BOP ~ the other 90% of world population…

By Dian Hasan | September 15, 2009

If the abbreviation BOP sounds greek to you, the meaning should not, and should be crystal clear:

BOP (bottom of pyramid): 4 billion poor that are excluded from our formal economy and do not have access to goods and services like most of us. ~ “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid”, C.K. Pralahad

The late author CK Prahalad‘s book “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid” (published in 2004), provided the impetus for Social Businesses that focus on specific areas across the world. Social Entrepreneurs are a breed apart, motivated by achieving a balance between – Profit, People and Planet - a concept previously ridiculed by the business world and considered impossible.

Prahalad, Professor of Corporate Strategy and International Business at the University of Michigan, was one of the most influential management thought leaders of this generation, and his book offered groundbreaking ideas and foresight into the rise of emerging markets.

This was of course before the likes of Blake Mycoskie (TOMS Shoes), John Wood (Room to Read), Bunker Roy (Barefoot College), Ann Cotton (Camfed), Theresa Wilson (The Blessing Basket) arrived at the scene.

And who could forget Muhammad Yunus, father of micro-financing and recipient of Nobel Peace Prize 2006, and the late Anita Roddick of The Body Shop for paving the way to this new paradigm of possibilities

This is a special group of people who are  each doing their part – through their work, words, compassion and thinking – in truly making a difference in the world. There are of course countless other, who we’ll discover and highlight as we go forward.

For these are the true Eco Heroes!!