from corporates on their inclusive business models, foundations supporting social enterprise in Africa and social entrepreneurs. There will also be facilitated partnership broking and networking with one-on-one meetings on the fringe.
The Summit represents a unique knowledge platform for the private sector, impact investors and foundations from around the globe that support inclusive economic development in Africa.
Register for the event.
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Inclusive Business: Lowering the Financing Barrier Webinar
Businesses that deliver both social and business returns have the potential to substantively reduce poverty around the globe. Despite the economic and social potential of these innovative, inclusive business initiatives, small and medium-sized enterprises are chronically underserved by the formal financial sector. Larger companies are for their part constrained by the requirement to show financial returns within a relatively limited time frame which sometimes limits their ability to source internal capital for such business models.
An increasing number of private investors, donors, foundations and impact investors have taken up this challenge by creating new instruments to finance pro-poor, innovative business models. These include social investment funds, challenge funds and innovation tournaments aimed at enabling the start-up and growth of innovative, inclusive business.
Join the Business Call to Action for a webinar discussion with two of these investors, Acumen Fund and the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund who will share how they mobilize alternative sources of funding to make great ideas a reality. Register for the webinar.
EXPERTS
Hugh Scott, Director, Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund
Omer Imtiazuddin, Health Portfolio Manager, Acumen Fund
Date: March 24,2011
Time: 10:00 am
Venue: Webinar
Location: Webinar2011 African Economic Forum
The theme of the 8th African Economic Forum at Columbia University is Roaring Giant: Africa’s Economic Ascent. In light of the strong GDP growth experienced by many African countries during the current global recession, the conference will focus on some of the challenges and opportunities arising from this growth. The conference will feature Business Call to Action member companies PepsiCo and Pfizer.
Initiated in 2004, the African Economic Forum has grown to be the largest Africa-focused event at Columbia University with over 400 students, alumni and professionals participating. The conference seeks to highlight opportunities and challenges through stimulating discussion, insights and strategies for a prosperous Africa. It is organized by three of Columbia University’s premiere graduate programs: Columbia Graduate School of Business, Columbia Law School, and Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. Find out more.
Venue: Columbia University
435 West 116th Street
New York, NY 10027
New Ventures Global Investor Forum: Green Opportunities in Tomorrow’s Markets
The World Resources Institute’s New Ventures program, NYU Stern School of Business and Citi Foundation will bring together successful environmental entrepreneurs who are charting a path to sustainable economic growth in key emerging markets in Latin America and Asia. Join leaders from the investment, business and philanthropic communities in becoming inspired by the power of environmental entrepreneurship. Find out more.
Date: April 6, 2011
Time: 3:30 - 7:00 pm
Venue: International Environment House
Location:Beyond the Bottom Line: Measuring Results of Pro-Poor Business Webinar
As more companies embed sustainable development into their core business strategies, it has become increasingly important to measure progress towards building inclusive growth. By measuring and assessing the impact of these business investments, we can better understand which strategies work best, which models need improvement and how to change the way we do business to enhance development impact. Attendees will also learn how to report results using the new web-based BCtA results reporting tool. Download the BCtA Results Reporting Guide.
Join the Business Call to Action and leading experts for an important webinar discussion on developing strategies for measuring and reporting results and impact of pro-poor business.
Download PowerPoint Presentations:
Jason Saul: "How Companies Can Measure the Impact of Pro-Poor Investments"
Adrian Ristow: "Micro Distribution: Releasing the Commercial and Development Potential"
Location: WebinarBHF-ICC Meeting on the Private Sector and the MDGs
The Business Humanitarian Forum and the International Chamber of Commerce will hold a joint half-day meeting on "The Private Sector and the MDGs: Role, Impact and Opportunities" featuring the Business Call to Action.
For more information, please contact Ms. Vasudevan at bhinfo@bhforum.org.
Venue: International Environment House
Location: Geneva, SwitzerlandTowards New Models of Collaboration: Leadership Perspectives and an Agenda for Action
The final event of the 2010 event series "Harnessing the Power of Business for Development Impact," will focus on what leaders from business, government, and development think needs to be done to sustain momentum in support of the base of the pyramid agenda. What new models of collaboration are emerging and what more can we do to strengthen our capacity for collective action?
The event coincides with the launch of Business Action for Africa’s 2010 Report, produced in partnership with the CSR Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School, which examines how business-driven partnerships are tackling Africa’s development challenges, and what can be learned from these examples to increase their reach and impact.
Download the Report.
Venue: Shell Center, York Road
Speakers:
DFID Minister (tbc)
William Asiko, Chair, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Chair, Business Action for Africa
Dame Barbara Stocking, Executive Director, Oxfam UK
Natalie Africa, Programme Manager, Business Call to Action
Chair: Myles Wickstead CBE, Head of Secretariat to the Commission for Africa
Location: London, United KingdomTurning Barriers into Opportunities: Business Innovations for Sustainable Growth
BCtA will host a practitioner workshop to help companies develop and manage core business-related activities that combine commercial benefit with development impact. The event will focus on research undertaken by the International Business Leaders Forum and Accenture Development Partners in 2009 that found that despite the commercial and development benefits, companies face a range of internal and external barriers when conceiving and executing these types of business initiatives.
