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bottom of the pyramid (BoP) - this phrase describes 4 billion people who are living on less than $2 per day in the poorest regions of the world. The term BoP is often used in descriptions of new business models, such a micro-enterprise, intended to alleviate extreme poverty by engaging the poor people as both consumers and entrepreneurs. >> MICROCREDIT, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR, EXTREME POVERTY, MILLENNIUM GOALS

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A recognized leader on the role of business innovation in eradicating global poverty is C. K. Prahalad, Harvey C. Fruehauf Professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan Business School. His 2004 groundbreaking book is: The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits (download an excerpt from CSRwire).

C.K. Prahaldad: "If we stop thinking of the poor as victims or as a burden and start recognizing them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up. Four billion poor can be the engine of the next round of global trade and prosperity.... More importantly, it will require large firms to work collaboratively with civil society organizations and local governments."


Grameen Bank - provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural Bangladesh, without any collateral. In 2006, the Nobel Prize was given in equal parts to Grameen Bank and its founder, Dr. Muhammad Yunus.



NextBillion.net - "a website and blog bringing together the community of business leaders, social entrepreneurs, NGOs, policy makers and academics who want to explore the connection between development and enterprise....Our goal is to highlight the development and implementation of business strategies that open opportunities and improve the lives of the world's approximately 4 billion low-income producers and consumers.