IDB to hold its first forum on base of the pyramid in Latin America and the Caribbean

19-May-2011 | News-Press Release

In June, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will hold its first-ever forum on innovative business models designed to unleash the potential of the 360 million people who make up the social and economic base of the pyramid in Latin America and the Caribbean.

BASE, the First Forum for the Development of the Base of the Pyramid, will take place in São Paulo on June 27-28. During the event, business executives, development professionals, entrepreneurs, government officials as well as impact investors, will discuss successful ways to provide high-quality goods and services to Latin America’s base of the pyramid, a market that consumes $500 billion a year.

Panelists include Luis Alberto Moreno, IDB President; Alexandre Tombini, President of the Bank of Brazil Central; Michael Chu, Harvard Business School professor and partner of IGNIA Fund; Eduardo Wanick, President for DuPont in Latin America; Francisco Garza, Vice Chairman of the Board of CEMEX Mexico and Chairman of CEMEX Latin America Advisory Board; Fábio Barbosa, Grupo Santander Brasil President; among others.

This rapidly expanding segment of the population still faces high costs to access better quality goods and services, including healthcare, education and housing. The BASE Forum will offer participants many opportunities to meet pioneering entrepreneurs, learn how organizations and companies of all sizes are working successfully in the base of the pyramid, and find out what lies ahead for this transformative field.

The BASE Forum is being organized by the IDB’s Opportunities of the Majority initiative. Created three years ago, this initiative has invested over $150 million to help develop novel base-of-the-pyramid business models to integrate the poor into the formal economy, improve their standards of living and promote greater social inclusion.

The public can register for the event by visiting BASE Forum’s website.

More Information

helpdesk@baseforumbop.com

Event Information