At this invitation-only workshop, participants will examine the research findings in light of their own experiences. They will hear from a panel of practitioners about how their companies overcame these challenges and look together at ways that inclusive business can be expanded through the actions of companies, governments, donors and civil society.
Venue: Barclays, One Churchill Place, London
Download the Barriers to Progress Research.
Download the Overcoming Barriers to Inclusive Business Workshop Report.
Location: London, United KingdomGlobal Compact Nordic Network Meeting
Following on the Global Compact Leaders' Summit, the Global Compact Nordic Network will convene a meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland to discuss key follow-up action points. BCtA's Natalie Africa will moderate a panel discussion on the role of business in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), featuring BCtA member company Yara.
Location: Reykjavik, IcelandBuilding Inclusive Financial Markets in Africa Brown Bag Lecture
Between two and three billion people around the world are still excluded from access to financial services. This situation is particularly worrisome in developing countries, where up to 90 percent of the population lack access to savings accounts, do not receive credit from formal financial institutions, and do not have any type of insurance.
One of South Africa’s leading banks, Absa/Barclays Bank, is seeking to address this issue of financial exclusion in Africa by developing banking products and services that meet the needs of low-income consumers.
Join the Business Call to Action/UNDP Private Sector Division in an important brown bag conversation with Venete Klein, the head of Absa Bank’s Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Division. Ms. Klein will discuss the issues, challenges and potential solutions with building inclusive financial market access in Africa, where more than half of the region’s population lives in extreme poverty.
Introduction by Henry Jackelen, Director of the Private Sector Division, and moderated by Natalie Africa, Programme Manager for the Business Call to Action.
Venue: 19th Floor Conference Room, DC-1, UNDP
Location: New York, NYU.S.-Africa Private Sector Health Conference
The U.S.-Africa Private Sector Health Conference distinguishes itself as the premier business development forum to address the role of the U.S. and African private sectors in strengthening health systems in Africa through commercial ventures, public-private partnerships and other investment vehicles.
The health conference builds from Corporate Council on Africa's (CCA) 2008 U.S.-Africa Private Sector Health Forum and will provide opportunities to network with leaders from the African and U.S. private health sectors, along with representatives from government, academia, multilateral institutions, and NGOs working in health across the continent. Participants will discuss private sector new business opportunities, innovations, and solutions to meet Africa’s priority health needs.
CEO of BCtA member company Sproxil will speak about his company's commitment to inclusive business at the conference. For more information, visit the CCA Website.
Location: Washington, DCAfrica Investor Investment Climate Summit
The Africa investor Investment Climate Summit, in association with the World Bank Group, is a business forum designed to facilitate action, to highlight and address project specific investment climate challenges and shed light on Africa’s investment success stories. This summit will bring together private investors with significant investment projects, subject to regulatory challenges, to debate practical solutions to advance those challenges in partnership with donors, the African Union, NEPAD, REC’s and African policy makers. Through facilitated discussions the Summit will look at sector specific and regional investment projects that can support Africa in job creation, regional integration and enhance Africa’s competitiveness as a global investment destination.
Venue: Ritz Carlton Hotel, Washington, DC
2010 Private Sector Forum on the Millennium Development Goals
The UN Private Sector Forum will bring together chief executives, Heads of State and Government, civil society leaders, heads of foundations and heads of UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes to identify and discuss action needed to continue pursuing the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Venue: UN
Location: New York, NY2010 World Business and Development Awards
This event will honor select companies for their contributions in achieving the Millennium Development Goals through innovative core business practices. Established in 2000, the World Business and Development Awards are the first international business awards to recognize the crucial role of the private sector in the achievement of the MDGs.
Venue: Manhattan Room, Millennium Plaza Hotel, New York
Location: New York, NYProfitable Engagement: An Interview with CEOs
Cynthia Carroll, CEO from Anglo American, and Rajeev Vederah, Managing Director from Ballarpur Industries Ltd (BILT), will discuss efforts to invest in small businesses and producers in emerging markets in order to improve business performance and increase efficiency and competitiveness. Speakers will discuss how big business is investing in small producers and businesses to achieve both development and commercial goals and the challenges and dividends of replicating these initiatives.
For more information, go to the event website.
Venue: Columbia Business School, NY
Location: New York, NY
Accelerating Progress Towards the MDGs through Inclusive Business
Come and learn how innovative companies apply their core business models to achieve MDG acceleration and reduce poverty while generating positive business revenue. CEOs from some of the top companies in the world will share their experience in integrating the poor as producers, suppliers, or as consumers of appropriate and affordable products and services.
For more information, go to the event website.
Registration for this event is now closed. Please check back for videos and reports from the event.
Venue: Manhattan Ballroom, Millennium Plaza Hotel, New York
Location: New York, New YorkLocations
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