|
Washington, D.C., October 10, 2012—
Leadership, local knowledge, and financial sustainability are key components in creating opportunity at the base of the economic pyramid, according to a new report by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.
Launched today,
Being the Change: Inspiring the Next Generation of Inclusive Business Entrepreneurs Impacting the Base of the Pyramid
highlights the personal stories of the leaders of some of IFC’s inclusive business clients. These clients have developed innovative and successful business models that expand access to goods, services, and livelihoods for poor people, while generating strong financial returns.
“By bringing low-income producers and consumers into their supply chains, these companies are pioneers,” said IFC Vice President, Business Advisory Services Nena Stoiljkovic. “Creating inclusive business models in developing economies is a top priority for IFC, and critical in building prosperity.”
Based on interviews with 14 founders and CEOs of IFC client companies, the report identifies a number of lessons on inclusive business, including the need to balance short-term returns with long-term goals and the importance of knowledge of local conditions, needs, and capabilities. The stories also reflect the overarching optimism these leaders share about the future of inclusive business.
The 14 leaders featured in this publication are:
-
Deji Akinyanju, Food Concepts Plc
(Nigeria),
who creates opportunities for farmers and micro-entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
-
Afnan Ahsan, Engro Foods Ltd.
(Pakistan), who helps small dairy farmers in rural Pakistan join the formal economy.
-
Sanjay Bhatnagar, WaterHealth International
(India),
who builds and runs water-purification plants to provide safe and affordable drinking water in India and Sub-Saharan Africa.
-
Carlos Cavelier, Alquería S.A.
(Colombia), who provides alternative livelihoods for rural
-
Colombians through milk production.
-
Gonzalo Correa, Moderna Alimentos S.A.
(Ecuador), who expands economic opportunities through a network of 6,000 small scale bakeries in Ecuador.
-
Mitchell Elegbe, Interswitch Ltd.
(Nigeria),
who extends financial access through mobile technology in Nigeria.
-
Teddy Esteve, Ecom Coffee
(Switzerland),
who enables small coffee farmers in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa to maximize their profits through increased productivity.
-
Mike Fitzgerald, Altobridge Systems
(Ireland),
who expands access to telecommunications in rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
-
Sergio Leal, VINTE Viviendas Integrales
(Mexico), who provides affordable and eco-friendly housing to low- and middle-income families in Mexico.
-
Juscelino Martins, Tribanco
(Brazil), who extends credit and other financial services to small retailers in Brazil.
-
Francisco Mere, Agrofinanzas S.A.
(Mexico), who provides financing to rural Mexican farmers and food producers.
-
Luis Orvañanos, Corporación Geo
(Mexico), who designs and builds communities to meet the housing needs of Mexico’s low and middle income population.
-
Gyanesh Pandey, Husk Power Systems
(India),
who builds clean electricity systems for unelectrified areas of India.
-
Paresh Rajde, Suvidhaa Infoserve Pvt. Ltd.
(India), who uses a web-based platform to expand access to online services in India.
Since 2005, IFC has invested over $7 billion in more than 300 companies that focus on inclusive business models in over 80 countries, reaching 250 million people. IFC aims to increase the number of financially sustainable, inclusive business models operating at scale to help address the issue of access to goods, services, and livelihoods for billions of low-income people.
For more information about inclusive business at IFC, including the report, previous publications, and case studies, visit
www.ifc.org/inclusivebusiness
.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, mobilizing capital in international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments. In FY12, our investments reached an all-time high of more than $20 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs, spark innovation, and tackle the world’s most pressing development challenges. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
Stay Connected
|
