Innovative Case Studies of Social Enterprises and Social Entrepreneurs 2014

Introduction

There has been much progress in promoting the base of the Pyramid (boP) business and a growing number of ventures and initiatives have come forward that reflect the different phases of the business value chain. in the past decade, work on inclusive business development has increased significantly and organizations working today on innovative models range from multinational corporations, co-operatives, small and medium-sized enterprises, governments, public institutions and international organizations, and even not-for-profit organizations that use business principles — or social business approaches — to achieve their mission.

However, even with this increase of practitioners and projects being implemented, there is still a shortage of case studies documenting boP projects that have had a positive impact on achieving financial results and enabling more inclusive and sustainable markets, while also empowering local communities. Thus, there is a need to identify and document successful cases in order to inspire the growing community of practitioners and make sure successful
projects get replicated and maximize potential impact.

The boP Global Network, as a platform of action formed by a vibrant community of academics and practitioners in more than 18 countries, engages in knowledge creation and dissemination about creating sustainable businesses at the base of the economic pyramid. A key component of the Network’s main objective is to promote knowledge transfer that inspires action and enhances the impact. With this core mission in mind, we are pleased to present this report: “raising the base of the Pyramid Through enterprise – innovative Case Studies of boP ventures and initiatives”.

The report describes a series of sixteen (16) case studies implemented by the BoP Global Network learning labs (also known as innovation Centers) from around the world. The case studies have been organized around five specific areas of focus and action:

I – Enhancing Product Design
II – Value Chain Business Models
III – Employment Generation
IV – Improving Distribution Channels for the BoP
V – Generating Access to Basic Needs (Energy, Health, Housing, Insurance)